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Phone calls are one of the most valuable conversion points for many businesses. If they play a role in your inbound journey and you’re not tracking their impact on revenue or using that data to fuel smarter bidding decisions, you’re leaving performance on the table.
Simply capturing call conversions is a good start, but it’s nowhere near the finish line for marketers focused on maximising ROAS.
The real performance uplift? That comes when you stop simply tracking calls and start optimising with them.
Today’s top-performing marketers are feeding first-party call data directly into their bidding strategies. They’re not just asking “did a call happen?” – they’re asking “was it a good lead?”, “did it convert?”, and “how much was it worth?”. Then, they’re signalling that data in real-time to Google Ads, Performance Max, and other algorithms to improve performance.
In short, it’s about becoming more mature with the way you leverage call data. The aim should be to use enriched call data to fuel algorithms, train bidding tools, and increase return on ad spend rather than stopping at basic call attribution.
The impact? It's transformative.
- One brand achieved a 300% increase in sales calls from PPC campaigns by linking outcome signals from Infinity into their bidding tools.
- Another drove a 31% increase in revenue per call by shifting from basic tracking to outcome-led optimisation.
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And as Thomas Malbon from Blue Bay Travel put it:
“Injecting goal events from phone calls was an absolute game changer for our digital strategy... Infinity’s API made this a simple process, rapidly delivering real, measurable results.”
This post is your step-by-step guide to reaching that next level and turning every phone call into an algorithm-ready signal that unlocks better performance, better leads, and better ROI from every penny of your PPC budget.
Power up your PPC with AI
A data-driven formula for maximum ROAS
Digital marketing is changing fast. The era of easy attribution and off-the-shelf targeting is over. With third-party cookies being phased out and automated bidding becoming more dominant, first-party data is now the most valuable asset in a marketer’s toolkit.
But not all first-party data is created equal.
Why phone calls give you an edge
Phone calls often signal something stronger than clicks ever could: intent.
Someone who picks up the phone is usually further down the funnel. They're ready to book, request pricing, or discuss a product. And because these calls often lead to higher-value sales, they’re a goldmine for platforms like Google Ads if you can surface the right signals.
Yet many marketers are still feeding platforms with basic binary conversion data: “call happened”. That’s the equivalent of saying “a form was submitted” without knowing who submitted it or why.
To compete – and win – in today’s auction-based landscape, marketers need to give algorithms more to work with. That means signalling the quality, intent, and outcome of those calls.
Enriched call data powers better decisions and better results
Modern bidding strategies rely on rich data signals to optimise performance.
And when you feed platforms smarter conversion events – not just that a call happened, but what happened on the call – you:
- Give algorithms the clarity to bid higher on leads likely to convert
- Reduce wasted budget on low-intent or service-based calls
- Shorten the time it takes to optimise campaigns and improve ROAS
This is where enriched call data becomes your competitive advantage.
Beyond basic call conversion data, with Infinity, you can unlock two levels of call insight:
Call intent and outcome data
Infinity’s Smart Outcomes AI can categorise calls by intent and outcome in real time. This enables you to signal which calls are high quality without needing dev work or manual tagging. Perfect for longer sales cycles where revenue data takes time to land, but early indicators (like “appointment booked”) signal strong performance.
Call revenue data
Tools like Smart Match and CRM integrations enable sales calls to be tied back to the calls that drove them. This enables you to identify which campaigns, keywords, or creatives drove actual revenue, and optimise around what works. This closes the loop on investment and revenue impact, giving you everything you need for effective value-based bidding. It’s the most complete picture, ideal for businesses with short, trackable sales cycles.
The gap between average and great is growing
AI is changing the game, and there is more opportunity than ever for Marketers to win with the help of technology. Those with a high level of AI maturity earn up to 3x more ROI than those just getting started.
But AI is only as good as the data it’s fed. That’s why more advanced teams are prioritising quality signals over quantity. Fortunately, AI can help aggregate and share the data you need. Using tools like Smart Outcomes, for instance, makes it easy for you to identify and leverage high-intent call data without the need for manual work.
Accelerating lead generation with AI
Smart Insights report
Make your data work harder
By using Infinity, you’re already capturing valuable call data. Now it’s time to turn it into a performance advantage.
Surfacing call outcomes, intent signals, and revenue insights enables you to give Google, Meta, and Microsoft Ads the information they need to prioritise the right leads – and stop wasting budget on the wrong ones.
But how does call data actually fit into your bidding strategies?
Understanding bidding tools & strategies
If you're not clear on how your bidding strategy works, it's hard to improve performance.
And if you're not feeding the right data into that strategy, you're likely leaving revenue on the table.
