Google Ads Enhances Call Conversion Tracking for Campaign Optimization

Published: 01/06/2026
Google Ads Conversion Optimization Call Management
This article details how to remove calls from primary conversion goals in Google Ads, making them secondary reference metrics. This allows for more effective campaign optimization and improved return on ad spend. By refining conversion goals, you can avoid including non-critical calls in the optimization scope, enhancing overall campaign performance. This strategy ensures that Google Ads focuses on the most valuable conversions, leading to better results and a more efficient allocation of advertising resources.
Google Ads Enhances Call Conversion Tracking for Campaign Optimization

Many advertisers inadvertently compromise their Google Ads campaign performance by treating all phone calls as primary conversion goals. This approach can distort data analysis and lead to suboptimal optimization decisions. This article explains how to properly categorize call conversions as secondary metrics to improve campaign effectiveness.

The Problem With Default Call Conversion Settings

Google Ads automatically counts all calls as conversions by default, but this setting doesn't necessarily reflect true business outcomes. Many incoming calls represent mere inquiries rather than qualified leads or actual sales. When these calls dominate conversion metrics, they can misguide the platform's optimization algorithms, potentially resulting in inefficient budget allocation.

How to Reconfigure Call Conversion Settings

To prevent calls from distorting your campaign optimization, follow these steps to adjust your conversion settings:

  1. Access Conversion Settings: Navigate to "Tools & Settings" in your Google Ads interface, then select "Conversions."
  2. Locate Call Conversion Actions: Identify and click on the "Calls" option in your conversion actions list.
  3. Modify Settings: Click "Edit Settings" to access the configuration panel.
  4. Adjust Optimization Preferences: Under "Goals & Optimization," select the "Secondary action not used for bidding optimization" option and save your changes.

Benefits of Proper Conversion Configuration

After implementing these changes, call conversions will no longer directly influence your campaign's bidding strategy. The platform's algorithms will optimize for your primary conversion goals while still tracking call data in the "All Conversions" column for reference.

Advertisers can further enhance their analysis by enabling the "Segments" feature in their data columns and selecting "Conversions" → "Conversion Action" to view detailed performance metrics for each conversion type.

This refined approach to conversion tracking helps advertisers focus optimization efforts on meaningful business outcomes while maintaining visibility into call activity as a supplementary performance indicator.

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