Complete 2025 Guide on Tracking Phone Call Leads in Google Analytics

Author

Mohammad Afzal Hossain

October 23, 2025
Complete 2025 Guide on Tracking Phone Call Leads in Google Analytics
Complete 2025 Guide on Tracking Phone Call Leads in Google Analytics
AI in Business

Why It Is Crucial to Track Phone Call Leads in 2025

Value of phone calls vs online-only leads — intent, conversion, revenue lift

Phone call is one of the highest-intent actions a prospect can take. And though they can capture leads, online forms or chatbots do not match the urgency, or intentionality, of a phone call. By 2025 — with businesses contending with ever more expensive ads and tighter attribution models that make it difficult to track the origins of all sales in a multi-touch-point journey — phone calls will represent calling cards for revenue.

In many “intake focused” marketing studies, phone leads will convert at rates 10x higher than online leads in industries such as legal, health care and home services. It follows that tracing its effects becomes a key task in the verification of ROI.

[Image No 1: high-intent lead phone call ROI comparison chart]

The Shift in Privacy and First-Party Data Making Phone Lead Tracking Critical

As the third-party cookies continue to go away and data privacy laws only get tighter (GDPR, CCPA, plus new U.S. state laws), your first-party conversion events - like calls - are becoming increasingly more valuable.

Now, businesses are going to have to claim that data collection. By tracking phone calls, you can credit leads in a way that doesn’t depend on black-box algorithms or third-party data — making your insights more robust and compliant.

What new changes in Google Analytics 4 mean for tracking offline or engagements which are not fully-offline

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) centers around event-based tracking and cross-platform user journeys. That is, phone calls — long considered to be “offline” activity — can now be added to the same first-party tracking.

Thanks to the Google Tag Manager, Google Ads call assets and third-party integrations, calls can now sit alongside clicks, scrolls and form submissions in your analytics reports.

[Image No 2: GA4 event model, phone call is event, funnel Viz]


Core Concepts & Terminology to Know Before Setting Up

What constitutes a “call lead” — click vs completed call vs quality call

All call interactions are not equal. It's important to define what you’ll measure:

  • Click: A user taps on a link to a phone number (tel:).
  • Connected Call: A call that connects and lasts for a few seconds.
  • Quality Call: An in-depth call that can also be defined by length (e.g. over 60 seconds) or result (booking, sale, etc.).

Only the last two are helpful for actual lead attribution.

Tel: links, click-to-call and when they trigger events

Every phone number that appears on your website should be clickable with a tel: link. This allows direct click-to-call to work, and GTM to push a listener to that click, which will then trigger our event.

Ensure you have the proper email format in your HTML: Call Now.

Call extensions (formerly “call extensions”) and Google forwarding numbers

In Google Ads, call extensions are now called Call Assets. Together with Google Forwarding Numbers (GFNs), you can:

  • Track calls from ads
  • Source them back to an individual campaign or keyword
  • Measure duration and outcomes

Dynamic Number Insertion (DNI) & unique phone numbers /source

DNI changes the telephone number on your site depending on the source of traffic. That way, users from Google Ads see one number, and Facebook users see another. By combining a DNI tool, you are able to:

  • Attribute calls to source/medium
  • Link phone calls to campaigns

[Image No 3: Mentality of DNI, Traffic Source Mapping, number switch]


How to Measure Phone Call Conversions in GA4 + Google Ads

Call Conversion Tracking Using Google Ads In-built Tools

Google Ads provides you with built-in conversion actions for:

  • Calls in response to ad units (click-to-call ads on mobile)
  • Phone calls to phone numbers on your site (when using Google forwarded numbers)

Set up involves:

  1. Navigate to Google Ads > Tools > Conversions > New Conversion Action
  2. Select Phone Calls
  3. Select "Calls from ads" or "Calls to a number on your website"
  4. Select the duration threshold (e.g., 60 seconds), attribution model, and conversion window.

[Image No 4: Google Ads call conversion setup, duration setting, tracking flow]

Tracking clickable phone number links (tel: links) with GA4 + Google Tag Manager

To follow the click event on phone numbers in your website:

  • Ensure the phone number in your HTML has a tel: link.
  • In GTM, activate click variables (Click URL and Click Text) with built-in options.
  • Add a condition: triggers on Link Clicks > Click URL contains tel:.
  • Build a GA4 Event Tag with page_path and phone_number as parameters.
  • Publish your container and test in GTM Preview mode.

When data starts showing up in GA4, identify the event (like “phone_click”) as a conversion.

Third-party call tracking tools / services used

If you require advanced features such as:

  • Call recording
  • Lead scoring
  • Customer journey tracking
  • Missed call alerts

Third-party tools like Invoca, CallRail, or ATLAS Call Tracking may aid in this. These tools offer:

  • Dynamic number insertion
  • CRM integrations
  • Export to GA4 using Measurement Protocol


Step-By-Step setup in GA4 & GTM

Pre-setup checklist

Before starting:

  • GA4 property and measurement ID prepared
  • Google Tag Manager access
  • Google Ads account access
  • Site phone numbers are tel: or DNI enabled

GTM setup for tel: link click tracking

  • Activate built-in click variables (Click URL, Click Text).
  • Add a trigger: Link Click > Click URL contains "tel:".
  • Build GA4 Event Tag:
    • Name: phone_click
    • Parameters: click_text, page_path, phone_number
  • Test using GTM Preview/Debug Mode.
  • Publish the container.

