Call tracking intelligence company CallRail has launched an automated call analytics integration with Google My Business (GMB). According to Chief Product Officer and Co-Founder Kevin Mann, the product greatly simplifies the provisioning and set up of call tracking for GMB. “It cuts the time in half,” compared to manual set up, says Mann.
CallRail also developed the solution, it appears, partly as a response to the rise of “zero-click search” and the “cannibalization” of website traffic by GMB.
GMB call data very limited. GMB provides limited call insights and no call recording, Mann explained. He added that it also doesn’t capture calls originating from the desktop or where users have keyed in phone numbers. “It only captures click to call on mobile devices.” In addition, “GMB doesn’t report whether the call was answered, whether it was a repeat caller or tell you call duration,” he said.
Marketers can set up automated call tracking in the CallRail UI rather than directly in GMB, which would be required if one were inputting a tracking number manually. However there’s no way to do this in bulk for multi-location brands; it must be done location by location.
The CallRail tracking number becomes the main contact number and the original business number becomes a secondary phone number in GMB. The tracking number is unique and remains with the account as long as that business (or agency representing the business) continues as a CallRail customer.
‘Person-level data’ available. Mann outlined additional benefits of using call tracking compared to relying exclusively on GMB insights:
- Marketers can use separate numbers for GMB and organic search — the latter utilizes dynamic number insertion (or forms) on a landing page or website — providing distinct analytics
- Marketers can obtain “person-level data” from GMB-originated phone calls, including customer name, phone numbers, recordings. They’ll also be able to determine call duration, which callers are repeats and how many times a prospect calls before converting.
I asked Mann if the the company’s more advanced call intelligence features were available with its new GMB tracking solution. He said that the company’s “conversational intelligence ” package is available as an add-on. It offers call transaction, lead scoring and keyword spotting, which can inform organic search and for paid campaigns.
Why we care. Marketers who wanted to go all in could set up tracking for GMB, organic search and paid campaigns (using call extensions) to clearly understand which “channels” within search were driving the most and the best leads. And for those frustrated by the reporting limitations of GMB insights, it could make sense to explore a tracking solution, especially if calls are the primary source of leads and sales.
About The Author
Greg Sterling is a Contributing Editor to Search Engine Land, a member of the programming team for SMX events and the VP, Market Insights at Uberall.