How Will Google Bid-per-Call Affect Online Marketing Efforts

by mwalker on 14/11/11 at 4:58 pm

Google Offers Bid-per-Call Feature

Google is rolling out a new advertising method called Bid-per-Call. It stems from Google Voice phone number extensions, where advertisers pay $1 for phone calls that were made to the business using Google Voice number. Google has changed the Pay-per-Call so that Adwords advertisers are able to place bids on completed calls, this new program would be called Bid-per-Call. The new feature is very similar to the bidding process for text Pay-per-Click advertisements.

Bid-per-Call can help reach out to different customers that prefer calling into a business. Google will assign a Google Voice number on the advertisement. When that number is manually dialed, the call is forwarded to the business’s phone number. Google will give you a detailed report of call logs. For example, the report shows the cost of the phone call, phone through rate, duration, caller area code and summaries of the ad group & campaign level. Detailed reporting is great for businesses that would like to see which advertisements converted into calls. This way they can make sure that they are maximizing their return on investment (ROI). In order to have Google display their Google Voice number, the searcher must be using a non-mobile device. When searching on a mobile device, the business’ direct phone number will show up. If the person clicks to call, then Google will charge the call as a Pay-per-Click rate. When a person is on a computer, the Google Voice number will display. This way Google can keep better track of call statistics. This information can help guide Adwords advertisers determine how their money is being spent. The standard Pay-per-Call feature used to charge a flat rate fee of $1 per completed phone call, however, the new Bid-per-Call allows online marketers to determine a maximum bid and maximum daily bid. The amount of the bid determines the ad ranking in the search results.

This new Adwords program not only allows online marketing companies to compete for top ranking but also influences the quality score. The main factor of the quality score is the phone through rate. Google wants to match up the searcher with the right business, so they will place the company with the highest call through rate at the top of the search results. Prior to Bid-per-Call, quality score was only affected by the click through rate and the maximum bid. Now both Pay-per-Click and Bid-per-Call affect the quality score and subsequently the ad ranking.

The Pay-per-Call will affect online marketing companies and online marketing in general. In industries with a lot of competition being on the top of the paid advertising ranking can greatly affect your business. Online marketing companies should consider Bid-per-Call a substantial part of their marketing effort. Bid-per-Call will positively affect the ad ranking of companies that have call centers and physical stores.

What does this mean for SEO companies? As of right now, Bid-per-Call does not affect an SEO company’s organic ranking for their clients. However, having a well-rounded internet marketing strategy can supplement one’s marketing efforts and increase overall brand visibility. Search marketing is always evolving, and before undertaking a SEM campaign be sure to find an internet marketing company that understands the history and evolution of search.