How to Set Up Phone Call Conversion in Google Ads & Connecting with GA4

  • Set up conversion actions in Google Ads:
    • Select type (ad call, website call)
    • Set thresholds and enable Google forwarding numbers
    • Connect Google Ads and GA4 accounts
    • Send conversion events to GA4 reports

    [Image No 5: Google Ads + GA4 linking flow, conversion import, attribution setup]

    Third-party tool adoption (if used)

    • If using platforms like Invoca:
      • Map call data to GA4 via Measurement Protocol
      • Create custom events in GA4
      • Consolidate conversions (click and external event)


    How To Test And Troubleshoot Your Setup

    Verify using GTM Preview / Tag Assistant if events are firing properly on clicking the phone number

    Test phone call conversion on Google Ads (test call, test click)

    View event logs in GA4 → Real-time or DebugView to verify parameters are correct

    Common issues: non-tel links, phone formats not consistent, incomplete variables in a record and mis-linking of records

    [Image 6: GTM DebugView, GA4 Realtime, call tracking errors distorted]


    How to Analyze & Use Call Lead Data in GA4

    How to view phone-click events & conversions in GA4

    Go to: Reports > Engagement > Events or Reports > Engagement > Conversions (after an event has been selected as a conversion).

    Reporting dimensions/parameters

    • Source/Medium
    • Campaign
    • Page
    • Device
    • Phone number
    • Time of day

    Explorations/custom reporting to dive deeper

    • Identify drop-off pages before call
    • Discover pages with high call volume
    • Match calls to sessions for context

    How to assign revenue or lead value to calls

    If your CRM tracks revenue:

    • Sync call lead data to CRM
    • Use call duration and/or source to judge worth.
    • Leads generated from calls are attributed to campaigns for ROI.


    Good Practices, Tips and Privacy Aspects

    Selecting appropriate call length thresholds

    Avoid mistaking misdialed calls or wrong numbers. Use benchmarks like 45-90 seconds for industry.

    Unique phone numbers or DNI to prevent attribution confusion

    Use a solution for dynamically inserting phone numbers by source to maintain correct attribution.

    Not to double count where not needed

    You can use GA4's event deduplication logic if you log click and external call data.

    Adhering to privacy laws (GDPR, CCPA etc)

    Mask phone numbers in reports. Don’t save complete caller information without permission. Follow regional regulations strictly.

    Audits, validation of data

    Frequency: Perform monthly or quarterly checks to ensure:

    • Is tracking firing?
    • Are conversions attributed properly?
    • Phone numbers — still tel: or DNI?


    Examples & Use Cases

    Local service: plumbing, HVAC, legal etc

    These services are usually scheduled over the phone for emergencies or consultations. Call tracking directly supports local ad spend ROI.

    E-commerce — phone support

    Some online stores offer phone support for high-ticket items or troubleshooting. Tracking tells you which products offer call support.

    B2B services/consultancies

    Calls often drive deals to closure. It’s important to know which channels resulted in quality calls so you can fine-tune where your lead-gen spend goes.


    Resources & Tools to Help You Streamline Call Lead Tracking

    Native tools: Google Ads call tracking, GA4 + GTM

    If you have simple requirements, native tools are enough. Ideal for small teams.

    Plugins / CMS-based tools

    MonsterInsights is an example of a tool that enables tracking in GA4 without writing code.

    Call tracking platforms

    For sales-driven organizations with huge teams or compliance-heavy sectors, tools like Invoca or CallRail provide deeper insights.

    Supporting utilities

    • Call masking
    • Transcriptions
    • DNI
    • Conversation analytics


    Summary & Action Plan

    Quick checklist

    • Configure link click on tel: for GTM
    • Create GA4 event tag
    • Mark event as conversion
    • Link Google Ads and GA4
    • Test end-to-end flow

    Key metrics to monitor

    • Total phone clicks
    • Quality call to click conversion ratios
    • Call duration
    • Source attribution
    • ROI per channel

    How to continuously improve

    • A/B test call assets
    • Adjust thresholds
    • Review attribution models
    • Optimize campaign targeting with call tracking data


    FAQs

    Q1: How do I track phone calls in Google Analytics 4 when a user taps on a phone number on my website?
    A: Trigger a GA4 event on click of tel link using Google Tag Manager. Turn on click variables, add a trigger for link clicks containing “tel:”, and create a GA4 Event Tag. Once published, the event will appear in GA4 as a conversion.

    Q2: How do I enable phone call conversions from Google Ads and see them in GA4?
    A: In Google Ads, click on new phone call conversion action. Select the source (ads or site), set the thresholds, and enable Google forwarding numbers. Connect your Google Ads and GA4 accounts to download the data.

    Q3: What is the best phone call duration threshold to use when measuring a converted phone lead?
    A: That depends on your business, but 45-60 seconds is a standard for screening unqualified or miss-dialed calls. Refine this by analyzing historical data.

    Q4: Can I have a third-party call tracking provider and still see events in GA4?
    A: Yes. A call before, during, or after a sale can be recorded in GA4 by sending custom events using the Measurement Protocol with tools like Invoca and CallRail. Be sure to correctly map fields to avoid double counting.

    Q5: How do I ensure user privacy when tracking phone numbers and call data using GA4?
    A: Mask or truncate phone numbers in GA4. Anonymize IPs and ensure consent is obtained before collecting any personal data. Regularly audit your data for GDPR or CCPA compliance.