call tracking which keywords trigger phone calls
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CALL TRACKING: Which Keywords Trigger Phone Calls?

Is There a Better Way to Track Your Phone Calls?

Most people enjoy the sound of a phone ringing, especially in business (unless it’s the car warranty people, of course!). For entrepreneurs and small business owners, the sound of a phone ringing is a very good thing indeed. It means people are interested in your business and called to find more information, or perhaps to even place an order.

Inbound calls have always been important to small-to-medium businesses, but never more so than in 2021. Pre-pandemic, 60% of customers preferred to call small businesses on the phone, according to a report cited by Small Business Trends.

During COVID, an analysis of 100 million phone calls revealed that customers called in even greater numbers, as a way of circumventing the need for in-person interactions.

The goal of a website marketing strategy is to drive website traffic, and motivate people to call you, but how do you measure success?

Which phone calls are coming from which keywords?

Which phone calls are coming from which banner ads?

Which phone calls are coming from Facebook? Instagram? Email?

How can you tell which segment of your online marketing strategy is pulling its weight in generating calls, and which might need a little work?

>> Enter CALL TRACKING.

That’s where a call tracking can prove to be an invaluable tool. Call tracking provides verifiable results that reveal which of your campaigns are driving those crucial phone call conversions. Instead of guessing which strategies provide the best return, call tracking provides exact performance data.

Call tracking automatically assigns phone tracking numbers to various components of your online marketing, such as Google Ads, Google My Business listings, Facebook Ads, Yelp, Email newsletters, etc. These calls are then forwarded to your business, and you are provided with data you need to track their sources.

Benefits of call tracking include:

  • Verifiable ROI: Most businesses don’t really know which components of their marketing strategy are doing the most work. This allows you to prove whether you are receiving a good return on your marketing investment.
  • Better Customer Journey: Sometimes one call is all it takes to make a sale, but it usually requires several steps to complete the buying journey. You want to make sure the customer has the information and motivation needed to proceed to the next step. If calls don’t come in from a marketing source, you need to re-examine it to determine what needs to change.
  • Drive More Traffic: Once you know what is working, you can invest additional dollars and effort into that channel to increase your traffic even more.

Which Call Tracking Tool Is Right For Your Business?

Call tracking is especially important for businesses that want to get to know their customers on a more personal basis. One tool I recommend is the highly-rated CallRail. The co-founder of CallRail was an entrepreneur, too, so he knew what would be needed in an intuitive call tracking platform uniquely suited to meet small business needs. Check out some of their case studies to see how other small businesses used the power of call tracking to their advantage.

CallRail Call Tracking software reveals the sources behind your calls, and provides access to each lead’s name, number, and location. After a free trial period, the call tracking suite starts at $45 a month, depending on the volume of phone numbers you need, the number of minutes your calls take, and other factors. Included in the basic plan are 10 local numbers, 500 local minutes, and 100 local messages. Basic features include:

  • Attribution matches incoming phone calls and texts to your marketing channels and tactics. This helps you measure the success of advertising campaigns while fine-tuning marketing strategies and spending.
  • Data-driven reporting helps you spot trends, save money, and market smarter.
  • Consolidate communications: With CallRail, you can talk, text, and track in one place. Advanced features like pulling up insights on a screen when a call begins give your callers a more personalized customer service experience.
  • Summary emails provide a breakdown of lead activity for companies within your account. You choose the data presented in your email, including total calls, total minutes, and statistics on new callers, keywords, and sources driving calls to your business. Here’s an example of a Summary Email:
Call Tracking Boost Marketing Summary

Available for Apple and Android devices, the CallRail mobile app puts your call analytics in the palm of your hand, providing a real-time view of your inbound, outbound, and missed calls. You’ll also be able to listen to call recordings and communicate with customers via text message.

If you add on The Conversation Intelligence plan for $50 a month, you can transcribe the phone calls and have them sent as a text message.

The keywords associated with calls can be used to gain insights into the language your customers use to talk about you, develop hyper-targeted ad campaigns, and include in blogs, ads, and other marketing materials to speak to your audience in terms they understand.

If you are trying to grow your business online by maximizing your web presence, driving traffic to your website, and presenting your website content in a way that more people will use your services or buy your products – tracking your phone calls is an essential ingredient for success.

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14 Comments

  1. Aside from doing SEO strategies and advertising campaigns, it’s great to see that there can be other ways to drive traffic, like call tracking. Customers are vital for every business, and thus, companies should be doing what the customers would like.

    However, I am concerned about the customer’s privacy. Wouldn’t the call tracker harm a customer’s personal information when using it? I would love to see your take on this aspect.

