Call Tracking for Roofing Companies: Why It’s Essential (And How to Set It Up)

You’re spending $5,000/month on Google Ads. Your campaigns are running. Clicks are coming in. Your phone is ringing.

But here’s the problem: You have no idea which ads are driving those calls.

When someone calls, you ask: “How did you hear about us?”

They say: “Google” or “I saw your ad” or “I don’t remember.”

That’s it. That’s all you know.

So when you look at your Google Ads dashboard, you see:

200 clicks this month
15 form submissions (tracked)
But how many of the 50+ phone calls came from ads? No idea.

Here’s what’s actually happening:

70-80% of roofing leads come via phone call (not forms)
You’re only tracking the 20-30% that fill out forms
You’re making decisions based on 20% of your data
You’re essentially flying blind

The result?

You don’t know which keywords are worth $40/click vs. $20/click
You can’t tell if your emergency campaigns are working (most people call, don’t fill forms)
You’re probably wasting 30-40% of your budget on keywords that get clicks but never generate calls
You might be underinvesting in keywords that are crushing it on phone calls

Call tracking solves this. It tells you exactly which Google Ad, which keyword, which campaign drove every single phone call.

And for roofing companies, where phone calls are your lifeblood, call tracking isn’t optional—it’s essential.

In this guide, I’ll show you:

Why call tracking changes everything for roofing companies
The exact data you get (and how to use it)
Which call tracking solutions work best for roofers
How to set it up (step-by-step)
Advanced strategies to maximize ROI

Let’s fix your blind spot.

The Call Tracking Problem: A Real Example

Let me show you what’s happening without call tracking.

Roofing Company Without Call Tracking

Monthly Google Ads Spend: $6,000

Google Ads Dashboard Shows:

250 clicks
18 form submissions
Cost per lead (forms only): $333

Your phone rings 60 times from potential customers.

But you don’t know:

How many of those 60 calls came from Google Ads vs. other sources?
Which specific keywords drove the calls?
Which campaigns are working?
Whether emergency campaigns drive more calls than replacement campaigns?

What you do know:

You closed 15 jobs this month
Some came from forms, some from calls
You think Google Ads is working, but you’re not sure

Decision: Keep budget flat because you can’t prove what’s working.

Same Roofing Company WITH Call Tracking

Monthly Google Ads Spend: $6,000

Your Dashboard Now Shows:

250 clicks
18 form submissions
47 phone calls from Google Ads (tracked!)
Total leads: 65 (18 forms + 47 calls)
Actual cost per lead: $92 (not $333!)

But it gets better. You can see:

Emergency Repair Campaign:

12 calls, 2 forms = 14 leads
Average call duration: 3 minutes 20 seconds
9 of 14 leads became jobs (64% close rate)
This campaign is crushing it

Roof Replacement Campaign:

8 calls, 10 forms = 18 leads
Average call duration: 5 minutes 10 seconds
6 of 18 leads became jobs (33% close rate)
Working, but lower close rate

Branded Campaign (your company name):

27 calls, 6 forms = 33 leads
Average call duration: 4 minutes
20 of 33 became jobs (60% close rate)
Super high close rate, but you already knew about you

Decision:

Increase emergency campaign budget 50% (highest ROI)
Keep replacement campaign budget
Lower branded campaign budget slightly (they’re finding you anyway)
Result: 30% more jobs from same ad spend

What Call Tracking Actually Tells You

Call tracking gives you 8 critical data points you’re missing right now.

1. Which Campaign/Ad Group Drove the Call

Example:

Call from: “Emergency Roof Repair – Manhattan Beach” campaign
Ad group: “Roof Leak Emergency”
You know exactly which campaign to scale

Without tracking: “Someone called from Google… I think?”

2. Which Keyword Triggered the Call

Example:

Keyword: “emergency roof repair manhattan beach”
This keyword: 8 calls this month, 6 became jobs
This keyword is gold—bid it up

Another keyword:

“roofing services” (broad match)
12 calls this month, 0 became jobs
This keyword is trash—pause it

Without tracking: You’d keep wasting money on “roofing services”

3. Call Duration

Why it matters:

Calls under 60 seconds: Usually wrong number, misdials, spam
Calls 2-5 minutes: Qualified leads getting quotes
Calls 10+ minutes: Hot leads, detailed discussions

Example:

Keyword A: 10 calls, average 45 seconds (probably junk)
Keyword B: 10 calls, average 4 minutes (qualified)

Keyword B is 10× more valuable despite same call volume.

