The Importance of Phone Numbers in Search Marketing

The rise of Digital Marketing over the past two decades led many to believe that the use of phones would no longer be important but that has been far from the case.

The use of phones for directly contacting businesses among today’s consumers has actually never been higher – and that has not gone unnoticed by today’s brands (particularly those who invest heavily in search-based advertising. Why? Consider the following data points that show why phone numbers, and vanity or custom phone numbers, are not only still relevant to today’s businesses, but increasingly critical components in producing the best digital advertising campaign results possible.

Mobile Usage is Booming
In 2013 there were 144.5 million smartphone users in the U.S. (more than double the 2010 number). In 2018, that number exceeded 220 million, more than two-thirds of the U.S. population. (Source: Comscore)

Mobile Search Has Doubled
More than twice as many consumers prefer to contact a business via the phone than an online form – 65% versus 24%. (Source: Invoca, State of the Mobile Experience)

Lift in Brand Awareness
A memorable phone number strengthens brand image and awareness. 47% of searchers told Google that ads without a phone number would make them more likely to explore other brands. (Source: Google Mobile Insights)

Ad Performance Improvements
Adding an option to call increases ad clicks by 8%, but including a custom phone number included in a search advertisement increased clicks by 33%. (Source: RingBoost)

Results-Driven Marketing
52% of all mobile advertising results in a phone call – the highest-performing custom conversion of all potential actions (source: xAd)

Increase in Business Leads
61% of businesses rate their inbound phone calls as an excellent source of leads – higher than any other inbound lead source (Source: BIA/Kelsey).

Small Number, Big Impact

Sometimes it is the small adjustments you make to a search advertising campaign that make the greatest difference. Consider leveraging a vanity or custom phone number from RingBoost to create a more memorable experience for consumers that encounter your brand on the results pages of popular search engines and start experiencing better campaign and business performance.