Phone calls are often the primary enquiry method for accounting services. A potential client who sees your Google Ad, calls your number directly, and books an appointment has converted — but without call tracking, that conversion is invisible in your Google Ads reports. Tracking phone calls from your ads is straightforward to set up and essential for understanding your true cost per enquiry.

Two types of call conversions to track

1. Calls from call extensions (call assets): someone clicks the phone number displayed in your ad on a mobile device. These calls happen directly from the search results page, before the person visits your website.

2. Calls from your website: someone clicks your ad, visits your landing page, and then calls the number displayed on the page. These require a different tracking approach.

Both are important. An accounting firm that gets half its enquiries by phone will misunderstand its Google Ads performance if it only tracks form submissions.

Tracking calls from call extensions

This is the simpler setup. Google provides a Google Forwarding Number (GFN) to replace your actual number in the call extension. When someone calls the GFN, it forwards to your real number and counts the call as a conversion.

Setup steps:

  1. In Google Ads, go to Tools > Conversions
  2. Click the + button and select Phone Calls
  3. Select "Calls from ads using call extensions" (now called call assets)
  4. Configure: Conversion name ("Call from ad extension" or similar); Minimum call duration — set a threshold to filter out wrong numbers (60 seconds is common for professional services); Count — set to "One" (one conversion per unique call, not multiple)
  5. Google will automatically assign a GFN to your call extension

The GFN forwards all calls to your real number. You receive calls normally; Google records the conversion.

Note

GFNs are UK mobile numbers (07xxx) or 03xx numbers, not your own number. The GFN must be used in the call extension — Google cannot track calls to a number it has not assigned.

Tracking calls from your website

When someone clicks your ad, visits your landing page, and calls the number they see on the page, that call does not go through the call extension. To track it, you need to replace your website phone number with a dynamic Google Forwarding Number.

Setup steps:

  1. In Google Ads, go to Tools > Conversions
  2. Click + and select Phone Calls
  3. Select "Calls to a phone number on your website"
  4. Configure the minimum call duration and count settings as above
  5. Google provides a code snippet to add to your website's <head> section
  6. Add this snippet to your landing page

Once the snippet is installed, visitors who arrive from Google Ads see a dynamic GFN in place of your real number. Visitors from other sources see your real number. The GFN is assigned per-session and forwards to your real number.

Note

This requires the Google Ads tag (formerly conversion linker) or Google Tag Manager to be installed on your site to function correctly. If you are using Google Tag Manager, add the snippet as a Custom HTML tag firing on all pages.

Minimum call duration

Setting a minimum call duration prevents wrong numbers and very short calls from being counted as conversions. For accounting services:

  • Set 60 seconds as a minimum — a genuine enquiry typically lasts longer than a wrong number
  • Some practices use 120 seconds for higher confidence that the call was a substantive enquiry
  • Review the call detail report after a month to see what durations you are seeing

Viewing call conversion data

In Google Ads, call conversions appear in your Conversions column alongside form submission conversions. You can segment by conversion action to see how many calls came from ad extensions versus website clicks. To see individual call details (duration, time, outcome), go to Tools > Call Details (available only for calls using Google Forwarding Numbers).

CallRail and third-party call tracking

Google's built-in call tracking covers the basics. For more detailed call attribution — tracking calls across all channels (organic, direct, referral, paid), recording calls for quality review, or getting caller data in a CRM — third-party tools like CallRail or CallTrackingMetrics provide more functionality. For most small accounting firms, Google's built-in tracking is sufficient. Larger practices or those running multi-channel campaigns may benefit from a dedicated call tracking platform.

Key takeaways

  • Phone calls are often a primary enquiry method for accounting services — tracking them is as important as tracking form submissions.
  • Two types of call tracking: calls from call extensions (using a Google Forwarding Number in the ad) and calls from your website (using dynamic number insertion on the landing page).
  • Set a minimum call duration of 60 seconds to filter out wrong numbers and very short calls.
  • Install the website call tracking snippet via Google Tag Manager for a cleaner implementation.
  • View call conversion data alongside form conversions in Google Ads reports; access individual call details under Call Details.

Frequently asked questions

Will clients notice that the number they call is different from our main number?

No — the Google Forwarding Number rings through to your real number immediately. The caller experience is identical. The GFN appears only in ad extensions or on your landing page for ad-originated traffic; your main website continues to show your real number for non-ad visitors.

Can we use our own phone tracking solution instead of Google's?

Yes. Third-party call tracking platforms (CallRail, CallTrackingMetrics) can import their tracked calls as Google Ads conversions. If you already use a call tracking platform, check whether it integrates with Google Ads before setting up Google's native tracking.

What is the difference between "one" and "every" conversion counting for calls?

"One" counts a maximum of one conversion per user per session, regardless of how many times they call. "Every" counts each call as a separate conversion. For phone enquiries, "One" is typically more accurate — a potential client calling twice in one session is one lead, not two.

How do we know if a call that was tracked led to a new client?

Call tracking records whether the call happened and its duration. Whether it converted to a client requires offline tracking — noting in your CRM or practice management software when a new client says they called from your Google Ad. Many CRMs allow you to mark the lead source at client creation.

Can we listen to recorded calls from Google Ads?

Google does not record calls made through its forwarding numbers. For call recording, you need a third-party call tracking platform. Call recording has legal obligations in the UK — callers must be notified that calls may be recorded, typically via an automated message before connection.