Whether you like it or not, Google is adding automatic call extensions to your AdWords account. The phone numbers are pulled from your landing pages that “prominently” feature a phone number and where you do not already have existing call extensions implemented.
Google claims call extensions can increase clickthrough rates by 4-5% and we generally see positive results when using call extensions on accounts that need them.
It has also been our experience that not every client wants to promote their phone number for a variety of reasons including: they have no one manning the phones, they can’t handle the volume of phone calls, or it’s too costly to be answering phone calls when it’s easier to have people taking actions on their website like just buying a product or filling out a lead gen form for later follow-up.
We have found that “prominently” displayed phone numbers are loosely defined in practice and can include bolded phone numbers in the footer.
How to Stop Automatic Call Extensions
There is a way to stop these extensions from being added to your account. To do this:
- Go to the Ad extensions tab
- Select “View: Automated extensions report”
- Scroll down to “Automated extension options (advanced)” and click on “Edit”
- Uncheck the option for “Automatic call extensions” under “Do not use specific automated extensions in this account”.
Hope this helps!
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