Call-Only Ads Are Ending: How a Service Business Keeps Phone Leads with Call Assets

What Google has announced, and the dates that matter to you

If your Google Ads account still runs call-only ads, the format is on a clock. Google's help centre states that call-only ads (now called call ads) are being deprecated, that the option to create new ones was removed in February 2026, and that existing call ads will stop receiving impressions in February 2027. Advertisers are told to move to call assets inside responsive search ads (RSAs). The details are in Google's call ads transition notice.

Date	What happens	What you should do
3 October 2025	Google announces the deprecation of call-only ads	Check whether any campaign still uses them
February 2026	Creating new call ads is no longer possible	Build any new phone-focused campaign on RSAs with call assets
February 2027	Existing call ads stop receiving impressions	Finish the migration well before this month, not in it

Because the old format cannot be created any more, many tutorials still ranking for "call only ads" describe a setup you cannot repeat. This guide treats the question practically: if your business lives on phone enquiries, how do you keep getting calls from Google Search after the change?

Call ad versus responsive search ad with a call asset

A call-only ad was built so that the click was the call. The new setup is different: the person sees a normal text ad and may call from the attached number, or visit your page. That is a real change in behaviour, so expect to design for both paths.

Point	Old call ad	RSA with call asset
What the click does	Starts a phone call directly	Ad can lead to your page or, for call assets, to a call
Landing page	Not used for the call click	Matters again for people who choose to read first
Headlines and descriptions	Limited, fixed layout	Several options that Google combines
Control over exact wording	High	Lower; you supply the pieces and can pin some
Who it suits	Callers who already decided	Mixed audience: callers and readers

The consequence is simple. You can no longer treat the phone as the only door. A visitor who reads your page, doubts, and then messages you on WhatsApp is now a normal outcome, and your tracking should count it. Our guide to tracking calls and WhatsApp conversions shows how.

Decide whether your business is call-first or message-first

Before rebuilding anything, decide what you want the first contact to be. Different services behave differently, and the answer changes the page, the ad hours and the staffing.

Signal in your business	Lean call-first	Lean message-first
Urgency of the need	Same-day or emergency (a leaking pipe, a failed AC)	Planned work (renovation, aesthetic treatment, relocation next month)
Information the customer must send	Little; the problem is explained verbally	Photos, locations, lists or documents
Who answers	A person is reliably available in ad hours	Messages are handled when staff are free
Price discussion	Needs a conversation	Can start with a written range
Customer habit in your market	Many ask "can I call you now"	Many prefer to send details first

Most service businesses end up with both, which is fine, as long as ads that promise a quick call run only when someone can answer. If you are unsure which route your customers prefer, compare them with the message flow in our Click-to-WhatsApp ads guide.

A migration checklist for moving from call ads to call assets

Follow these steps in order. The first three come straight from Google's transition instructions; the rest are practical additions.

• Prepare the account. Add your business name in account or campaign settings, then add every relevant phone number as a call asset and follow Google's call asset policy.
• Create or edit an RSA in the ad group that held the call ad, and attach the call asset using the "More Asset Types" option.
• Retire the old ad only after the new one is approved and performing. Do not remove the call ad on the same day you launch the replacement.
• Write RSA headlines that carry the phone intent. Include the service, the area and a plain call prompt, but avoid promises you cannot keep, such as instant arrival.
• Check the landing page for a visible number, a WhatsApp button and a short form, because visitors will now use it. See landing page for Google Ads.
• Set ad hours deliberately. If nobody answers at night, schedule the ads or use messages after hours.
• Label the change date in your tracking sheet so you can compare calls before and after.

Make calls countable before you judge them

A call only helps your reporting if Google can count it. Google's call reporting documentation explains that a call counts as a conversion when it lasts longer than a minimum length you set, and that Google forwarding numbers are dynamically generated numbers that replace your business number in order to show which keywords, ads and campaigns led to calls. The page does not state a default length, so choose a threshold that matches your own business and review it. Read Google's call reporting help for current wording.

