Google Adds Call Buttons to Posts

July 12, 2018
Joy Hawkins
News
8 Comments

Colan Nielsen spotted this in one of our client’s Google My Business dashboard today. Google is now allowing you to add a “Call Now” button as the call-to-action on a Google Post. Previously, it only allowed you to add a link to a page on your website.

It currently defaults to the primary phone number you have set in Google My Business so it doesn’t allow you to use a unique tracking number (darn!).

I also found it fascinating that Google prompted me to leave a review after I clicked the call button on mobile.

Joy Hawkins

Joy is the owner of the Local Search Forum, LocalU, and Sterling Sky, a Local SEO agency in Canada & the USA. She has been working in the industry since 2006, writes for publications such as Search Engine Land, and enjoys speaking regularly at marketing conferences such as MozCon, LocalU, Pubcon, SearchLove, and State of Search. You can find her on Twitter or volunteering as a Product Expert on the Google My Business Forum.

This Post Has 8 Comments

Phil Rozek says:

July 12, 2018 at 10:34 pm

Great find, Joy and Colan.

It’s absurd that Google would ask people to review businesses at that point. They’re not yet customers, and might never be. Not really in a position to review the business yet (unless they’re repeat customers). Businesses will just end up with a lot of reviews like, “The receptionist sounded tired over the phone. That offended me. 2 stars.”

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1. Joy Hawkins says:
  
  July 13, 2018 at 4:07 pm
  
  I have a feeling that wasn’t an intended action. If it was, I have a feeling it won’t stick. We’ll see. I agree with you.
  
  Reply
Callum says:

July 13, 2018 at 12:20 pm

Is there an option for the owner to select hours when they are ok to receive calls? I know small businesses who live on their premises already get inundated with calls from customers out with their opening hours… would be nice if Google let you time when this prompt was seen

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1. Joy Hawkins says:
  
  July 13, 2018 at 4:03 pm
  
  That’s actually good feedback. I’ll pass it on to Google 🙂
  
  Reply
Carolyn Lyden says:

July 17, 2018 at 3:48 pm

If it defaults to the primary number in GMB, then you actually CAN use a tracking number per Darren Shaw: https://www.callrail.com/blog/call-tracking-google-my-business/

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1. Joy Hawkins says:
  
  July 17, 2018 at 4:01 pm
  
  Yes, you can absolutely do that. The issue would be that there would be no way to know if the call came from this post or just the listing itself.
  
  Reply
Jay says:

July 18, 2018 at 12:32 pm

Chrome only it seems.
Safari users on iOS do not see the CTA and cannot dial. A blank spot appears where the click to call button would be.
This *may* possibly be due to the fact that I’m still running iOS 10(?)

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John Holland says:

October 13, 2019 at 10:37 am

I think call tracking is an appropriate contraption in SEO. There are various worms to help with this. In my battle, they by and large utilize two associations: callrail and callgear. You remain in contact with your clients, while not contributing monstrous assets cash and essentialness. Everything is investigated and estimations are exhibited as tables and frameworks. It is valuable through my eyes!

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