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In late 2015, Google forwarding numbers where finally introduced to the Canadian market. This launch was great for Canadian marketers and businesses because 61% of mobile search users say it is extremely important to be able to call a business during the shopping process.

Further to that, being able to measure where your calls are coming from is essential in understanding what aspect of your marketing mix is yielding the largest ROI. Google forwarding numbers essentially allow you to measure the effectiveness of your AdWords campaigns.

hand-holding-smartphone-call-google

With Google forwarding numbers potential customers can click to call and you can measure your campaigns success.

Knowing what is working, and what isn’t working, is the key to perfecting your online advertising strategy.

As of June 1, 2016 any AdWords accounts utilizing call extensions will be automatically upgraded to Google Forwarding Numbers.

When you use Google Forwarding Numbers, Google will assign a unique number to your ad. Google forwarding numbers are also compatible with third party call measure solutions, so you do not have to abandon your current practices when this change officially goes into effect.

Most importantly, Google call forwarding numbers allow you to track your conversion at the most granular level. As with all AdWords services, Google Forwarding Numbers is a free feature available to those with an AdWords account.

One of the best features of this new extension is that where possible, the Google Forwarding Number shown with your ads will mirror the format of your business phone number. This means that Google will use a local phone number whenever possible.

Measuring Effectiveness

You might be asking yourself, how does Google measure a call’s successfulness? While Google can’t exactly listen in to every call to see if the customer was “sold” a product or service, they can measure the length of the call.

If a phone call lasts for 60 seconds or longer, it will be measured as a conversion. In that 60 seconds the customer still become more familiar with your brand and either ask for service or visit your physical location. A positive phone experience is always good for your brand.

If you are really attached to your business’s specific phone number, there is an option to “opt out” of Google Call Forwarding. As an agency fueled by the love of metrics, this is not something we would really recommend. In this day and age, people don’t really memorize phone numbers anymore. Even more, when customers are browsing from their mobile devices, they are just going to “click-to-call” and not even bother to save or write your number down.

If you or your business are interested in Google call forwarding but are overwhelmed by the thought of Google AdWords, give us a call. You can also check out our PPC services page for more information. After all, we’re here to help your business succeed!