How to Track Phone Calls in Google Analytics: Step-by-Step Instructions

Knowing how to track Phone Calls in Google Analytics can provide you with some very useful information.

If you understand how visitors interact with your small business website, you will have excellent insights into behaviour that you can use to help grow your business.

“you will have excellent insights into behaviour that you can use to help grow your business”

One of the most important actions a customer or potential customer viewing your website from their smartphone can take, is phoning you directly from your website.

Phone Conversion Tracking in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

By setting up phone conversion tracking in Google Analytics 4 (GA4), you can see how many leads you’re getting from telephone calls to your website.

So let’s walk you through the setup process step-by-step, so you can track phone calls effectively, and make even better informed marketing decisions.

Why Track Phone Calls in Google Analytics?

Website visitors, especially those on mobile devices, often tap the phone number on your website to call you. A visitor taking this action, indicates a high level of interest, so is a significant indicator of potential leads. Tracking these calls can help you understand the effectiveness of your website and marketing efforts.

Step 1: Ensure Your Phone Number is Clickable

To track phone calls from your website, your phone number needs to be on your website in the form of a clickable link.

Place A Test Call To Check Call Tracking Works

Clearly, the best way to check that your phone number is clickable and working when clicked on your website is simply to test it by making a phone call from your website.

How to Check your Phone Number on your Website is Clickable

You need to check that your Website Designer set your telephone number up so it can be clicked and dialed from a smartphone.

Here’s how to check:

1. Hover over the phone number on your website.
2. Click the number. On a desktop or laptop computer, if a pop-up suggests using an app, it means the number is clickable and trackable. On a mobile phone, a dialog box should pop up asking if you want to call the number.

How to Double-Check the Website Code for Google Analytics Call Tracking

To ensure the phone number is correctly set up on your website:

1. From a desktop or laptop computer, highlight the phone number, right-click, and select Inspect.
2. Check if the phone number starts with `<tel:>`. If it does, it’s ready for tracking.

Example of the Code for a Clickable Phone Number

The html code for a clickable phone number will look like:
<a href=”tel:+1234567890″>+1234567890</a>

If your number lacks the `<tel:>` prefix, add it to all phone numbers on your site to ensure they can be tracked properly.

Step 2: Set Up Event Tracking in Google Analytics 4

Now that your phone number is clickable, it’s time to set up phone call tracking in Google Analytics GA4.

Access Google Analytics Admin

1. Go to the Admin section of your Google Analytics account.
2. From the submenu, click on Data Streams and then on Events.

Create a New Event

1. Click on the Create Event button.
2. On the next page, click Create.

Configure Your Event

1. Name Your Event: Enter a meaningful name like `phone_call_clicks`.
   – Use lowercase letters and underscores instead of spaces.
2. Set Parameters:    – Ensure the parameter is set to `event_name` and the operator is `equals`.
   – In the value field, type `click`.

Add Condition:

• In the parameter field, type `link_url`.
• Set the operator to `contains` and enter the value `tel`.

Finalise and Save

1. Click Create and Close the window.
2. Your event setup in Google Analytics GA4 is now complete.

Step 3: Verify Your Setup For Call Tracking With Google Analytics

To ensure your setup works correctly:

1. Open a new browser window in incognito mode.
2. Log into your Google Analytics account.
3. Visit your website and click on the phone number a few times.

Verify Call Tracking Solution by Checking Real-Time Reports

1. Go to the Real-Time Report in Google Analytics.
2. Under the event count card, you should see the `phone_call_click` event.

If you see it, congratulations! You’re now tracking phone calls on your website. If not, double-check your setup and clear your browser cache.

Step 4: Maximise Website Phone Call Tracking with Key Events

To further use your phone call tracking ability:

1. Go back to the Admin section in Google Analytics.
2. Select Key Events from the left-hand side menu.
3. Click on the New Key Event button.

Configure Key Events

1. In the new event name field, enter the exact name of the event you just created (`phone_call_clicks`).
2. Make sure it is activated by default.

Step 5: Detailed Google Analytics GA4 Reporting

To gain deeper insights, head over to detailed reports:

1. Go to Reports, then navigate to Pages and Screens.
2. Scroll down to the main table.
3. Under the key events column, click the drop-down arrow and select phone\_call\_clicks.

