Quick answer: Call-only ads are being retired. Use call assets on responsive search ads, with Google forwarding numbers and a minimum call length.
For many service businesses, a phone call is the best lead there is. Google Ads used to offer a dedicated “call-only” ad for exactly this. That format is being retired, and the way to get calls from Google has changed.
What changed
In October 2025, Google announced that call ads (call-only ads) are being deprecated:
- February 2026: you can no longer create new call-only ads.
- February 2027: existing call-only ads stop showing completely.
The replacement is a responsive search ad (RSA) with a call asset. If any ad group still relies only on a call-only ad, add an RSA with a call asset before February 2027 or that ad group will stop serving.
How call assets work
A call asset adds your phone number (or a “Call” button on mobile) to your search ads. People can tap to call you directly or click through to your website.
Set it up in Google Ads under Assets → + → Call:
- Enter your business phone number.
- Choose whether to use a Google forwarding number. This lets Google report call length and count calls as conversions. Strongly recommended.
- Set call reporting on and choose a minimum call length that counts as a conversion (for example, 60 seconds or more).
- Add a schedule so the number only shows when someone can answer.
You can add call assets at the account, campaign or ad group level. Ad group level wins if there’s more than one.
Track calls properly
Calls are only useful for optimisation if Google knows which ones were real. Track three kinds of calls:
- Calls from ads: someone taps the call button on your ad. Tracked with the Google forwarding number.
- Calls from your website: someone clicks your ad, visits your site, then calls. Track with a website call conversion, which swaps the number on your site for a Google forwarding number.
- Clicks on your website’s phone number on mobile, tracked as a tap event. Less accurate, because a tap isn’t a completed call.
Set a minimum call duration that reflects a real enquiry. Too short and wrong numbers count as leads. Many service businesses use 60 to 90 seconds.
See how to set up Google Ads conversion tracking for the full picture.
Don’t pay for calls you can’t answer
- Schedule call assets to your real business hours, or the hours someone will pick up.
- Use ad scheduling to lower bids or pause campaigns overnight if you can’t respond.
- Set up voicemail and a callback process. A missed call from an ad is a lead you’ve already paid for.
- Check the call details report (in Google Ads under Campaigns → Insights and reports → Call details or similar) for missed calls and short calls.
Optimise for calls that become jobs
If you record which calls turned into quotes or jobs, you can feed that back to Google so Smart Bidding finds more of them. Options include call tracking software that integrates with Google Ads, or importing qualified calls through enhanced conversions for leads and offline conversion import.
Should you show your phone number at all?
Calls work best when:
- The service is urgent (plumbing, locksmith, towing, emergency repairs)
- Customers want to talk before booking
- Someone can reliably answer during business hours
If you prefer written enquiries, you can run search ads without a call asset and send people to a form or quote page. Just make sure the landing page makes the next step obvious. See the landing page checklist.
Sources and further reading
Written by Gregory
20 years building websites and running lead generation, mostly with my own money on the line. Based in Sydney, working with clients worldwide. How I work →