    1. Stella, I don’t see any downside related to privacy, as far as Call Tracking. I am a marketer though…so you are asking the wrong person perhaps. ; )

  2. Wow, I had no clue! I assumed because of the rise in text bots, messaging forums, and other more direct forms of online communication, that calling would slowly phase out, but turns out, though many people want to avoid the hassle of going to a store in person or shouting into the void of the internet, they still prefer to have some sort of social interaction. However, I wonder if this is due to a lack of tech-savviness throughout the generations, or if the phonecall’s popularity will remain one of the many standards of a successful business. I’ve also never heard of call tracking; is this prominent in the corporate world? What about in most recent/newer startups and nonprofits? Is there a way to call track on your own, or do you need to pay for services like CallRail?

    1. Thank you for your comment, Tobi. It’s true that despite the rise of various forms of online communication, phone calls are still an important part of business communication, and many people prefer the personal touch of a phone call over other methods. It’s difficult to say whether this is due to a lack of tech-savviness or if it will remain a standard practice. However, it’s important for businesses to offer multiple communication channels to cater to the preferences of different individuals.

      Regarding call tracking, it is a widely used practice in the corporate world, and it can provide valuable insights into customer behavior and preferences. While there are ways to track calls on your own, using services like CallRail can make the process more streamlined and efficient. However, the use of call tracking may vary among newer startups and nonprofits depending on their specific needs and resources.

  3. Call tracking is one of the most awesome innovations for business owners. I believe that not all are aware of this so this article should reach more people. Imagine being able to know the sources behind your calls, and have access to each lead’s name, number, and location. It makes marketing easier and more convenient for entrepreneurs.

    1. Roeyna, when I first learned about call tracking, I thought, why haven’t I been using this already! It was really an eye opener to see how much value this brings to an organization’s bottom line. The ability to see the name, number, time, and voice transcribed voicemail on your cell phone, about who is calling your business, is invaluable. You can also see the keywords the prospect typed into Google, which fine tunes your marketing attribution and sales funnel.

  4. I was not aware of how much data can be accessed from a phone call. There are so many possibilities to the value this tool can have for a business owner. While it may cost money to implement the strategies, I see the benefits call tracking offers for a company. If you know the lead’s name and location, you can tailor your marketing strategies directly for them. I plan on implementing a telephone tracking campaign over the next month.

    1. Hi April, yes, call tracking can also route your phone calls, for example, call PHONE 1, if no answer, call PHONE 2, etc, and this is really helpful if you have two cell phones, or perhaps you have a small sales team and it will ring through to the person who is available.

  5. Wow I had no clue call tracking was a thing. It’s amazing the about of data there is for marketers to look at. It seems like it would be nice to find out the source of your received calls from as many angles as possible so that you know how to target ads. I would hope though that companies are being transparent about when calls are being recorded. Otherwise, that is a bit of a shady practice, as people should be able to consent to their date being used. Other wise though I think this sounds like a great way to market.

    1. Annabel, it is the same thing offered by Verizon and ATT, etc, you can get the same information from a caller ID, but these Call tracking companies have organized the information into a panel, which makes it easy to manage and view.

  6. Using call tracking could be very beneficial for companies to get a better sense of what needs they are meeting for their customers, especially for smaller companies. A service like this may be most beneficial to a smaller business that’s looking to grow their client base as it gives them a better idea of what their customers are looking for or expect of their business. While call tracking may be intuitive, I think potential customers may be wary of doing business with a company that is recording and storing their information as it feels like it infringes on their privacy.

    1. Sarah, you raise a valid point about potential customer concerns with call tracking and privacy. However, it’s important to note that call tracking can be done in a way that is fully compliant with privacy laws, and businesses can take steps to ensure that their customers are aware of and comfortable with the process. Call tracking can provide valuable insights for businesses, especially for smaller companies looking to grow their client base and better understand their customers’ needs and preferences. By using call tracking data, businesses can improve their customer service, optimize their marketing strategies, and make informed decisions that can help drive growth and success.

  7. Hello, Taylor!
    I did not realize call volume increased this dramatically with COVID. It makes sense considering most places only allowed services by appointment only. I didn’t think to monitor marketing return through call tracking. It’s extremely helpful to know that this much data can be gleaned from phone traffic. The app makes it easier to manage incoming customers as well as track data for analysis anywhere. This helps someone like me tremendously as it allows me to work and improve my business while I’m away from my desk. Understanding which percentage of my customers speak specific languages aids in hiring practices as well as improving how I meet my customers’ needs in addition to ensuring I am getting the most of my marketing campaign.

    1. Hi, Christa! Yes, the increase in call volume during COVID was a surprising trend for many businesses, but it also presented an opportunity for companies to improve their customer service and marketing strategies through call tracking. It’s great to hear that you find call tracking helpful for managing incoming customers and tracking data for analysis, even while you’re away from your desk. Understanding the language preferences of your customers can also be valuable information for improving customer experience and hiring practices. Overall, call tracking can provide valuable insights and help businesses make informed decisions to drive growth and success.

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