Think about the minimum length with your own calls in mind. A two-minute emergency booking is a good call; a ten-second wrong number is not. Review a sample of recordings or call logs if you have them, set the threshold just above the length of clearly useless calls, and revisit it each quarter.

Then add the other side of the story. Calls are rarely the whole picture, so put WhatsApp taps and form submissions in the same sheet. A simple structure is in our lead tracking spreadsheet guide.

A worked example with hypothetical numbers

These figures are invented to demonstrate the method. Use your own.

Line	Hypothetical value	Note
Clicks in a month	300	From the campaign report
Calls recorded as conversions	24	Longer than your minimum length
Calls actually answered	18	From your phone log
Answered calls that were suitable	12	Right service, right area
Jobs won from those	4	From follow-up records
Spend	AED 4,500	Illustrative

From these lines you can read three different costs: about AED 188 per recorded call (4,500 / 24), AED 250 per answered call and AED 375 per suitable call. The gap between 24 and 18 is a staffing problem, not an advertising problem, and no bid strategy will fix it. That is why this guide spends time on answering, not only on setup. If you want to compute your own break-even figure, use the method in the cost per lead calculator article.

The call-handling routine that protects your ad spend

• Answer within a few rings during advertised hours, and say the business name and the first question you will ask.
• Ask the same qualifying questions each time: service needed, area, timing, and how the customer would like to receive a quote. Our list of lead qualification questions can be adapted for phone use.
• If you miss a call, send a short WhatsApp message offering a call-back time, using the steps in the WhatsApp lead follow-up system.
• Log every call with its outcome. Calls without notes cannot teach the campaign anything.
• Review missed calls weekly and compare them with ad hours.

Mistakes to avoid during the switch

• Deleting the old call ads before the replacement RSA is approved.
• Sending call clicks to a page with no visible number.
• Treating every recorded call as a lead, including wrong numbers and sales calls.
• Running ads at hours when nobody answers.
• Forgetting that invalid or repeated clicks can distort call data; read about it in invalid clicks on Google Ads.
• Judging the new setup after a few days instead of comparing like-for-like weeks.

How we work at ZED

According to our Google Ads service page, we prepare search campaigns around customer intent, keywords, negative words, ad extensions, and call and WhatsApp tracking. On the tracking side the site describes recording every contact click coming from the ad so that campaign efficiency and the cost of a client can be calculated. For a phone-led business, that means we would look at how calls and WhatsApp taps are counted before changing any ad format.

You can read about the Google Ads service and the conversion tracking service, or send your account details through the contact page and we will reply. We do not promise call volumes or costs.

Frequently asked questions

Are call-only ads really ending?

According to Google's help centre, yes. Options to create new call-only ads were removed in February 2026, and existing ones are scheduled to stop receiving impressions in February 2027. Google tells advertisers to transition to call assets within responsive search ads.

What is a call asset?

It is an asset that adds your business phone number to an ad so people can call directly. In the new setup it is attached to a responsive search ad rather than forming its own call-only ad.

Will I lose phone calls when I switch?

Not if the migration is done carefully. Keep the old ad running until the replacement RSA is approved and performing, and make sure your number, business name and landing page are ready. Call volume can change because the ad format works differently, so compare equal periods.

How do I count a call as a conversion?

Google's call reporting counts a call as a conversion when it lasts longer than a minimum length you set. Choose a length that filters out wrong numbers but keeps short genuine bookings, and review it periodically.

Do I need a Google forwarding number?

Google forwarding numbers are dynamically generated numbers that show which keywords, ads and campaigns led to calls, at no cost to you according to Google's documentation. Whether to use them depends on your tracking setup and call-handling process.

Should my ads show at night if nobody answers the phone?

Usually not for a call-first service. Schedule ads for staffed hours, or send after-hours users toward WhatsApp or a form, and follow up the next morning.

Is WhatsApp better than calls for service leads?

Neither is better in general. Urgent services lean toward calls; planned jobs that need photos or documents often suit messages. Many businesses support both and measure both.

How long does the migration take?

It depends on how many campaigns and ad groups use call ads. The steps are quick, but approval and the comparison period take longer, so start well before the February 2027 deadline.