We are a Certified Google Partner, and love seeing what brands are up to with their Google AdWords budget.

This is the 16th instalment of a series we call “Critiquing Your Google AdWords Campaigns”.

We Google a search term and evaluate the top 3 Google Ads as well as their landing pages for their ability to “Attract” and “Convert” visitors into leads.

We grade each campaign out of 10:

5 Points ATTRACT: the actual Google Ad
5 Points for CONVERT: the Landing Page experience
Let’s get started!

This week we Googled “Call Tracking Software”.

Google Campaign #1: CallRail

Google AdWords Ad:

The Good…

• My keyword “call tracking” is right in the headline
• I like the “Try Us Free for 14 Days” right in the headline
• “Get Set Up Instantly” – very important for people who may not be sure how complicated call-tracking is to set up
• “No Contracts” – reduces risk, great benefit
• “Agency Friendly” – identifying a very important audience, very key
• Great use of the Google AdWords review and sitelink extensions

The Not so Good…

• The only thing I would mention is that I’m Googling from Canada, so maybe something in the ad that mentions/confirms that software works in Canada and for Canadian numbers.

Ad Score: 4.5/5

Google AdWords Landing Page:

The Good…

• Simple headline and sub-line: call tracking software that works for any size business
• Identifies audience location (Canada and US)
• Clear call-to-action with contrasting green buttons for free trial
• “No credit card needed” will make it easier, and more likely, to start a free trial

The Not so Good…

• I wouldn’t recommend sending people to your pricing page instead of a dedicated landing page
• Asking users to start a free trial isn’t always the best call to action.  What if they have questions, want to know more about the product, or aren’t sure if it would work with their specific marketing campaigns?  Granted they offer a live chat but I’d give users an opportunity just to request more info.

Google Landing Page Score: 3/5

TOTAL ADWORDS SCORE: 7.5/10

Google Campaign #2: CallTrackingMetrics

Google AdWords Ad:

The Good…

• My keyword right in the headline – nice
• “Track Calls, Forms & Texts” – I like this, helps differentiate CallTrackingMetrics from competitors
• Easy setup and no contract
• Great use of the star review extension from G2 crowd as well as sitelinks

The Not so Good…

• The irony of a call tracking company not listing their phone number
• No mention of a free trial or a call to action

AdWords Score: 3/5

Google AdWords Landing Page:

The Good…

• Nice design and simple headline
• Done well to identify their audiences – small businesses, agen

The Not so Good…

• No free trial?  Not likely to get a lot of people from AdWords campaigns that are ready to buy after clicking an ad
• Just like CallRail, would recommend using a dedicated landing page (where you can remove all the links), and give users more opportunity to request more information or ask questions

Google Landing Page Score: 2.5/5

TOTAL ADWORDS SCORE: 5.5/10

Google Campaign #3: Infinity Call Tracking

Google AdWords Ad:

The Good…

• It’s for call tracking, that’s pretty clear

The Not so Good…

• Call for a “Free Demo” with what number?  And do people ever pay for demos?
• In fairness to Infinity Call Tracking, because they are in a lower ad position they likely haven’t been given the real estate to include all their callouts, reviews/quotes, or sitelinks extensions
• That being said, no free trial?

Google AdWords Score: 2/5

Google AdWords Landing Page:

The Good…

• The screenshot doesn’t capture the whole page, but it’s a very well designed and visually interesting page that is easy to read and navigate
• “Book a Demo” or “Contact Us” – many say you should only have one call to action instead of two, but I’d test to see what works best

The Not so Good…

• Being in Canada, that phone number doesn’t look at all familiar – they need to use a 1-888 or 1-800 number
• Get rid of social media icons and links that gives your prospect and opportunity to visit Facebook and get distracted by cute puppy pics, and thus lose the lead you’ve paid for
• Again, no free trial?

Landing Page Score: 2.5/5

TOTAL ADWORDS SCORE: 4.5/10

Who’s Getting My Business for “Call Tracking Software”?

CallRail is the clear winner.  A terrific ad, a decent landing page, and the only vendor that offers a free trial.

And that’s a good thing, because we’re longtime CallRail customers ourselves 🙂