Pay Per Click Manchester
Pay Per Click Manchester

Online marketing seems to focus on getting customers to click through to your website, but actually getting customers to call you can end up being more valuable to you.

Even if a customer clicks through to your website, you may still have to call them to follow up on their interest, so why not use pay per click Manchester to get them to call you and then you already have them on the line?

A lot of salespeople prefer calls to electronic communication as they believe that they can close the sale more easily if they can talk to a person – and they may even be able to upsell them as well. This is backed up by the fact that if someone takes the time to call your business, then they have a problem that they need you to solve – whereas someone who fills out a form on your website is probably just looking for information.

Now as a PPC agency Manchester, we know that these are sweeping statements and that some businesses will find web enquiries more profitable than phone calls, but if the data shows that your business should make phone calls a high priority then read on. We are going to explain the ways you can use your PPC ads to drive customers to call your business:

#1 Use call extensions

The easiest way to drive calls from your paid search ads is to use call extensions. This will allow you to show a phone number alongside your advert, which will call your business directly if the customer clicks on it. The benefit of this is, they skip the step of going to the landing page and just get in touch with you directly, but you only pay if they do click.

If you do decide to use call extensions, then it is vital to ensure you get the most value out of them so only show call extensions when you have people available to answer the phone and also ensure that the people who are answering your phones are trained to do so.

You can track calls from your paid ads too so that you can see exactly what sort of interactions are adding value to your business.

#2 Use call-only ad’s and campaigns

In Google Ads, you have the option to run call-only ad campaigns, rather than adding a call extension to the ad. Using a call-only ad campaign means you take the guesswork out of whether people see your number or not.

Call-only ads deliver your phone number to customers every single time they are displayed and only allow the customer to call your business rather than clicking through to the site.

However, there are some things to remember about call-only ads:

  • They only appear on devices that are able to make calls.
  • The headline is reserved for your phone number, and so you can’t use as much text as normal ads
  • They don’t use site link extensions so there is no option for the searcher to click through to your site

#3 Implement bid adjustment for calls

With call extension ads and call-only ads, you can add bid adjustment’s in Google ads to alert them to the fact that you wish for calls to be prioritised – and you can also specify how frequently both types of ads show.

#4 Use Google maps to deliver your ads

Google Maps is a great way to capture customers who need a local business urgently, especially if they are searching on a mobile phone. These are prime prospects for you.

You can capture prime prospects in Google Maps by connecting your Google My Business (GMB) account to Google AdWords and then targeting your campaign by location. Again, you can also set up bid adjustments in a radius around your business, so you will pay more for those customers who are closest to you.

You can’t run call extension ads in Google Maps, and so the phone number displayed will be the one that is on your GMB listing.

#5 Use a strong call-to-action (CTA)

If you want customers to call your business rather than click through to your site – tell them. Make it as clear as possible in your ad copy, test different call-to-actions and be creative.  Show your potential customer’s that you are ready and waiting to speak to them.

#6 Optimise your landing pages for calls

A large part of successful call campaigns is making sure that any landing pages you use are fully optimised for calls. One way to do this is to ensure your phone number is really easy to find. Typically, people will look in the top left-hand corner of the screen for phone numbers – if they are not centred in the middle of the screen.

However, all customers are different. You can use heatmaps to help you make sure you are putting your call to action and other information in the right places.

Making sure your mobile site is user-friendly is also vital, as mobile searchers are more likely to call rather than fill out a form.

#7 Import on-page calls as conversions

Having good tracking is essential for any paid search campaign, and a call-only campaign is no exception. We can ensure that calls on-site are dynamically tracked so that Google Ads or Microsoft Ads count them as conversions.

#8 Monitor the quality of your calls

As with most things’ quality is more important than quantity, so as well as driving up call volumes, you need to ensure that the calls you are receiving are quality ones. When we talk about call quality, we mean calls that are coming from prospects who are relevant and calls that are handled well by your staff.

Call campaigns are just one aspect of PPC Manchester, so, if you need some help with your campaigns to ensure they are bringing you maximum return on investment, contact the team at SEO MCR.

About the author

Simon is best know for Co-Founding AccommodationforStudents.com, a portal for student accommodation which attracts over 2 million visitors a year. Simon has 17 years online digital marketing experience and has widespread knowledge of building and/or optimising websites in most industries.

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