Two kinds of calls, two setups
When someone calls you from Google Ads, the call can start in one of two places.
Calls from the ad
The person taps a call button right on the ad, from a call-only ad or a call or location asset. They never see your page.
Calls from the landing page
The person clicks the ad, lands on your page, reads it, and then calls the number on the page.
Google tracks these two with different setups. Many accounts have the first one on and assume it covers the second. It does not. If your landing page is built to get calls, and most contractor pages are, you need the website call setup too.
Both setups lean on a Google forwarding number. Google describes it as a unique phone number from Google that lets you track the calls your ads generate. The call rings through to your business line. Google records details like time, duration, campaign, and ad group.
A few rules from Google on forwarding numbers:
- They are only offered in certain countries.
- You cannot use them outside call reporting and website call conversion tracking. Google owns them and they can change, so do not print them on trucks or flyers.
- If a local number is not available, a toll-free one may show instead.
Every call conversion type Google offers
| Type | What it counts | What it needs |
|---|---|---|
| Calls from ads | Calls from call-only ads or call and location assets that last at least your minimum call length | Call reporting on, with Google forwarding numbers |
| Calls to a phone number on your website | Calls after someone clicks your ad and then calls the number on your site | Google tag plus a phone snippet, and a forwarding number |
| Clicks on a number on your mobile website | Taps on a number, button, or link on your mobile site after an ad click. Not the call itself. | A click conversion tag on the link |
| Clicks on call ads and assets | Clicks on call ads and assets without a forwarding number. Google estimates whether a real call followed. | No forwarding number |
| Imported call conversions | Calls tracked in another system, like a CRM, and sent into Google Ads | Call details in the other system and a forwarding number |
To turn on call reporting, go to Account settings in Google Ads and find Call reporting. Google notes that if you turn it off, your ad shows your direct number, but Google Ads cannot track those calls. With it on, call details include start time, duration, whether the call connected, and the caller's number for calls over 15 seconds.
Setting up calls from your landing page
This is the one that lives on your page, so it is the one that breaks when the page changes. Here is how Google sets it up:
- Create the conversion action for calls to a phone number on your website.
- Install the Google tag on your site, yourself, through a developer, or with Google Tag Manager.
- Add the phone snippet to the pages where your number shows. It swaps your number for a Google forwarding number for people who came from an ad.
- Type the number exactly as it appears. Google says the number in the setup must match the number on your page exactly, including any country code. In Tag Manager, use the exact digits shown on your site.
- Set a minimum call length. Calls only count when they last longer than the length you set. Too high, and real short calls get dropped. Too low, and hang-ups count.
Two more notes from Google. The default JavaScript tag can track only one number per page. And it can take up to an hour before your ads are ready for this conversion action. When you test more than once, delete the gwcc cookie from your browser before you click an ad again.
The tap-to-call button
On a phone, most people tap the number. Google's click conversion setup uses an onclick on the link itself, so a tap counts. That is a separate conversion from the call. It tells you someone tapped, not that the call connected.
Landing page checks for call tracking
Most call tracking problems show up on the page, not in the account. Check these on your actual ad landing page, on a phone.
- The number is real text. If your number is baked into an image, nothing can swap it.
- The number matches the setup. Same digits, same format as you entered in Google Ads.
- The number is easy to find. Near the top, in a tap-to-call link or button.
- The Google tag loads. If the tag is missing or blocked, the swap never happens and the call is not tracked.
- Only one tool swaps the number. If you also use a call tracking service, decide which one owns each number. See CallRail and Google Ads landing pages.
- The page loads fast. A slow page means people stare at a blank screen instead of your number.
Speed matters most for urgent jobs. Someone with a burst pipe or a dead AC is not going to wait on a slow page. Our pages on plumbing landing pages and HVAC landing pages cover how to build a phone-first page.
Where ClickMend fits
ClickMend does not track calls and does not log into Google Ads. It checks the page your ad sends people to, the final URL. That is where website call tracking lives and breaks.
The scan checks whether a Google Ads conversion tag is on the page, whether it actually loaded, whether the conversion ID is still a placeholder, whether Google Tag Manager is missing, and whether the conversion linker is turned off. It also scores the page from 0 to 100 on speed and page health, and names unused JavaScript and other slow parts.
The free scan shows the problems, 2 scans a week, no card. Paid plans show the fixes and watch the page weekly, with alerts when it gets worse. That matters for call tracking, because one site edit can drop the tag and nobody notices until the call count falls. If your form is not counting either, start with conversion tracking not working. Or scan the landing page free.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Google forwarding number?
Google calls it a unique phone number from Google that lets you track calls from your ads. Calls ring through to your business line while Google records details like time and duration. Google owns the numbers, so do not reuse them elsewhere.
Why are my website calls not counting?
Common causes: the number in the phone snippet does not exactly match the number on the page, the Google tag is missing, call reporting is off, or the minimum call length is set too high for your real calls.
Can I track clicks on my phone number instead of calls?
Yes. Google offers a click on a number on your mobile website conversion. It counts taps on the number or button, not the call itself, so it does not tell you if the call connected.
Does ClickMend track my calls?
No. ClickMend checks the landing page: speed, Core Web Vitals, and whether the Google Ads conversion tag is on the page and loads. Call conversions are set up inside Google Ads.