More phone numbers eligible for click-to-call ads in the UK

We have good news for AdWords customers in the UK who want to generate sales or leads from phone calls:

Our click-to-call ads enable you to include a clickable phone number as an additional line in your text ads. These are shown to Google users when they search using a mobile phone with a full HTML browser (such as the iPhone, Android-powered devices or those running Palm OS). They can simply click the phone number to call and connect directly with your business. It’s a quick and convenient way for a potential customer to reach you while they're on the move.

Until now, you could only include free phone numbers (e.g. those starting with '0800'), or phone numbers with a local area code (e.g. starting with '020' for London). Starting today, we're making more types of numbers eligible to appear in ads, namely those beginning with 0843, 0844, 0845 and 0870. We hope this will provide many more businesses in the UK with a great opportunity to attract new customers by phone.

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In one advertiser case study, we found that calls from AdWords click-to-call ads were 22% more likely to be relevant than other lead sources. They were also 31% more likely to result in an appointment.

Click-to-call ads are easy to set up, whether your business has a phone number for a national call centre, or if you want to direct Google users to call your local branches.

We're working to make more numbers eligible in more countries, so stay tuned for future updates.

Posted by Emily Williams, Inside AdWords crew