4. Call Recording

Record calls to:

Train your team (hear what good/bad calls sound like)
Verify lead quality (was it really a potential customer?)
Dispute charges (if using LSA, prove calls were invalid)
Understand objections (what are people asking about?)

Example findings:

“3 out of 10 calls ask about financing—add financing to landing page”
“Receptionist is rude to callers—coaching needed”
“People can’t understand pricing—simplify your quote process”

This alone can double your close rate.

5. Call Source

Did the call come from:

Google Search Ad?
Local Service Ad?
Your website (organic visitor)?
Facebook Ad?
Someone who just typed your number in?

Example:

47 calls from Google Ads
23 calls from organic website traffic
8 calls from Local Service Ads
12 calls direct/unknown

You can calculate ROI per channel accurately.

6. Geographic Data

Where are your calls coming from?

Example:

Manhattan Beach: 18 calls, 12 jobs (67% close rate)
Torrance: 22 calls, 6 jobs (27% close rate)

Why the difference?

Maybe Torrance is price-shopping more
Maybe you’re targeting wrong areas in Torrance
Maybe Manhattan Beach knows your brand better

Adjust bids by location accordingly.

7. Time/Day Patterns

When do your best leads call?

Example findings:

Saturday 9am-12pm: 15 calls, 12 became jobs (80% close rate!)
Tuesday 2pm-5pm: 18 calls, 4 became jobs (22% close rate)

Why?

Saturday morning: Homeowners free, serious about fixing issues
Tuesday afternoon: People browsing at work, not as serious

Strategy: Bid more aggressively on weekends, less on weekday afternoons

8. Caller ID

See the phone number that called.

Why it’s useful:

Check if they’re a repeat caller (called 3 times, never hired—maybe not serious)
Look them up in your CRM (did they fill form last week, now calling?)
Identify patterns (certain area codes close better)

The Math: Why Call Tracking Pays for Itself

Call Tracking Cost: $50-$150/month

Scenario: You’re wasting money on one bad keyword

Without call tracking:

Keyword: “roofing contractors” (broad match)
40 clicks/month @ $28/click = $1,120/month
Generates 5 calls
0 of those calls become jobs (price shoppers)
Wasted: $1,120/month

With call tracking:

You see: 5 calls, average duration 28 seconds, 0 jobs
You pause this keyword immediately
Saved: $1,120/month

ROI on $100/month call tracking: 11× in first month

And that’s just ONE bad keyword. Most roofing campaigns have 3-5 keywords that should be paused.

Real Impact: Before & After Call Tracking

Before Call Tracking:

Budget: $5,000/month
Tracked Conversions: 12 form fills
Cost per lead: $417
Visible ROI: Break-even (guessing)
Decision-making: Gut feel

After Call Tracking:

Budget: $5,000/month
Tracked Conversions: 12 forms + 38 calls = 50 total leads
Cost per lead: $100
Close rate by source:

Emergency calls: 65%
Replacement calls: 32%
Forms: 28%

Visible ROI: 6.5× on emergency, 4× on replacement
Decision-making: Data-driven

Actions taken:

Increased emergency budget 60%
Paused 4 underperforming keywords
Adjusted bids based on call quality
Trained team on phone handling (heard actual calls)

Result: 45% more jobs from same budget

Call Tracking Options for Roofing Companies

There are 3 main approaches to call tracking:

Option 1: Static Number (Basic)

How it works:

One unique phone number for all Google Ads traffic
Put this number on your landing pages
Different from your main business number

Pro:

Simple
Cheap ($30-50/month)
Better than nothing

Con:

Can’t tell which keyword/campaign drove each call
Just knows “came from Google Ads” vs. not

Best for:

Very small budget (<$2,000/month)
Just starting with call tracking

Tools: Google Voice (free), CallRail (basic plan)

Option 2: Dynamic Number Insertion (Recommended)

How it works:

Shows different phone number to each visitor based on their source
Visitor from “emergency repair” keyword sees: (555) 100-0001
Visitor from “roof replacement” keyword sees: (555) 100-0002
Tracks back to exact campaign/keyword/ad

Pro:

Granular data (know exactly what drove the call)
Same landing page, different numbers shown
Can track unlimited sources

Con:

More expensive ($100-200/month)
Requires adding code to website

Best for:

