Mobile Click-to-Call Extensions

One of the latest campaign extensions in the ongoing rollout of  Google’s “Ad Accessories”  is the phone extension, which allows advertisers to leverage a click-to-call platform whereby users are served ads with clickable phone numbers directly on the results page. The inclusion of a phone number expands individual ad real estate by ~35%, sizable on the small screen, while driving online-acquired prospects to the call center, where Rollover Specialists alleviate concerns and aid in the rollover process.

Over the past six months, T. Rowe Price has been leveraging Google’s click-to-call phone extension feature and has seen some promising results. As with most mobile initiatives these days, volume has been low relative to existing PC Search initiatives; however, the campaign has proven to be a worthy vehicle for connecting prospects with sales associates via the call center. Additionally, as the first financial services advertiser to be leveraging the platform within the Rollover/401k search landscape, T. Rowe Price has succeeded in differentiating itself in a highly competitive marketplace.

Recently quoted in the Wall Street Journal’s online blog, Lea Wray, one of T. Rowe Price’s marketing managers, related her satisfaction with the click-2-call program’s ability to “engage investors with our sales representatives.” She went on to explain that “investing can be a really complicated issue”, and that the company will continue to explore new ways to connect users with their call center, particularly for investments that bear relatively long consideration cycles, in the form of drive-to-phone ads and mobile click-to-call content targeting.

Google recently announced the ability to target iPads through the AdWords interface. While this development does present additional ways to leverage mobile, it’s important to realize that iPads are included in the “All mobile devices” targeting option in Google along with other high end mobile devices, e.g. iPhones, Android and Palm phones.

If you manage an account that is currently running a mobile campaign on Google with settings that target “All mobile devices,” it may be worth opting out of iPad targeting, specifically. This can be done under the ‘Settings’ tab for any campaign within the AdWords UI. Under the “Networks and devices” sub-header, click “Edit” next to “Devices,” then change targeting to “Target only selected mobile devices” and de-select the iPad as an option.

This adjustment is important for anyone running a click-to-call campaign, since phone calls cannot currently be placed from an iPad.