Case study · Deep dive · Calls
The phone that rings: calls from the ads
At a dealership, a serious buyer calls. The ads that make the switchboard ring, how we tell a real call from a tap, and why one well set campaign can bring more calls than the rest of the account.
Calls from Google ads · DMD, Autodif, Vulcain
The principle
A serious buyer calls
At a dealership, a serious buyer calls. You still have to tell a real call from a tap on a button.
A Google ad can show the dealership's number. Whoever calls has often already chosen their model: they want availability, a test drive, a price. It is the warmest lead there is, and the one most often missing from reports.
What our accounts show
A campaign that makes the switchboard ring
At DMD, the Ford Performance Max campaign went from 129 calls in January 2025 to 2,099 in March 2026. Over twelve months, it brought 17,944 calls and 533 forms, at €0.61 per lead.
84% of the calls on 8 September 2026 lasted longer than a minute: real conversations.
5,492 calls longer than a minute in seven months, and only 13% fewer calls on 45% less budget.
12 times more calls between Q1 and Q3 2026, after Vehicle Ads went live.
How we count
A call is not a click
We only count a call if it goes through the ads' tracking number and lasts long enough. Then we check the real durations, to know what those calls are worth.
Google replaces the number in the ad with a forwarding number: the call is linked to its campaign.
A call counts from a duration set on each account. At Autodif and Lancien, one minute.
We regularly check the share of calls longer than a minute, so we never sell fake calls.
Checklist
Make the phone ring in five settings
What we set on every account so calls count, and are counted properly.
- The number in the ad
On Search and Performance Max, the call extension with the nearest dealership's number.
- A tracking number
To link each call to its campaign and keyword.
- A minimum duration
Ideally one minute: below that, it is often a missed call or a mistake.
- The dealership's opening hours
The ad only shows the number when someone can pick up.
- A regular check
The share of long calls, every month, next to the forms.
Frequently asked questions
Calls: what we get asked
Why count calls?
Because at dealerships, many buyers call instead of filling in a form. Without them, a campaign that makes the phone ring looks useless.
How can you be sure they are real calls?
By setting a minimum duration and checking real durations. At DMD, 84% of calls checked on one day in September lasted longer than a minute.
Do you need a specific tool?
No. Google's tracking number is enough to start. A calling tool can then link the call to the lead's record.
Other case studies
-
Deep dive · Théobald, GGP Auto, Guyane Automobile, Lancien, Vulcain, DMD Google Ads for a dealership: answering people already searching Read the case study -
Portrait · Autodif Five Hyundai dealerships, and a 459-lead summer Read the case study -
Portrait · DMD Group 26,000 leads, and every one reaches the call centre Read the case study
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