Call tracking.In plain English.

Website numbers can change per visitor source, a method called dynamic number insertion, so ads and search each get credit for their calls.

Google Ads has its own version. With call reporting on, a Google forwarding number records details such as call duration, start time and, for calls over 15 seconds, the caller's number. Google says these numbers are its property and can change or be reassigned, so keep them inside your ads.

A call counts as a Google Ads conversion once it lasts at least the minimum length you set. Google Ads also now turns call recording on by default where both phone numbers are in the US or Canada, to judge which calls are real leads, except for businesses it identifies as healthcare or financial services. Check that setting before it records your customers.

Take care on listings. Google's Business Profile guidelines ask for a number under the business's direct control that connects to the location, and ban numbers that redirect elsewhere. Use the profile's separate Google Ads phone number setting for ad tracking, and keep your main number consistent everywhere else.

Google removed Business Profile call history on July 31, 2024, so calls from your profile need tracking of their own.

Example: a roofer sets a 90-second minimum call length, so quick wrong numbers don't count as conversions and the report shows which ads bring real enquiries.