Most roofing companies
Budget $3,000+/month
Want detailed optimization

Tools: CallRail, CallTrackingMetrics, WhatConverts

Option 3: Google Ads Call Extensions + Forwarding

How it works:

Use Google Ads call extension feature
Google provides forwarding numbers
Tracks calls from call extensions only (not landing page calls)

Pro:

Built into Google Ads
Free
Automatic tracking

Con:

Only tracks extension calls (misses landing page calls)
Limited recording/data
No cross-platform tracking

Best for:

Mobile-heavy campaigns where people call directly from ad
Supplement to dynamic tracking

Recommended Setup for Roofing Companies

Best approach: Dynamic Number Insertion

Here’s the tech stack:

Call Tracking Software: CallRail or CallTrackingMetrics

Dynamic number insertion
Call recording
Keyword-level tracking
Integrates with Google Ads

Plus: Google Ads Call Extensions

Track calls directly from ads
Especially on mobile

Why both?

Call extensions track mobile ad clicks → call
Dynamic tracking catches landing page → call
Full picture of all call sources

How to Set Up Call Tracking (Overview)

Here’s the high-level process (detailed step-by-step in Chapter 5):

Step 1: Choose Your Platform

Recommended: CallRail

Best for small-to-mid roofing companies
Easy setup
Good Google Ads integration
$45-$145/month depending on volume

Sign up at callrail.com

Step 2: Get Your Tracking Numbers

In CallRail:

Purchase local numbers in your area code
Need: 1 number per major campaign/source
Example:
- (555) 100-0001: Google Search Ads
- (555) 100-0002: Local Service Ads
- (555) 100-0003: Facebook Ads
- (555) 100-0004: Organic website

All forward to your main business line.

Step 3: Add Tracking Code to Website

Install JavaScript snippet:

<script>
  // CallRail tracking snippet
  // (They provide this)
</script>

This enables dynamic number swapping.

What happens:

Visitor from Google Ad sees tracking number
That number is tied to their specific keyword/campaign
When they call, you know exactly what brought them

Step 4: Connect to Google Ads

In CallRail:

Connect your Google Ads account
Set up conversion tracking
Calls auto-import as conversions

Now Google Ads shows:

Form fills: 10
Phone calls: 35
Total conversions: 45

Step 5: Set Call Recording & Notifications

Turn on:

Call recording (all calls)
SMS notifications when call comes in
Email with call details after each call

Example notification:

New call from Google Ads
Campaign: Emergency Repair
Keyword: "roof leak manhattan beach"
Duration: 3:42
Recording: [link]
Caller: (310) 555-1234

Step 6: Configure Qualification Rules

Tell the system what counts as a “qualified lead”:

Set minimum call duration:

Under 60 seconds = probably not qualified
Over 60 seconds = count as conversion

Why:

Eliminates wrong numbers, misdials
Google Ads optimizes for quality calls, not junk

Step 7: Tag & Score Calls

After each call, tag it:

✅ Qualified lead
❌ Wrong number
❌ Spam
✅ Booked estimate
✅ Closed job

This lets you track:

Lead-to-close rate by keyword
Which keywords drive jobs, not just calls

Using Call Tracking Data to Optimize Campaigns

Once set up, here’s how to use the data:

Weekly: Identify Bad Keywords

Look for:

Keywords with lots of calls but short duration
Keywords with calls but no jobs

Example:

“roofing jobs” → 8 calls, avg 22 seconds, 0 jobs
People looking for employment, not hiring a roofer
Pause it, add as negative keyword

Weekly: Identify Winner Keywords

Look for:

Keywords driving long calls that convert to jobs

Example:

“emergency roof leak repair manhattan beach” → 6 calls, avg 4:30, 4 became jobs
This keyword is gold
Increase bid 40%

Monthly: Analyze Call Patterns

Questions to ask:

What day/time get best quality calls?
Which campaigns drive most calls?
What’s our average call duration by campaign?
Are call close rates improving?