So, let’s break down the most common bidding strategies, when to use them, and how Infinity’s enriched call data can power better decisions, faster learning, and stronger results.
Pros, cons, and where Infinity makes a difference
| Strategy | Where Infinity helps most | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Maximise Conversions | Smart Outcomes | Surface quality calls, not just call counts, so you’re optimising towards good quality leads that have the potential to generate revenue |
| tCPA | Smart Outcomes + Smart Match or CRM integration | Help the algorithm distinguish between cheap and valuable leads |
| Maximise Conversion Value | Smart Match or CRM integration | Show which leads result in higher value outcomes |
| tROAS | Smart Match or CRM integration | Feed revenue data to optimise for actual returns |
| Manual Bidding | Smart Outcomes | Still useful for benchmarking or A/B testing high vs low-quality lead sources |
Here’s the key takeaway: Bidding tools are only as good as the signals you feed them. Infinity helps you move beyond “someone called” to “someone called, had high intent, and went on to convert.” That’s the data the platforms really need to do their job well.
Choosing the right bidding strategy is just step one. Feeding that strategy with smart, enriched, real-time data is what turns good campaigns into great ones.
This is where feeding Infinity’s signals into your bidding tools can make a real difference when it comes to boosting performance, lowering CPAs, and delivering stronger ROAS.
Tools and integrations for call-based conversion tracking
Before we explore how Infinity can power smarter bidding, it’s worth taking a step back.
Let’s look at how different tools approach call-based conversion tracking and what they can (and can’t) deliver when it comes to optimising PPC campaigns.
Google Ads native call tracking
Google’s built-in solution is simple to deploy. It uses forwarding numbers to track calls from ads or landing pages and lets you trigger conversions based on call duration or status (e.g. call answered).
What it’s good for: getting started with basic call conversions
Limitations: no insight into what happened on the call, who the caller was, or whether it was a good lead
Click-to-call tracking via Google Analytics
Some advertisers track phone number clicks as events in GA, and import them into Google Ads as goals. This can show interest, but not intent. A user may have clicked to call but never completed it, and no outcome data is captured.
What it’s good for: very basic attribution
Limitations: no confirmation of the call or outcome
Advanced call tracking platforms
Dedicated platforms like Infinity dynamically assign numbers, track calls back to the keyword and campaign level, and offer a much deeper view of the customer journey, including conversation content, lead quality, and sales outcomes. The most powerful platforms, like Infinity, integrate directly with Google Ads and SA360 to push outcome-based call conversions in real time.
What they unlock:
- Real-time signal sharing for Smart Bidding
- Support for multiple call outcomes (e.g. “Appointment Booked”, “Sale Completed”)
- Call scoring, intent classification, and conversion value tagging
- AI-driven insights to continually improve campaign targeting
Why this matters: as we’ve established, platforms like Google Ads and Performance Max are only as smart as the data you feed them. When your bidding strategy includes high-value calls – not just any call – performance improves dramatically.
CRM and Analytics Integrations
For marketers with robust CRM systems, it’s possible to connect call data to customer records and push offline conversion events into Google Ads (e.g. when a sale is marked in your CRM). This typically involves custom API work, middleware tools, or marketing analytics platforms.
What it enables: true end-to-end attribution and value-based bidding
Trade-offs: more setup required, and longer feedback loops in complex sales journeys
Fortunately, advanced call tracking solutions like Infinity can help you bridge this gap easily, thanks to open APIs and a plentiful selection of out-of-the-box CRM and ad platform integrations.
6 ways to measure calls like clicks in Google Analytics
If you want your bidding platform to optimise for phone calls, you must:
- Track calls as conversions, not just clicks
- Differentiate high-value calls from low-intent ones
- Feed that enriched data back into Google Ads, SA360, or your analytics platform in a structured, consistent way
That’s exactly what Infinity helps you do – automatically, and at scale.
What Infinity can send and why it matters
To optimise your bidding strategy, you don’t just need more data – you need better signals.
That means moving beyond a simple “did someone call?” to “was it a good call?”, “what was the intent?”, and “did it lead to revenue?”
Infinity makes it easy to capture and send exactly that, unlocking more powerful bidding, better ROAS, and faster optimisation cycles.
Call Data Maturity Model
Where do you stack up?
These signals let ad platforms optimise for quality, not just quantity. They’re also ideal for Performance Max, tROAS strategies, and value-based bidding.
