There’s an argument raging in global marketing circles, regarding the relative advantages and disadvantages of using call tracking software. Particularly, whether it detracts from effective search engine optimisation (SEO).
Of course, the Echelon team can’t resist wading into the playground, to sort this fight out!
What’s call tracking?
Marketing success is generally measured in data analytics such as website traffic, leads generated and then leads converted to completed transactions.
Some organisations also include call tracking software in their marketing systems. This creates and uses a different telephone number for each campaign. It then measures offline enquiries and sales. You can use the software to gain intel on which keywords and advertising platforms worked best, in stimulating customer telephone calls.
It’s easy to forget that some people still call in with their orders and questions! But they do, and call tracking software is considered to be the best way of measuring return on investment in terms of good old fashioned telephone sales.
For marketing agencies, call tracking software provides evidence of the success (or failure) of their work. Especially when used in conjunction with Pay Per Click initiatives.
Sounds handy! Yes, and lucrative, as it’s a $1 billion industry.
But there are those critics who waggle fingers at call tracking and complain that it undermines the other great bastion of marketing excellence – Search Engine Optimisation.
In fact, some SEO companies have got very feisty on the whole topic.
Why call tracking impacts SEO
An SEO Agency could argue any tools and activities aimed at getting customers to use their telephones to make enquiries distracts them for clicking through links on websites.
Less clicks, less activity on your website, impacting on SEO.
However, worse still, is that some SEO specialists worry that call tracking software confuses NAP. What’s NAP?
Google says that your Name, Address and Phone number (NAP) must be the same across your online profile. If those pesky spider bots get confused by multiple different telephone numbers, then the algorithms that measure your local SEO for example, could rank you lower.
Let’s all be friends
This touches on one of the most abiding misconceptions in SEO – that going against Google guidelines automatically earns you a dip in your rankings.
(This article covers this and other SEO myths well https://searchengineland.com/5-local-seo-myths-and-misconceptions-that-will-not-die-303306)
To be honest, the whole argument can be diffused by understanding how to use call tracking software properly. Put it in to the hands of an SEO company that knows how to integrate it effectively with other digital marketing and sales analytics.
Basically, when using call tracking alongside SEO it’s sensible not to use the numbers in any form of digital directory. It can be as simple as that.
There are even safe and controllable techniques to embed call tracking numbers into your website in such a way that Google bots still see your local telephone number for SEO purposes.
And they lived happily ever after
If you are interested in knowing more about this topic, and effective integration of search engin optimisation and call tracking, this makes a great read https://mnsearch.org/telephone-call-tracking-basics-for-maintaining-local-search-data-integrity/
Working out a way the two can be friends within your marketing makes commercial sense. Any and all information on your effectiveness helps you to spend your money wisely and well; and to grow your business.