Make adjustments:

Bid more during high-quality times
Shift budget to high-performing campaigns
Test new ad copy based on call feedback

Monthly: Listen to Calls

Pick 10 random calls and listen:

What you’ll discover:

Common objections (price, timing, trust)
What your team is doing well/poorly
What information people want
How to improve landing pages

Real example findings:

“5 out of 10 callers asked about financing → add financing info to landing page”
“Receptionist not asking how they heard about us → retrain”
“People confused about what’s included in estimate → clarify in ad copy”

Quarterly: Calculate True ROI by Keyword

Full funnel analysis:

Keyword: “emergency roof repair manhattan beach”

Ad spend: $840
Clicks: 24
Calls: 6
Jobs closed: 4
Revenue: $6,400
ROI: 7.6×

Keyword: “roofing contractor near me”

Ad spend: $950
Clicks: 38
Calls: 5
Jobs closed: 1
Revenue: $1,200
ROI: 1.3×

Decision: Double down on emergency keywords, reduce “contractor near me”

Advanced Call Tracking Strategies

Strategy 1: Whisper Messages

What it is: Before call connects to you, caller hears nothing, but YOU hear: “Call from Google Ads, Emergency Campaign, Keyword: roof leak”

Why it’s useful:

You know context before answering
Can tailor greeting
Track manually if system fails

Strategy 2: Call Routing

Route calls to different people based on source:

Example:

Emergency keyword calls → Ring your emergency tech directly
Replacement keyword calls → Ring your sales team
After-hours calls → Ring your answering service

Better experience = higher close rate

Strategy 3: Text Response for Missed Calls

If you miss a call: Auto-send text: “Hi! We just missed your call about roofing. We’ll call you back in 15 minutes. Or click here to schedule: [link]”

Recapture 30-40% of missed calls.

Strategy 4: Form + Call Attribution

Track the full journey:

Example:

Monday: Sarah fills out form on your site (from Google Ad)
Tuesday: You call Sarah, leave voicemail
Wednesday: Sarah calls you back
Your system knows: Original source was Google Ad, specific keyword

Full attribution = accurate ROI

Call Tracking Costs

CallRail Pricing:

Starter: $45/month (1 user, 10 numbers, unlimited calls)
Essentials: $95/month (3 users, 10 numbers, call recording)
Pro: $145/month (unlimited users, 25 numbers, advanced features)

Most roofing companies: Essentials plan ($95/month)

CallTrackingMetrics Pricing:

Similar to CallRail
$39-$149/month depending on features
Slightly more enterprise-focused

Is It Worth It?

If you’re spending $3,000+/month on Google Ads:

Without call tracking:

Wasting ~$900/month on bad keywords (30%)

With call tracking ($95/month):

Identify and fix waste
Save $900/month
ROI: 9× in first month

Then continue saving $900/month forever.

Absolute no-brainer.

Common Objections to Call Tracking

“Can’t I just ask people how they found us?”

You can try, but:

60% say “Google” (not helpful—Google Ads or organic?)
30% say “I don’t remember”
10% give accurate info

Call tracking is accurate 100% of the time.

“Seems complicated to set up”

Reality:

30-45 minutes setup
Copy/paste code snippet
Connect Google Ads
Done

Easier than you think.

“What about privacy/call recording?”

Legal in most states if:

You notify callers (“This call may be recorded for quality”)
Use recordings only for business purposes

CallRail automatically plays notification before recording.

Check your state laws to be sure.

“My team won’t use it”

Your team doesn’t have to do anything different.

Calls ring to same number
They answer like normal
System tracks in background

Zero change to their workflow.

The Bottom Line

Without call tracking, you’re making decisions with 20% of your data.

You only see form fills. You miss 70-80% of leads (phone calls).

With call tracking, you see everything:

Which keywords drive calls
Which calls become jobs
True cost per lead
Actual ROI by campaign

This lets you:

Cut waste (pause bad keywords)
Scale winners (increase bids on converters)
Improve team performance (listen to calls)
Prove ROI (know exactly what works)

Cost: $50-150/month
Savings: Typically $500-2,000/month in wasted ad spend
ROI: 5-20× in first few months

For roofing companies where most business comes via phone, call tracking isn’t optional.

It’s the difference between guessing and knowing.

Your Call Tracking Setup Checklist

This Week:

☐ Choose platform (CallRail recommended)
☐ Sign up for account
☐ Purchase 3-5 tracking numbers
☐ Install tracking code on website

Next Week:

☐ Connect to Google Ads
☐ Set up conversion tracking
☐ Configure call recording
☐ Set minimum call duration (60 seconds)
☐ Test: Make test call, verify tracking works

Ongoing:

☐ Weekly: Review call data, adjust bids
☐ Monthly: Listen to 10 calls, train team
☐ Quarterly: Full ROI analysis by keyword