Call tracking is a method used to identify which marketing channels are driving phone enquiries. By assigning unique phone numbers to specific campaigns – whether it’s a Google Ads campaign, Facebook ad, print advert, or TV spot – businesses can see exactly which effort led to a call.
All the numbers route to the same destination (your contact centre, sales rep, etc.), but the tracking software logs where the caller came from.
This gives you clear visibility into which platforms and campaigns are performing, allowing you to refine your marketing strategy accordingly. Call tracking can also record conversations, offering useful insights into:
- What prompted the enquiry
- Customer location, demographics, and interests
- Common questions or product objections
Importantly, call tracking isn’t just for digital campaigns, it works just as well for offline sources like radio or print.
Types of Call Tracking
There are three primary types of call tracking used by marketers:
1. Source-Level Tracking
This basic form of call tracking shows where the caller came from, whether it was a PPC ad, Facebook campaign, or print flyer. It’s ideal for businesses with a few marketing channels and offers a simple snapshot of which source is performing better.
Example: You discover that Facebook campaigns are generating more calls than Google Ads, and can adjust your strategy accordingly.
2. Keyword-Level Tracking
Keyword-level tracking connects individual phone calls to the exact Google Ads keyword that triggered the ad that led to the call. This is particularly useful for businesses running Google Ads.
With this insight, you can:
- Identify which keywords are driving phone enquiries
- Optimise campaigns or ad copy around high-performing terms
- Allocate budget more strategically to drive leads
3. Multi-Channel Attribution Tracking
This is a more advanced form of call tracking that allows businesses to display different phone numbers on their website depending on the traffic source. This is typically done using Dynamic Number Insertion (DNI), which uses tracking scripts to assign a unique phone number based on how the visitor arrived on the site.
For example, a visitor who arrives via a Facebook Ad will see a specific number displayed on your website, while someone who clicks through from your Google Business Profile will see a different number. This allows you to accurately track which traffic source generated each call.
This setup enables marketers to attribute inbound calls to specific traffic sources, even when those calls are initiated after someone has landed on the website. It’s especially useful for businesses running multiple campaigns across various platforms, as it provides accurate source-level attribution for all incoming calls.
What Are the Benefits of Call Tracking?
When implemented strategically, call tracking supports both marketing performance and operational alignment. Here are some of the key benefits:
- Deeper customer insight – Understand what customers are asking, their challenges, and what motivates them to convert.
- Sales and marketing alignment – Give your sales team context for each call and allow marketing to refine campaigns based on qualified conversations.
- Better lead qualification – Help identify high-intent calls vs. general enquiries, improving how leads are prioritised and followed up.
- Covers online and offline marketing – Track everything from search ads to print brochures and radio ads.
- Resource planning – Understand call volume patterns and plan team availability around peak times.
Call tracking gives you the visibility to attribute results, improve targeting, and serve your leads better. If your business relies on phone calls at any stage of the client journey, integrating a call tracking system is a smart next step.
Looking to combine call tracking with end-to-end lead attribution? Talk to us about integrating RubyLeads© with your paid campaigns and CRM.
Call tracking is more than just a reporting tool – it’s a way to bring clarity, accuracy, and intelligence to your marketing strategy. Whether you’re running paid media campaigns, SEO efforts, or offline promotions, being able to trace inbound calls back to their source puts you in control of your performance.
When you know which efforts are driving qualified leads, you can allocate budget more effectively, personalise the sales experience, and close the gap between marketing and real-world results.
If your business values high-quality leads and accurate attribution, then call tracking isn’t optional, it’s essential. And with Ruby Digital’s Call Tracking Solutions, it’s never been easier to connect those dots and scale your success.