How platforms use these signals to optimise bids
Here’s how Infinity’s enriched data gets used behind the scenes:
| Signal type | How platforms use it |
|---|---|
| Call occurred | Confirms conversion volume; triggers attribution models |
| Call source + goal met | Helps identify high-performing channels/keywords |
| Intent + outcome | Used to train algorithms to prioritise high-value leads |
| Call sales revenue | Enables value-based bidding and precise tROAS targeting |
Instead of bidding blindly on any conversion, your platforms start bidding more for leads likely to convert and less for low-quality traffic – automatically.
Pro tip: Use values to teach the algorithm what matters
Not all calls are equal, and your bidding strategy should reflect that.
If a “brochure request” call is worth £25 and a “sales conversion” call is worth £500, signal that difference. You can assign conversion values or use separate conversion actions in Google Ads to reflect true business impact.
For example:
- If a call meets condition X (e.g. quote requested), send a "Quality Call" conversion
- If it meets condition Y (e.g. sale completed), send a "Sales Call" conversion with revenue value
This trains Target ROAS or Maximise Conversion Value strategies to optimise for actual value, not just call volume.
By piping real outcomes or revenue from Infinity into your campaigns, you help platforms prioritise your highest-value leads and stop wasting budget on low-intent enquiries.
Automating your PPC feedback loop with AI
Keeping on top of identifying and sharing signals can feel daunting, especially if you’ve never optimised with call data before.
With the right technology in your stack, setting up a system that automates data capture, sharing, and optimisation becomes a piece of cake.
Tools like Smart Outcomes use AI to automate data capture and categorisation, then, with the help of integrations, they can automatically share signals with bidding algorithms that can be used to power optimisation. The AI in the Infinity Hub makes it easy to categorise calls in real time and feed back to bidding platforms without dev effort or manual uploads.
Closing the loop between:
- Who called
- What happened
- What to do more (or less) of
And when you plug these signals into platforms like Google Ads or Microsoft Ads, they do the heavy lifting – adjusting bids, placements, and targeting to maximise ROI.
Building the AI feedback loop for PPC
Testing and measurement
Moving to outcome-based bidding strategies is a smart decision.
But like any optimisation effort, it needs to be tested properly. Not everything you change will work. Not every signal will deliver immediate uplift. And not every campaign behaves the same.
That’s why structured testing is essential. It’s how you turn confidence into certainty and get the evidence you need to secure more budget, scale the right signals, and win stakeholder support.
What metrics to track
Optimising with call data can help you drive significant improvement across several key metrics. Here are some of the KPIs you should aim to improve when you start using call data to lift performance.
| Metric | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) | Are you acquiring good leads more efficiently? |
| Conversion Rate (CVR) | Are higher-intent leads converting more reliably? |
| Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) | Are you getting more value from each pound spent? |
| Average Order Value (AOV) | Are outcome-based signals prioritising higher-value leads? |
| Sales-to-Lead Ratio | Are more of your leads becoming actual sales? (via Smart Match or CRM match) |
Common pitfalls to avoid
Even smart tests can go wrong. Here are the top things to watch out for:
Not isolating variables
If you change your ads, budgets, or targeting at the same time, you won’t know whether the signal made a difference.
Testing during seasonality
Avoid running tests during peak periods, promotions, or when your audience behaviour is volatile, e.g. Black Friday, as it can distort outcomes.
Stopping too soon
Google’s bidding algorithms take time to adapt. Pausing a test after one week kills its potential. Wait for stabilisation before judging results.
Ignoring signal quality
Not all conversions are equal. If you're testing signals that include unqualified calls or incomplete outcomes, you may not see improvement. Clean, consistent signal definitions matter.
How to monitor performance and optimise continuously
Once you’ve integrated call intent and outcome data into your campaigns, the real work begins.
Not because it’s difficult, but because optimisation is a loop, not a line. That means reviewing performance regularly, refining your signal strategy, and being deliberate about when to scale, when to pause, and when to test something new.
What to look for in campaign performance
At Infinity, we believe success comes from measuring what matters. When it comes to optimising with call data, these are the core indicators you need to keep a close eye on and the movements that show your new signals are working:
| Metric | What it means | What success looks like |
|---|---|---|
| CPA | Cost per acquisition | Trending down while lead quality holds or improves |
| Conversion Rate | % of clicks becoming leads | Rising, as bidding platforms filter better traffic |
| ROAS | Return on ad spend | Improving, as platforms prioritise high-value conversions |
| Lead Quality | Fit, intent, and potential value | Sales or CRM feedback confirms more high-intent leads |
| Learning Status | Google’s bid strategy confidence | Stable or improving, showing the algorithm has adapted well |
It’s typical to start seeing signs of impact within 30-40 days, but stronger results tend to emerge in the 45–90 day window as the platform learns and adjusts. Even the smartest tools need time to learn – so be prepared to be a little patient!
