The Paid Search Podcast – Episode 485: PPC Basics – How to Get Phone Calls

Host: Chris Schaeffer, Certified Google Ads Specialist
Date: October 27, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Chris Schaeffer dives deep into a fundamental aspect of Google Ads: How to get phone calls from your campaigns. This guide is meant for business owners, agencies, and PPC professionals seeking to drive more inbound calls via paid search—highlighting the differences between the key methods available, critical terminology, and common pitfalls that can cost your business money or effectiveness.

Chris’s approach is direct, jargon-free, and focused on actionable advice for real-world campaigns, with special emphasis on understanding what each Google Ads phone-call strategy really means for your budget, your business, and your lead quality.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Critical Vocabulary for Phone Calls in Google Ads

(04:20 – 07:15)

Chris lays down the groundwork by defining four must-know terms:

• Website Click: User clicks on the ad headline and lands on your website.
  • "They clicked on the headline of an ad. That's the blue text at the top. They go to your website." (05:05)
• Phone Number Click: Clicking a phone number within the ad or asset, triggering a call prompt on mobile.
• Phone Call: The act of actually dialing and ringing your number, whether automated by the click or dialed manually.
• Phone Call Conversion: A call that lasts 60 seconds or more (the default threshold in Google Ads).
  • "Phone call conversion is when... the phone call itself lasted 60 seconds or more... That's from the point that they start the phone call." (06:24)

"Keep those in mind because they'll be important as we dig through this." – Chris (07:12)

2. The Three Methods to Get Phone Calls via Google Ads

(07:16 – 10:58)

All methods presume similar keywords and bidding; the difference is what happens after the click.

Method 1: Send Traffic to Your Website (Responsive Search Ads)

• User clicks the headline, lands on your site, and must call the number displayed there.
• Advantages:
  • Lowest cost per click ("cheapest possible click").
  • More qualified leads (visitors see your website & offering before calling).
  • Potential for additional conversions (web forms, chat, etc.).
• Disadvantages:
  • If your website is unclear or unpersuasive, users may leave without calling.
  • Sometimes users are less motivated to call after reviewing your info.

Method 2: Click on a Call Asset (within Responsive Search Ads)

• User clicks a phone number shown as an asset under your ad; triggers a call prompt.
• Advantages:
  • Medium level cost per click (more than #1, less than #3).
  • Quick, direct path to calling; but user still chooses method (headline vs. number).
• Disadvantages:
  • You pay for a click even if the call is not completed (“phone number click” ≠ “phone call”).
  • Many may go to your website instead.
  • Only a percentage of clicks result in actual phone calls, often around 30%.

Method 3: Click on a Call Ad (Call-Only Ads)

• User only has the option to call; there’s no website visit.
• Advantages:
  • Most direct route: users must either call or move on.
• Disadvantages:
  • Most expensive per click due to high ad rank threshold.
  • You pay for click even if the call isn’t made (same as method #2).
  • If wrongly set up (with a URL), you seriously waste budget as expensive website clicks occur.

"It is incredibly important that you understand the distinction between these three and understand that they each provide benefits and drawbacks..." – Chris (10:20)

3. Deep Dive: Pros and Cons for Each Method

Method 1: Responsive Search Ads → Website → Call

(11:00 – 16:18)

• Lowest threshold/easiest entry for clicks (lowest ad rank): “This is the easiest lift in order to achieve success.” (12:25)
• CrossFit analogy: "Responsive search ad is the 135lbs deadlift that anyone can do; call ad is the 315lbs deadlift."
• Best value per dollar: typically lowest cost-per-click.
• Website visit ensures users are better informed (“higher qualified”).
• Downside: if your site is bad or doesn’t highlight your phone number, you'll get fewer calls.
• Bonus: users might fill out web forms or use chat if calling isn't possible for them.

Method 2: Call Asset Clicks

(16:19 – 21:00)

• Sits underneath your text ad; always attached to the main ad.
• Most people still click the headline/site rather than the phone number.
• You’re charged for the number click, not the actual call.
  • If the user denies the call on mobile, you pay anyway.
  • Example: Out of 150 phone number clicks, only 100 calls may ring, and just 50 are “phone call conversions.”
  • "I usually find about a 30% actual... dial rate..." (19:40)
• Risk of paying for a lot of "almost calls"—budget can get eaten up fast.

Method 3: Call Ads

(21:01 – 27:43)

• Highest ad rank threshold, most expensive per click (example: $40/click vs. $7 for website).
  • “Call ads have the highest ad rank threshold... may be $40 cost per click for a call ad, but a responsive ad... might only be $7 a click.” (22:39)
• Zero website visits possible (unless you configure incorrectly).
• Only options: call or ignore.
• "You pay when that number is clicked... and remember, a phone call may never happen." (24:36)

4. Biggest Mistake with Call Ads: The Final URL Trap

(27:44 – 29:55)

• Most critical tip: DO NOT add a “final URL” to call ads!
  • Only use a verification URL.
  • If you include a final URL, users can click and visit your website—making you pay top dollar for the most expensive click, and they may never call.
• Real-world example:
  • “People are paying, they're getting 100 clicks and only 75 of them actually clicked on the phone number. Another 25% went to the website. It's a crappy website... they're wasting money, they're burning money.” (29:22)

Memorable Quotes & Takeaways

• On ad rank thresholds:
  "Responsive search ad is like the easiest lift—least amount of effort, lowest threshold. Call ads are the heaviest lift—you put the most on the bar and really have to pay to play." – Chris (12:25)
• Why understanding phone number clicks matters:
  "You could be getting a lot of clicks but zero actual phone calls... some people hit no, they don't let the number be called and they spent your money and walk away, right?" (18:54)
• Most important warning on call ads:
  "Never, never, never put a final URL in your call ads... that's a massive mistake... now you're paying premium pricing for them to just go to your website." (28:03)

Important Timestamps

| Time | Segment | |-----------|---------------------------------------------| | 04:20 | Key phone call vocab definitions | | 07:16 | Overview of the 3 methods | | 11:00 | Method 1: Send traffic to website | | 16:19 | Method 2: Call asset click explained | | 21:01 | Method 3: Call ad breakdown | | 27:44 | #1 mistake with call ads: Final URL warning |

Episode Summary & Flow

Chris kicks off with a practical and honest assessment of paid search phone call strategies, repeatedly emphasizing the cost, quality, and risk tradeoffs of each major Google Ads method. He urges listeners to be careful with how they structure their campaigns—particularly to avoid wasted budget on misunderstood call asset and call ad setups.

For new and experienced advertisers alike, Chris provides a clear path forward:

• Start with website clicks for best value and highest lead qualification.
• Use call assets for more direct, but less reliable, phone call attempts.
• Only use call ads if you need direct calls and are willing to pay a premium—and never, ever add a final URL.

Checking your campaign’s actual call data (clicks vs. completed calls vs. conversions) is essential to spotting leaks and improving ROI.

Final Thoughts

This detailed, no-nonsense guide will help anyone running Google Ads avoid costly errors and pick the phone call method that matches their goals and budget. Chris’s “voice of experience” tone translates advanced PPC concepts into relatable analogies, practical examples, and crucial warnings about where advertisers most often lose money.

Resources & Contact:

• Learn more or get consulting: chrisschaeffer.com
• Try Optio Google Ads tool: optio.com/psp