Analyze Tracked Phone Call Data

This will show you the number of phone calls triggered from each page. It’s extremely useful for identifying which pages convert the most visitors into customer leads.

Use the comparison features to split data between mobile and desktop visitors. This way, you can see how each segment behaves and optimize accordingly.

Filter Organic Traffic

1. Add a filter to view results based on organic traffic:
   – Go to Traffic Source and select Session Default Channel Group.
   – Under Match Type, choose exactly matches and select Organic.
2.  Click Apply.

This report will now show how well your pages convert leads from organic search results, whether they were using a desktop or mobile device.

How to Set Up Phone Call Tracking in Google Tag Manager

There is another way you can track calls from your website – you can use Google Tag Manager. Google Tag Manager allows you to add ‘event tags’ to your website that can track when phone calls happen.

Setting this up in Google Tag Manager is called implementing an ‘event listener’.

Create a Trigger that Fires When the URL Containing “tel” is Clicked

First, you will make sure you have the html markup “tel” coded with your phone number on your website using the steps above.

Step 1: How to Create the Event Listener Trigger: Enable All Click Variables

1. In the Google Tag Manager Dashboard, click Variables.
2. Click Configure, and scroll down to Clicks, and check all of the boxes.

Step 2: How to Create the Event Listener Trigger: Create the Trigger

1. Click Triggers, then select New.
2. Under the Choose Trigger Type menu, select Just Links.
3. Under This Trigger Fires On, select Some Link Clicks.
4. In the left box, choose Click URL, then in the middle box choose Contains and in the right box, write tel.
5. Name the trigger something that makes sense to you, like Phone Call Click Trigger and then save it.

Step 3: How to Create the Event Listener Trigger: Link the Trigger to a Tag

To make the trigger you just created start working, it must be connected to an event-based tag. Once it’s published, this tag will pass your data into Google Analytics.

Here’s how:

Create the Tag

1.  Click “Tags” from the sidebar menu and click “New”.
2. Click into “Tag Configuration” and choose “Google Analytics: Universal Analytics”.
3. For the “Track Type,” choose “Event”.
4. Name the Category “Phone Calls”.
5. For “Action” Click The Plus Sign. This will open a list of variables.
6. Select “Click URL”
7. Use this menu to select the “Page Path” variable. The end result will be {{Click URL}}
8. Clicked On {{Page Path}} — this allow you to see the page the phone number was clicked on.
9. Leave the “Label” and “Value” blank.
10. Change non-interaction hit to “True”.
11. Under “Google Analytics Settings” select your saved analytics variable.

Select the Click Trigger you created earlier

1. Click into “Triggers” and select “Click Trigger for Phone Calls”.
2. Name the tag something like “GA-Event-Phone-Calls” and save.

Publish the Tag and Test It

1. Publish the tag by hitting “Submit” in the top right corner.
2. In the version name field, write something like “Added Phone Tracking” and hit “Publish”
3. Test the tag by clicking the phone number via a mobile device. Then go to the real-time report in analytics and select “Events.” You should see the phone number as well as what page you clicked it from appear.

Step 4: Turn Phone Call Clicks into a Conversion Goal to See Traffic Sources Driving Calls

Once everything is working, you need to turn the event listener trigger you’ve created for phone call clicks, into a conversion goal.

Doing this allows you to see where your phone call clicks are coming from. For example, from paid search if you’re doing paid advertising; social media, direct traffic, SEO, SEM.

Create an Event-Based Goal

1. Click “Admin,” “Goals,” and then “+ New Goal”.
2. Name the goal “Phone Calls” and Select “Event”.
3. Put “Phone Calls” in the “Equals To” field and save it.
4. In Google Analytics, go to Acquisition < All Traffic < Channels, set your date range, and select your “Phone Calls” goal to see the channels driving phone calls.

Tracking Phone Leads From Your Website

Tracking visitor activity, especially conversions like phone calls, is important for making smarter and well-informed marketing decisions. By following these step-by-step instructions, you can accurately capture how many visitors are reaching out via phone from your website.

Tracking visitor activity, especially conversions, on your website is important if you want to make smarter and well-informed marketing decisions and focus on what really matters, particularly if you’re a small business.

