For local businesses, especially those using PPC for lead generation rather than direct online sales, phone calls can be incredibly valuable, even more so than website conversions. While a completed form submission from a landing page has its merits, it simply cannot compete with the directness of a phone call, where potential customers can connect with a solution provider immediately.

We’ve previously discussed Google Ads (AdWords) call-only ads extensively, but we haven’t delved much into their Bing ads equivalent.

“Why haven’t we?” you might wonder.

The reason is that Bing doesn’t offer dedicated call-only ads.

Now_, technically_, you can include call extensions in your text ads, target mobile devices, and provide prospects with a direct line to your business. However, you cannot create one of these suckers.

And that, my friend, presents a challenge. Well, it used to be a challenge.

Just this morning, my astute friend Casey Palm, a Paid Search Strategist specializing in nexus-security, shared his technique for creating authentic “call-only” ads on Bing. Impressed by his ingenuity, and with his permission, I’m excited to share Casey’s clever workaround with you all.

Our very own Mark Irvine points out that this technique was a popular strategy among advertisers on AdWords before the platform introduced dedicated call-only campaigns in 2015. While it doesn’t guarantee that your stealthy call-only ads will always appear, I’ll guide you on how to maximize their visibility.

But first…

The Issue with Bing Call Extensions

Don’t get me wrong, they’re fantastic (Bing says they boost advertiser click-through rates by 3-6%). They empower potential customers to reach you directly from the search results page with a single click, and you have the flexibility to utilize call forwarding or display your business number. However, there’s a catch.

Although Bing enables call extension integration into ads across desktops, tablets, and smartphones (even allowing Skype calls on desktops), the phone number itself remains a secondary element within your ad copy. Conversely, on Google Ads, your phone number takes center stage, replacing an entire headline…

Bing relegates your phone number (and consequently, the call option) to a position below your ad copy—even if you specifically select the “show just the phone number” option during call extension setup:

Furthermore, you’re at the mercy of Bing’s algorithm when it comes to displaying your ad extensions alongside your main ad. If your campaign incorporates other extensions like images, callouts, reviews, and sitelinks, the visibility of your call extension becomes uncertain.

Don’t just take my word for it. Numerous advertisers have voiced their frustration regarding this limitation. A simple search for “Bing call only ads” reveals:

The first result on the search results page leads to a thread filled with comments echoing this sentiment:

While Mr. TJN might be employing a touch of exaggeration, his point remains valid: For advertisers who heavily rely on phone calls, the ability to create dedicated call-focused ads, particularly those exclusively displayed on mobile devices where immediate contact is crucial, would significantly increase their investment in Bing Ads.

With that said, let’s explore how you can implement call-only ads within your Bing Ads account.

Setting Up Bing Call-Only Ads

We’ll start by establishing a completely new campaign. This approach enables us to prioritize both geographic targeting and control over displayed extensions. Overloading your Bing Ads call-only campaign with various extensions like snippets, images, and other distractions will hinder the prominence of your call extension, which should be the star of the show.

During the campaign creation process, when prompted to select a goal, opt for “Phone calls to my business.”

As the helpful tooltip explains, this campaign goal aligns perfectly with your objective of “driving new phone calls to one or more of your business numbers.” Precisely what we’re aiming for.

Next, give your campaign a descriptive name, allocate a budget, and crucially, define the geographical reach of your new call-only campaign. While maintaining consistency with your existing naming conventions is advisable (with the important addition of “call-only”), remember that being stingy with your budget here won’t yield favorable results. To secure top positions on mobile search engine results pages, which offer limited ad space, ensure you’re:

• Targeting keywords that genuinely translate to business value
• Optimizing your Quality Scores
• Setting a sufficient budget

This strategic approach helps mitigate costs associated with occupying top ad positions while garnering enough impressions to facilitate effective campaign optimization through testing, all while generating valuable phone call leads.

