If you’re running ads or doing any sort of lead gen and you aren’t tracking phone call conversions, you’re flying half-blind. This guide is for marketers, agencies, and business owners who want to connect the dots between online clicks and real-life calls—without drowning in vague dashboards or empty promises.
We’re going to walk through, step by step, how to use Callroot to track which calls actually turn into customers, then send that data back to your ad platforms. I’ll also cover what works, what’s a waste of time, and what to watch out for. Let’s get your calls out of the black hole and into your reporting.
Why Bother Tracking Offline Conversions from Phone Calls?
You’re probably here because you know the pain: people see your ads, pick up the phone, and then—poof—no way to tie that call back to your marketing. You can’t see what’s working, your cost per lead is a guess, and your reports are missing half the story. Tracking offline conversions changes all that:
- See exactly which ads, keywords, or campaigns drive real phone calls
- Optimize your budget for what actually works
- Prove ROI to clients or your boss (with data that isn’t fluff)
- Stop wasting money on stuff that never rings your phone
But let’s be clear: this isn’t magic. You still need to set it up right, and not every phone call is a conversion worth tracking. That’s where Callroot comes in.
Step 1: Get the Basics Set Up in Callroot
First things first: you’ll need a Callroot account. If you don’t have one, go sign up and poke around a bit. It’s not the prettiest dashboard in the world, but it’ll get the job done.
Here’s what you’ll need to get started:
- Admin access to your website (or wherever you want to swap numbers)
- Access to your ad accounts (Google, Facebook, etc.) if you want to send conversion data back
- A clear idea of what counts as a “conversion” for you (more on that in a minute)
Set up tracking numbers: 1. In Callroot, buy or port in a tracking phone number for each channel or campaign you want to measure (e.g., one for Google Ads, one for Facebook, one for your website’s contact page, etc.). 2. Assign each tracking number to a specific source. Don’t overcomplicate it—start with your biggest channels. 3. Use Callroot’s dynamic number insertion (DNI) script on your website if you want to track calls from all your online traffic. This swaps your regular number for a tracking number based on where the visitor came from.
Pro tip: Don’t bother buying 10 numbers on day one. Start with just a couple and see if you can actually get useful data before going all in.
Step 2: Define What Counts as a Conversion
Here’s where a lot of folks screw up—they treat every phone call as a win. It’s not. You want to track real conversions, not just tire kickers or spam calls.
Ask yourself: - Does a “conversion” mean any call over 2 minutes? - Is it only calls that happen during business hours? - Should you count repeat callers, or just new leads?
Set up call filters in Callroot: - Go to your Callroot dashboard and set call duration or other filters to weed out short, spammy, or irrelevant calls. - You can also use call recording or whisper messages if you want to be extra sure you’re catching good leads, but don’t overthink this at the start.
What to ignore: - Don’t obsess over tracking every possible event. Focus on the calls that actually matter for your bottom line.
Step 3: Integrate Callroot with Your Ad Platforms
Now, the whole point is to close the loop—let your ad platforms know when an offline call turns into a conversion so they can optimize for what really works.
A. Google Ads Integration
- In Callroot, head to the “Integrations” section and connect your Google Ads account.
- Set up “Offline Conversion Tracking.” This basically means Callroot will tell Google Ads when a tracked call meets your conversion criteria.
- Google wants you to upload conversions with the right GCLID (Google Click ID). If you installed the DNI script, Callroot can usually capture this automatically.
- Schedule uploads so your conversions get sent to Google daily or as often as you need.
Heads up: If you’re not running search ads, or if a lot of your calls come from sources outside of Google, this piece won’t be perfect. Don’t expect Google Ads to magically improve overnight.
B. Facebook Ads Integration
- Connect your Facebook Ads account in Callroot’s Integrations.
- Use the Facebook Conversions API (CAPI) to send offline events. This helps Facebook see which ads are actually leading to calls.
- Map the right call criteria (duration, source, etc.) so only real conversions get sent.
Worth noting: Facebook’s offline tracking is still a bit rough around the edges, so expect some hiccups. Sometimes the data matching isn’t perfect.
C. CRM or Other Integrations
If you use a CRM like HubSpot, Salesforce, or even a simple spreadsheet, Callroot can often push call data there too. This is handy for sales teams or if you want to do your own analysis.
Step 4: Get the Data Flowing (and Actually Use It)
Once you’ve set all this up, it’s time to see if it’s working. Don’t just trust the setup—test it.
How to test: - Run a test call from a tracked number and see if it shows up as a conversion in Callroot. - Check if the same conversion makes its way into your Google Ads or Facebook account. - Make sure only the right calls are being counted (e.g., not spam, not internal testing, etc.).
If something’s not working: - Double-check your integration settings. - Make sure your DNI script is firing on the right pages. - Look for mismatched time zones or filters that are too strict.
Pro tip: Don’t obsess over being perfect. If your numbers are directionally accurate, that’ll help you make better decisions than flying blind.
What Works (and What Doesn’t)
Here’s the honest take:
What works: - Tracking calls by source gives you real insight into what’s actually driving leads. - Filtering by duration weeds out most spam and low-value calls. - Integrating with Google Ads and Facebook lets you optimize for real results—not just clicks.
What doesn’t: - Tracking every single call—noise will drown out the signal. - Relying 100% on automated matching. There will always be edge cases and missed data. - Overcomplicating your setup. Start simple. Add complexity only if you need it.
Ignore this stuff: - Vanity metrics. Call volume is useless if you can’t tie it to revenue. - Overpromised AI features that claim to “score” your leads automatically. These are rarely reliable out of the box.
Step 5: Reporting and Making Decisions
With conversion data flowing, you’re in a much stronger spot for reporting and decision-making.
- Check your Callroot dashboard regularly. Look for trends—what channels bring in real calls?
- Compare call conversions to ad spend. Are you actually getting a decent cost per lead?
- Use the data to shift budget. Double down on what’s working, cut what isn’t.
- Share real results with your team or clients. Show them calls tied to actual campaigns.
Caution: Don’t expect instant miracles. It takes a few weeks to gather enough data to spot real patterns.
Keep It Simple, Watch the Data, Iterate
Phone call tracking isn’t glamorous, but it’s one of the most honest ways to prove what’s working in your marketing. Callroot isn’t perfect, but it’s good enough to get you out of the dark. Start with the basics, filter ruthlessly, and don’t let yourself get buried in dashboards. If you keep it simple and adjust as you go, you’ll finally have the data to make smarter calls—pun intended.
Now, go set it up and see what’s actually driving your results. Everything else is just noise.