Don’t expect the tracking to start immediately though. It usually takes 24 to 48 hours for conversions to start appearing in your reports. While you’re waiting, consider learning how to track other actions on your website.

If you’re ready to take it further and learn how to accurately track what’s happening on your Google Business profile, or if you’d prefer us to set this up for you, reach out – we’d love to hear from you.

Should Use Call Tracking Software to Track Calls in Google Analytics?

Call tracking software can be a valuable tool for businesses looking to measure the effectiveness of their marketing efforts and improve their overall customer experience.

You need to balance the cost of call tracking software against the benefits you might get from it. We recommend that you try the free Google Analytics event tracking method first.

When integrated with Google Analytics, call tracking software can provide deeper insights into how your online and offline marketing channels are performing.

Frequently Asked Questions…

Here’s a few of the common questions we get asked, answered:

Q: How can I track calls in Google Analytics?

A: To track calls in Google Analytics, you need to set up phone call tracking. This involves using call tracking software or a call tracking solution that integrates with Google Analytics. You’ll need to set up a tracking number, configure event tracking for phone calls, and use Google Tag Manager to implement the tracking code on your website.

Q: What’s the best way to set up phone call tracking in Google Analytics?

A: The best way to set up phone call tracking in Google Analytics is to follow these steps: 1. Choose a call tracking software that integrates with Google Analytics 2. Set up a tracking number for your website 3. Configure event tracking for phone calls 4. Use Google Tag Manager to implement the tracking code 5. Set up goals in Google Analytics to track call conversions 6. Test your setup by placing a test call 7. Start analyzing your call tracking data in Google Analytics reports

Q: Can I track calls in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)?

A: Yes, you can track calls in Google Analytics 4 (GA4). The process is similar to tracking calls in Universal Analytics, but with some differences in event setup and reporting. You’ll need to use a call tracking solution that supports GA4 and configure your events accordingly. GA4 offers more flexibility in event tracking and can provide deeper insights into your phone leads and call conversions.

Q: How do I set up a phone call event in Google Analytics?

A: To set up a phone call event in Google Analytics: 1. Use Google Tag Manager to create a new tag 2. Choose “Google Analytics: Universal Analytics” as the tag type 3. Set the track type to “Event” 4. Configure the event category, action, and label (e.g., Category: “Phone Call”, Action: “Click to Call”, Label: “{{Phone Number}}”) 5. Set the Google Analytics settings variable 6. Create a trigger for when users click on phone number links 7. Publish your changes in Google Tag Manager

Q: What call tracking software should I use to track calls in Google Analytics?

A: There are several call tracking software options that integrate well with Google Analytics, such as CallRail, CallTrackingMetrics, and Invoca. Choose a solution that offers features like dynamic number insertion, multi-channel attribution, and integration with Google Ads. Consider factors like pricing, ease of use, and additional features like conversational analytics when selecting the best call tracking software for your needs.

Q: How can I attribute phone calls to specific marketing campaigns?

A: To attribute phone calls to specific marketing campaigns: 1. Use call tracking software that supports dynamic number insertion 2. Set up unique tracking numbers for different campaigns or sources 3. Configure UTM parameters for your marketing campaigns 4. Use Google Analytics to track the source, medium, and campaign for each call 5. Analyze your Google Analytics reports to see which campaigns are driving phone calls 6. Use the call tracking data to optimize your marketing efforts and improve ROI

Q: Why doesn’t Google Analytics track phone calls by default?

A: Google Analytics doesn’t track phone calls by default because it’s primarily designed to track online interactions. Phone calls are offline conversions that require additional setup and integration with call tracking software. To track calls, you need to implement event tracking and use a call tracking solution that can capture phone call data and send it to Google Analytics.

Q: How can I measure the effectiveness of my phone leads using Google Analytics?

A: To measure the effectiveness of your phone leads using Google Analytics: 1. Set up call tracking and event tracking for phone calls 2. Create goals in Google Analytics to track call conversions 3. Analyze call volume, duration, and conversion rates in your Google Analytics reports 4. Use the Multi-Channel Funnels report to see how different channels contribute to phone call conversions 5. Compare phone call conversions with other conversion types to understand their value 6. Use the data to optimize your marketing strategies and improve the quality of your phone leads