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Short answer: Google Ads stop producing calls at one of five points: the ads aren’t showing, people see them but don’t click, they click but don’t call, calls happen but aren’t tracked, or calls come in but nobody answers. Find which one by checking four numbers in your account (impressions, click-through rate, conversion rate and tracked calls) against benchmarks, then your phone log. For US home services, LocaliQ’s medians are a 6.37% click-through rate and a 7.33% conversion rate, so if you’re far below either, that’s where to look first.
Each stage has a different fix, and fixing the wrong one wastes money. Work through them in order.
Which stage is stopping my Google Ads calls?
Triage table. Benchmarks are US medians from LocaliQ’s study of 3,211 home-services Search campaigns, April 2024–March 2025. Checked 2 November 2026.
| Stage | What you see in the account | Benchmark to compare | Most likely causes | Go to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Ads not showing | Few or no impressions | Any steady daily impressions | Billing, ad schedule, disapproved ads, keywords with too few searches, low Ad Rank | Google Ads not showing |
| 2. Seen but not clicked | Impressions but a low click-through rate | 6.37% for home services | Ads for the wrong searches, ads that don’t name the service or town, low position | Stage 2 below |
| 3. Clicked but no call | Clicks but a low conversion rate | 7.33% for home services | Wrong searches, wrong areas, a slow or confusing landing page, no visible phone number | Clicks but no calls |
| 4. Calls not tracked | Customers say they found you on Google, but the account shows few or no calls | Your tracked calls ≈ calls your team logs from ads | Call reporting off, wrong call length, website calls not counted | Stage 4 below |
| 5. Calls not answered | Tracked calls, but few booked jobs | Every ad call answered or returned quickly | Ads running when no one can answer, missed calls not returned | Stage 5 below |
Source for benchmarks: LocaliQ.
What click-through and conversion rates should my trade get?
Benchmarks by trade. US medians, Google Search, April 2024–March 2025. Source: LocaliQ.
| Trade | Click-through rate | Conversion rate |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 5.15% | 9.08% |
| Plumbing | 4.97% | 7.63% |
| Air conditioning | 6.43% | 6.56% |
| Heating & furnaces | 5.97% | 7.48% |
| Roofing & gutters | 5.66% | 3.70% |
| Landscaping | 4.69% | 6.42% |
| General contractors | 6.48% | 2.61% |
| All home services | 6.37% | 7.33% |
These are US figures. We couldn’t find neutral, published click-through or conversion rates for trades in Australia, the UK, Canada, New Zealand or Ireland, so use them as a rough guide and compare against your own account’s history.
Stage 1: Are my ads actually showing?
If impressions are near zero, nothing else matters yet. Check billing, the ad schedule, ad approval status and whether your keywords have enough searches. Our Google Ads not showing guide covers each check in order.
Stage 2: Why do people see my ads but not click?
- Check the search terms report. It shows the searches that triggered your ads. Low-volume searches are left out for privacy, so you won’t see every term (Google). Block irrelevant searches with negative keywords.
- Put the service and town in the ad. “Emergency plumber in Leeds, 24/7” matches what people typed. A generic “quality trade services” doesn’t.
- Check Quality Score. Google scores keywords from 1 to 10 on expected click-through rate, ad relevance and landing page experience (Google). “Below average” on expected click-through rate points to the ad text.
Stage 3: Why do people click but not call?
Two causes to check first are clicks from the wrong searches or places, and pages that make calling hard. Google includes people who show interest in your area, not just people in it, by default (Google), and includes search partner sites by default (Google). Our clicks but no calls guide walks through each fix. If what you’re getting is junk rather than nothing, see spam leads from Google Ads.
Stage 4: Are my calls being tracked?
Sometimes a “no calls” problem is really a “no tracked calls” problem.
- Call reporting puts a Google forwarding number on your ads and counts calls of a length you choose as conversions (Google). Check it’s on and the call length isn’t set too high.
- Calls from your website need separate tracking. A visitor who clicks the ad, reads the page and then taps your number isn’t counted unless you track website calls.
- New Zealand: Google forwarding numbers aren’t available, so use a third-party call tracking service or ask every caller where they found you (Google).
- Manual dials: Google doesn’t charge for people who type in a forwarding number by hand, only for taps on it (Google).
Stage 5: Are calls coming in but not being answered?
If tracked calls look fine but jobs don’t, check your phone log for missed calls during ad hours. Ads run all day unless you set a schedule (Google), and you can schedule your call assets to show only when someone can answer (Google). In a US sample of Local Services Ads leads, 40.9% booked an appointment in May 2026 (The Data-Driven Trades), so if a much smaller share of your ad calls book, look at how calls are answered and followed up.
We couldn’t find a neutral, published figure for how many trade calls go unanswered. Check your own phone system’s missed-call report for the hours your ads run.
When should I get help?
If you’ve worked through all five stages and still can’t find the gap, an outside review can help. Our guide to checking an agency’s work uses the same account checks, and you can ask us to look.
Frequently asked questions
Why are my Google Ads not getting any calls?
Calls stop at one of five points: the ads aren’t showing, people don’t click, they click but don’t call, calls aren’t tracked, or calls aren’t answered. Check impressions, click-through rate, conversion rate and tracked calls in that order to find which.
What is a good click-through rate for trades on Google Ads?
LocaliQ’s US median for home services is 6.37%. Among the main trades, it ranges from 4.69% for landscaping to 6.48% for general contractors. These are US figures.
What is a good conversion rate for trades on Google Ads?
LocaliQ’s US median for home services is 7.33%. Among the main trades, electricians are highest at 9.08% and general contractors lowest at 2.61%, with roofing at 3.70%.
Why does Google Ads show conversions but my phone isn’t ringing?
Check what’s counted as a conversion. Page views, button clicks or very short calls can be counted by mistake. Call reporting counts calls over a length you choose, so make sure it’s long enough to be a real enquiry.
Why is my phone ringing but Google Ads shows no calls?
Usually because call tracking isn’t set up for every route: calls from the ad, calls from your website after a click, and calls in countries without Google forwarding numbers, such as New Zealand. Ask new customers where they found you and compare.
Do I pay for calls from my Google Ads?
You pay the normal click price when someone taps the call button. Google doesn’t charge when someone dials the forwarding number by hand.
How do I get more calls from Google Ads without spending more?
Block irrelevant searches with negative keywords, show ads only in your service area and at times you can answer, put the service and town in your ads, and make your phone number easy to tap on mobile.
Sources (all checked 2 November 2026)
- LocaliQ, Home Services Search Advertising Benchmarks (3,211 US campaigns, Apr 2024–Mar 2025, medians)
- Google Ads Help, About the search terms report
- Google Ads Help, About Quality Score for Search campaigns
- Google Ads Help, About location targeting options
- Google Ads Help, About search partners
- Google Ads Help, About call reporting
- Google Ads Help, About call assets
- Google Ads Help, About ad scheduling
- The Data-Driven Trades, Google Local Service Ad benchmarks: May 2026 (1,011 contractors)
Related: Google Ads getting clicks but no calls · Google Ads not showing · Spam leads from Google Ads · Negative keywords for trades · Landing page or website for Google Ads? · Google Ads management
