3rd Party PPC Call Tracking Solutions Can Make PPC Campaigns Thrive
Dynamic number pool tracking is a method that was created in the 1950s and discussed in The Bell System Technical Journal. Call tracking software would allocate a group of numbers, known as a “pool”, to a specified phone number. The quantity of pool numbers needed depends on the traffic load for that particular phone number. This lets you see where clients have been exposed to your advertising and track conversions.
Here’s how it works today on the web. A pool of permanent VoIP numbers (pool numbers) is allocated to a business. When paid search traffic generates a click on a web page, the web page requests a pooling number from the tracking service. The tracking service then “swaps out” the static number on the page for one of the VoIP numbers.
When a call is made to the pooling number, the call tracking platform can identify which PPC click generated the call using the Google click ID, or “gee-klid” (gclid identifier). The call tracking platform inserts a swap number by executing a javascript program that records the call and associated metadata for later access from an analytics interface.
More importantly, with the call tracking signal, PPC platforms are able to collect search engine metadata associated with the phone call conversion. This is where the PPC technological magic comes in.
The Technology Magic: Tracking Fuels Machine Learning
This metadata collection becomes powerful information when used in conjunction with automated bidding or “machine learning” in a PPC platform. If we take a look at what’s going on at a system level, the machine learning algorithm is looking back at the past 30 days’ conversion patterns, which are each an array of metadata.
By identifying patterns, machine learning algorithms are able to serve ads into auctions that generate a higher volume of calls at a lower cost per conversion. We have seen performance benefits of over 100% from these algorithms and metadata.
Don’t Worry About The Swap Numbers
In the past, some businesses resisted using call tracking because they were concerned consumers would keep a pool number, to then later call it and fail to reach them. This problem does not exist for 2022 3rd party call tracking solutions, because the pool of numbers is permanently assigned to a business.
Analytics Benefits
3rd party call tracking solutions include an analytics panel that allows advertisers to review call activity as charts and numbers. They also allow the advertiser to playback recordings of inbound, PPC-driven calls.
This turns out to be an important “sleeper benefit” of using 3rd-party call tracking. We have not seen a client who after reviewing a cross-section of their incoming calls, did not gain insights that allowed them to improve the quality and efficiency of call handling significantly.
PPC Call Tracking Is Inexpensive
3rd party call tracking is highly competitive and the VoIP technology behind it is inexpensive. As a result, the cost is usually around $40-60 per month, per number on a website.
Blastoff Labs passes through our agency rates from a leading call tracking provider, at a 50% discount from wholesale rates. We do not markup the charges or add any administration costs. This increases the performance of our client’s campaigns.
We also do not aim to lock in clients, so to speak, because they benefit from our call tracking rates. If a client chooses to leave we will happily transfer their call tracking account. Or, as some clients have chosen to do, leave their account with us for a transitional period. In this transitional period, the call tracking will still be active and you will still have access to the analytics interface.
Call Tracking Pays For Itself
3rd party call tracking pays for itself when used in conjunction with automated bidding. The reason is, that the tracking makes the automated bidding smarter leading to a higher volume of conversions, at a lower cost per conversion. So it’s become a “no brainer” for businesses where a significant, say over 10%, of the conversion volume comes from telephone calls.