Invoca and Google Roll Out New Integration to Boost Success with Call Extensions

Sure, we’re excited about things starting to open up here in the US (Movie theaters! Festivals! Actual in-person, in-the-house gatherings!) and the recent EU announcement about welcoming summertime travel, but on the work front, we’re all abuzz about Google’s latest integration. If you’re thinking a tech integration can’t compare with movie popcorn (because butter) and a trip to Greece well, you might have a point, but the upside on the latest from Google still comes in hot: Invoca has integrated with Google to get the Google Click ID (GCLID) when a call is placed from call extensions, call ads, and location extensions. 

Invoca enables marketers to accurately attribute call conversions from all three ad formats and extensions, as well as calls from PPC visitors to your website, back to keywords and through to the caller’s intent. This means you can track if they are a sales lead or calling for customer service and the conversion outcome of the call, like if an appointment was booked or a purchase was made. Invoca then activates that keyword-level conversation intelligence data in tools like Google Ads to fuel smarter automated decisions and drive better results.

This also propels Invoca’s industry-leading solution for businesses with multiple locations (think banks, healthcare locations, insurance agencies, auto dealerships, etc.) even further ahead of the pack with the ability to track calls made directly from your Search ads. Finally, Invoca is one of only three companies that Google partnered with to enable this integration (and one of the three was DialogTech, which Invoca recently acquired). 

You might be thinking, “Hold the phone, isn’t it already possible to attribute offline conversions to keywords?” As our customers will tell you, they have been able to get keyword-level data for conversions happening over the phone in Google Ads since 2017, but we would like to give Google a hearty high-five for this enhancement for two big reasons:

• The GCLID provides a more accurate way of tying conversions to calls placed from call extensions, call ads, and location extensions.
• Keyword information can be made available in Invoca’s reports in real time.

The Big Picture: Privacy, Control, and First-Party Data

With the recent Apple iOS 14 AppTracking Transparency updates and Google’s recent announcement around supporting a more privacy-first web, privacy and security are top of mind for businesses and consumers alike. 

Invoca has been covering the death of the third-party cookie since 2019 and we have seen evidence that as solutions move away from third-party data, they are actually moving toward richer and more accurate first-party data. Invoca CEO Gregg Johnson thinks all that is going on in the realm of privacy and security is a “wake-up call for marketers to break their third-party data addictions and instead turn to review the data strategies within their organizations. First-party datasets are richer and more impactful when it comes to improving campaign performance. They also strengthen trust between the customer and the business.”

In addition to the many tracking and attribution benefits of this latest Google release, the privacy theme is no less front and center. For this rollout, Google is limiting the data that can be shared. For example, no names of callers are shared and only obfuscated IDs associated with the click (like the GCLID) will be passed. Furthermore, data is encrypted and only shared with a call analytics provider if an advertiser grants access.

Full Circle: First-Party Data in Action

This enhancement makes first-party data related to conversions for call extensions, call ads, and location extensions more accurate, all while respecting privacy and security. it's a win-win. But, why do these ad formats and extensions matter in the first place and how can they help digital marketers succeed?

Marketers need attribution for all the conversions they're driving, not just the digital ones. That’s the power of Invoca’s integration with Google’s call extensions, call ads, and location extensions: tracking both online and offline conversions back to the keyword and through to the call value and conversion outcome for true and total attribution. That attribution presents a big opportunity for marketers. How big is the opportunity? BIG. Like, 80 million calls driven by Google search ads each month big!

Harnessing that opportunity, using privacy-oriented first-party data, and the real-time, seamless power of Invoca’s Google Ads integration have all the makings of marketing success. But if you’re still not sure how to begin, exhale because we’ve got you covered with exactly how to use Google’s call extensions to maximize ad revenue.  

As the face of marketing data shifts — where to get it and how to stay secure and compliant with it — be assured that Invoca is looking ahead and charting a smooth course for our customers. That means you can relax, put your feet up, browse flights to Greece and start daydreaming about an actual summer vacation. 

Get the Ultimate Guide to Conversation Intelligence to learn more about Invoca.

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