The idea behind call tracking is simple: track which ads, sources, and keywords generate phone calls. Calls have traditionally been a ‘blind spot’ for marketers. That’s no longer the case. Advanced call tracking solutions can determine which campaigns, and even search terms are producing calls. They can even track caller lead quality and sales readiness.
In other words, call tracking solutions like LogMyCalls can tell you which keyword generated a call AND tell you how high quality the call was.
Marketers can have all of this call analytics data sent—via plugins, webhooks or API—into proprietary dashboards, marketing automation solutions, or GA.
Calls Are Becoming More Critical
According to BIA Kelsey marketers spent over $68 billion in 2012 just to generate phone calls. That number is only going to increase.
Mobile search will surpass desktop search early next year. More than half of business-related mobile searches result in a phone call. Wow! Think about that! And with this new deluge of phone calls, call data is going to be even more critical.
In this blog we’re going to discuss specifically how to display call data inside Google Analytics. Marketers can view much of their call tracking data within GA itself. This allows them to, at-a-glance, measure traditional web analytics and call analytics in one place.
Here are some of the common questions we’re asked about Google Analytics integration (heck, recently a Product Manager from Google asked us some of these questions at SMX West).
What can we track?
Basically LogMyCalls allows Google Analytics to display phone calls as if they were web visits. Everything you can see within GA for web visits, you can see within GA for phone calls.
In GA, under Site Content -> All Pages (for example), you’d see a “Visit” for each call, showing the Tracking Number and Ring-To number for each visit. So, if your website’s phone number had 326 calls, all using the same tracking number and all ringing to the same destination, it would show 326 visits in GA.
In that same area, you can choose to view a Secondary Dimension, in which you’d see more information…
1. Source – GA will show you the actual name of of the Provisioned Phone Route you choose within LogMyCalls. So, if you setup a route within LogMyCalls called ‘Google PPC – Keyword ‘xx”, then an entry in GA would have a “Visit” showing the Tracking Number (the number displayed on your site via LogMyCalls) – Destination (Ring-To Number, i.e. the number of your business) – and Route Name (the name you choose for your specific route within LogMyCalls.
2. Medium – GA will always show “LogMyCalls” as the medium. This cannot be changed with a different filter. The Medium will always say ‘LogMyCalls.’
3. Campaign – This shows the name of the Group, or Organizational Unit, that the provisioned tracking number belongs to within LogMyCalls. So, if the provisioned route is called ‘Google PPC – Keyword ‘xx”, than the Group would perhaps be ‘Google Adwords.’ The Group could obviously contain an unlimited number of provisioned routes.
Can call tracking tell me which keyword someone searched before they called?
Yes. Marketers use call tracking to determine which keywords produce calls. Marketers use keyword call tracking to determine a true ROI for their PPC and SEO efforts. (In fact, most of our call tracking clients use call tracking for PPC).
This is done by setting up a feature called Dynamic Number Insertion (DNI). DNI works by displaying a unique phone number for each visitor session, or referring URL. In other words, an organic visitor from Google would see a different phone number than someone that clicked through from a PPC ad.
If you have even a minimal level of PPC spend, using call tracking is critical.
How does this DNI function interface with Google Analytics?
Any phone number from LogMyCalls can appear, with specific keyword data, campaign data, and caller data, within GA. This is done via Pixelfire method.
This allows you to determine if more calls are happening because people are finding you through Google SEO or PPC? Did that LinkedIn campaign produce any sales? What about that email blast?
Does that landing page produce form fill-outs ONLY or does it also generate calls? How many?
Do we have to have a “ping” page setup?
You don’t have to have a “ping” page setup. You just need to enter your GA property id (begins with UA-) on the LMC setup page, enter the Host Name, and then click “enable” and the Save button.
Why should marketers, online businesses, and conversion experts care about calls?
There are a variety of reasons, and we’ve written about them quite a bit elsewhere, so we’ll summarize here:
First, calls convert 10x to 12x more than web form fill outs. According to Hubspot, MarketingSherpa, and Marketo, only about 2% to 5% of web leads (i.e. form fill outs) end up becoming customers within 6 months. However, according to LogMyCalls analysis of hundreds of thousands of phone calls, approximately 20% to 35% of inbound phone calls end up becoming customers within 6 months. Calls are insanely valuable.
Second, we’ve run campaigns to standard landing pages that generate thousands of leads via form fill out and only 30 – 50 phone calls. After analysis, those 30-50 phone calls generated significantly more demos and revenue than our leads from form fill-outs.
And keep in mind: we’re a BtoB tech company! We’re not even in the ‘sweet spot’ for companies receiving phone calls. Local businesses, national brands, and some specific industries are receiving MANY more calls than we are.
