Call tracking is one of multiple methods used to measure the effectiveness of digital advertising. It’s a service that allows businesses to receive real-time reports of all incoming calls, including: Caller information (phone number, location, name) Number of calls received by the business Call duration Service provider information any associated messages you may have left for the caller.
Call tracking works by assigning a local or 800 number to a business phone line so that when the 'new' number is called, it forwards the call to the business line. The assigned number is tied to technology that has the ability to track caller information which helps realize true ROI.
There are also different types of call tracking. Google Ads and Microsoft Ads use a method that involves putting a tracking number directly into an advertiser’s ad copy. A user can then click on that number from a mobile device and call the business without ever having to visit the advertiser’s website. There are also 3rd party call tracking numbers that can be set up on a company’s website. These will change depending on how a website visitor found the website; whether that's organic vs social vs paid search vs typing in the company URL directly into the browser. When set up properly, call tracking will help show which marketing channels are driving the best results.