Are you struggling to prove the ROI of your Google Ads campaigns when phone calls drive your highest-value conversions? DIRECTV solved this challenge by integrating Invoca's call tracking with Google Ads to achieve nearly 50% conversion rates on phone calls.
During our recent Invoca Customer User Group session, Matt Michels, Senior Marketing Data Analyst at DIRECTV, and Jamie Rutchik, Account Executive at Google, shared how their collaborative approach delivered the marketing holy grail: more sales while spending less money.
DIRECTV's Transformation From Manual to Automated
DIRECTV's journey exemplifies the power of starting simple and iterating over time. They evolved their approach systematically:
- Data Integration: From basic CSV uploads once daily to real-time API connections
- Bidding Strategy: From impression share to CPA targeting, finally implementing Target ROAS
- Team Focus: Eliminated manual reporting to focus on strategic analysis and campaign development
As Matt explained, "We could now spend our time investigating performance spikes, developing new targeting strategies, and optimising based on data insights rather than maintaining reports."
The learning curve included some over-correction — initially driving excessive call volume before finding the right balance between quality conversions and healthy call volumes. This reinforced the value of testing and refining rather than expecting perfection from day one.
Enhanced Conversions for an Easy Win
Jamie positioned enhanced conversions as the solution to increasing privacy challenges, representing an "easy win" for phone calls with immediate lift and simpler implementation than web-based enhanced conversions.
Key Benefits:
- Immediate performance lift upon implementation
- Addresses privacy-related tracking gaps
- Maintains attribution accuracy in cookieless environments
Jamie clarified that there's no specific volume threshold, but emphasised the need for sufficient data to achieve statistical significance, with typical learning periods ranging from two to six weeks, depending on the account volume.
Implementation Strategy and Key Results
Matt's practical guidance for replicating DIRECTV's success:
Start Simple: Begin with three basic customer actions — contact forms, click-to-call buttons, and sales. DIRECTV started with 12 conversion signals across main product lines, then expanded based on results.
Value Assignment: They evolved from simple averages to granular product-specific values using percentage-based calculations. If 15% of shopping cart entries convert at $100 average value, they assign $15 to that action.
The results
- Nearly 50% conversion rates on call center sales
- 2.5x higher percentage increase in sales coming through phone calls compared to web
- Immediate lift from enhanced conversions implementation
- Reduced manual work while improving strategic focus
Ready to Replicate DIRECTV's Success?
Here are the key takeaways for your implementation.
- Start simple: Begin with 3-5 basic conversion actions rather than trying to track everything immediately
- Iterate continuously: Expect 2-6 weeks for initial results, with ongoing optimisation driving long-term success
- Leverage expertise: Utilise Invoca and Google teams' experience from thousands of implementations
- Focus on data quality: Build from basic tracking to sophisticated, granular conversion measurement
Most organisations start with paid search for the highest volume, then expand to Performance Max campaigns, programmatic display, and YouTube. Advanced users also explored using call data for churn prevention, with DIRECTV actively developing AI Signals for customer intent identification.
DIRECTV's success story proves that with the right approach to call tracking and Google Ads integration, you can achieve both improved performance and reduced manual workload.
Request a demo to learn how Invoca can help you achieve similar results with your Google Ads campaigns.