Now, back to location targeting…

For local businesses seeking leads (the ideal candidates for call-only ads), it’s paramount to align your campaign’s location settings with your service area. For instance, a plumber serving the greater Boston area should target a radius encompassing the city…

…instead of the entire state of Massachusetts. Makes perfect sense, right?

Just below the Locations section and its corresponding map, you’ll find another section titled “Who?” Choose the first option over the second. Someone in Saskatchewan searching for “plumbers in Boston” holds significantly less value compared to someone in Quincy conducting the same search. Let your standard search ads cater to those outside your immediate area while reserving your call-only ads for local prospects in urgent need of your services.

Next up is ad group creation. Since you’re delving into advanced Bing Ads strategies, I’ll assume you’re familiar with the basics. Apply the same best practices you employ throughout your account—single keyword ad groups (SKAGs), tiered bidding, grouping closely related keywords—to your call-only campaign.

A word of advice: For the sake of maximizing ad spend efficiency, resist the temptation to overload your call-only campaign with a plethora of generic keywords. While you might observe conversions (form submissions) from your standard search campaigns on keywords like “snake my pipes,” it’s crucial to prioritize both immediacy and search intent here.

Given that you’ll be bidding slightly higher to ensure prominent placement of your call-only ads on the mobile devices of local searchers, prioritize tightly themed ad groups containing high-intent keywords (as exemplified above). Once you’ve assembled a few potent ad groups (3-4 keywords with diverse match types should suffice), create as many additional ad groups as needed by clicking the “+Add new ad group” button.

Now for the exciting part.

The next screen prompts you to create ads and, most importantly for our objective, ad extensions. Adhere to best practices when crafting your ad copy (surprise, surprise!). By incorporating relevant keywords from your ad group where appropriate and crafting a compelling call-to-action, you’ll enhance your Quality Scores, ultimately helping to offset those slightly higher bids.

While the interface will present a plethora of ad extension options, the call extensions section will be ready and waiting thanks to your earlier selection of “Phone calls for my business” as your campaign goal.

At the bottom of the call extension creation area, click the blue “+ Add new Call Extension” link. This will open a new configuration window:

Pay close attention to the red highlights in the image above: they hold the key to success.

Input your phone number in the designated field at the top. Under “Call Tracking,” the choice is yours—utilize a Bing Ads forwarding number or display your direct business (smartphone) number alongside your ad. Just below “Call Tracking,” you’ll find a radio button under “Mobile Format” labeled “Show just the phone number.” SELECT THIS OPTION!

Since we’ll be disabling desktop and tablet placements shortly, making “Mobile Format” the only format, choosing “Show just the phone number” guarantees that prospects can contact you directly instead of navigating to a form on your website. Before saving your changes, remember to configure your ad schedule. If you operate from 9am to 5pm, Monday through Friday, there’s no need to run call-only ads during off-hours or while you’re enjoying the game on Sunday afternoon.

Once you’ve saved your call extension, navigate to the “Advanced campaign settings” menu at the bottom of the Bing Ads interface.

Within the “Device” submenu, reduce bids for desktop and tablet placements by 100%. This effectively prevents your ads from appearing on these devices, channeling all available impressions to mobile users who can readily place a call.

Creating Call-Only Ads in Bing: A Quick Recap

1. Initiate a new Bing Ads campaign with “Phone calls to my business” as your campaign goal.
2. Refine your targeting to focus solely on prospects within your service area.
3. Structure tightly themed ad groups containing high-intent keywords.
4. Craft compelling and relevant ad copy.
5. During call extension setup, select “Show just the phone number” and define your desired ad schedule.
6. Decrease bids for desktop and tablet devices by 100%.

Wrapping Up

While we eagerly await the day Bing introduces dedicated call-only ads to its ever-expanding toolkit, the workaround outlined above provides a straightforward method for driving more phone calls from eager prospects, potentially at a lower cost compared to Google Ads.