When to adjust
Signals aren’t static. And the best teams regularly refine which ones are being used based on how well they correlate with meaningful outcomes.
Here are a few things to consider if you want to keep signals relevant:
- Audit top-performing conversions in Google Ads or SA360 – are they from calls tagged with the specific intent or outcomes?
- Get sales team feedback on what makes a truly qualified lead. Update your intent and outcomes to match.
- Prune generic signals (e.g. "30+ sec call") if they're over-representing low-value leads.
- Test combinations – e.g. “appointment booked” + “called from a PPC ad” – to create more predictive signals.
"AI needs a complete, nuanced, and high-quality data set to perform at its best. Every signal you send should tell the algorithm something it can act on."
Dr. Dave Chaffey
Co-Founder | Smart Insights
Smart bidding thrives on clarity and consistency, but it also benefits from fresh, meaningful signals over time.
When to add signals:
- You’ve launched a new service or product line with different buyer behaviour
- You’re now collecting outcome data you didn’t have at launch
- Sales cycles are shortening or lengthening, and proxy outcomes need rethinking
- You’ve identified new indicators of high-value leads (e.g. repeat calls, location, daypart)
When to remove or adjust signals:
- A signal is generating volume but not value (e.g. “any call over 30s” leads to unqualified leads)
- Outcome tagging is inconsistent or too broad
- A campaign’s bid strategy is overly influenced by low-intent signals
Don’t be afraid to refine. A small shift in signal quality can trigger a large improvement in ROAS.
Top tips for maintaining top performance:
- Review campaign performance weekly – especially signal-level conversion performance
- Run quarterly “signal audits” – prune low-value goals, test new ones, document changes
- Share insights across teams – align Marketing, Sales, and Agency on what defines a great lead
- Scale incrementally – roll out successful signals to more campaigns and channels
"Feed the platform a complete set of conversion data – not just calls, but outcomes, intent, and value – and you’ll see Performance Max pull in higher-quality leads with less waste."
Wes Parker
Co-Founder | DemandMore Performance Marketing Agency
Optimisation is never ‘done’
The best marketers don’t treat signal integration as a one-time task. They treat it as a strategic asset. Something they refine, monitor, and improve, just like creative, copy, or audience targeting.
If you keep feeding your algorithms smarter signals, they’ll keep making smarter decisions, unlocking better results without needing more budget.
When Infinity customers level up their call data maturity – from just tracking calls to actively fuelling smart bidding strategies – the performance gains speak for themselves.
These marketing teams didn’t just collect more data. They used outcome-based, value-driven signals to teach Google, Meta, and Microsoft Ads what really drives ROI. And in doing so, they built a competitive advantage that continues to compound over time.
Here are three standout examples of what happens when call data powers the algorithm.
79% uplift in PPC conversion rate
Stoneacre Motor Group switched to Smart Match to connect phone call outcomes with actual sales – then pushed this data into their bidding tools.
Results:
Connecting these crucial pillars of data has helped us make real commercial strides with our digital targeting.
Mark Zavagno
Digital Operations Director | Stoneacre Motor Group
174% more bookings from PPC
By pushing call data directly into their bidding tools, Blue Bay dramatically improved lead quality and budget efficiency.
Results:
Injecting goal events from phone calls was an absolute game changer for our digital strategy.
Thomas Malbon
Marketing Intelligence Manager | Blue Bay Travel
26% increase in AOV
Southern Sheeting relied heavily on phone-based orders but, before Infinity, they couldn’t track which campaigns led to high-value calls. By capturing and leveraging call revenue data, they were able to pull more of the right buyers into their pipeline from PPC.
Results:
Infinity has allowed us to make data-led decisions… which in turn has helped increase our return on investment from paid search.
Jon Morelli
Ecommerce Manager | Southern Sheeting
Real impact. Real fast.
These aren't edge cases. They’re proof that when you feed platforms the signals that matter – not just conversions, but outcomes, intent, and revenue – smart bidding becomes significantly more effective.
And with tools like Smart Outcomes, Smart Match, and CRM integration, you don’t need a dev team to do it.
Thanks to the AI in the Infinity call tracking platform, optimising with call data is now easier than ever.
If you're already tracking phone calls, you’ve laid the foundation. Take the next step and get data flowing into your bidding tools. Result? Your algorithms get sharper, your campaigns get leaner, and your results get better.
The businesses seeing 30%, 50%, even 174% uplifts in performance? They’re not practising witchcraft. They’re just feeding better signals into smarter systems and letting AI do the heavy lifting.
Ready to get started?
Smarter bidding isn’t a vision for the future – it’s a decision you can make today:
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