What’s going on with that phone number?
You or your clients may have spotted this: click a Google ad, land on the website, and — surprise! — the phone number looks totally unfamiliar.
Cue the panicked client email: “Why is our number wrong?!”
But here’s the thing — nothing is wrong. What you’re seeing is Google Ads call forwarding doing its job. It’s a clever little system that helps you track exactly which calls come from your ads, giving you insights into what’s working and what’s not.
Let’s unpack how it works and why it’s worth the occasional client head-scratching.
How does Google Ads call forwarding work?
When you set up call tracking in Google Ads, Google assigns a unique forwarding number to your ad or website. Here’s the cool part:
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When someone clicks your Google ad, the website dynamically replaces your real phone number with a Google forwarding number.
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When the person dials that number, Google silently redirects the call to your real business line.
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Behind the scenes, Google logs the call as a conversion, tracking details like call length, area code, and whether the call was answered.
To the caller, it’s seamless — they just get through to you. But you get valuable data on how many leads your ads are driving.
Why it confuses clients
This is where things can get a little bumpy.
Clients sometimes visit their own site after clicking a Google ad, see the unfamiliar number, and assume something’s broken. It’s an understandable reaction! After all, their brand and phone number are part of their identity, and seeing a swapped-out number can feel jarring.
Some clients even worry that their SEO or website has been hacked, or that potential customers are being sent to the wrong business.
Why you need call forwarding anyway
Even though it can spark a few worried calls or emails, call forwarding is worth it for one big reason: conversion tracking.
Without call forwarding, you have no reliable way to know which phone leads came from your Google Ads. You might see more calls, but you can’t confidently tie them to your marketing spend.
With call forwarding, you can:
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Measure which campaigns, ads, and keywords drive phone leads.
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Optimise your ad spend based on real conversions, not just clicks.
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Prove the ROI of your campaigns to clients or stakeholders.
Yes, it’s a trade-off — you swap a seamless brand experience for a temporary number — but the data you gain is gold for marketing decisions.
How to explain it to clients
To help smooth things over with clients, try explaining it like this:
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Be upfront. Let clients know from the start that Google will display a different number to track conversions.
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Reassure them. The calls are still routed to their main line, and customers won’t even notice.
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Show the value. Walk them through the data you’re able to collect thanks to call forwarding — and how it helps improve their marketing results.
A simple heads-up can go a long way to avoiding confusion and building trust.
Common questions from clients
Will customers be confused by the new number?
Usually not. Customers just dial the number they see, and the call goes through as normal.
Will the number show up everywhere?
No — only for users who click the Google ad. Everyone else sees the usual website number.
Can we turn it off?
Yes, but you’ll lose all phone conversion tracking from your Google Ads.
Wrapping up
Call forwarding in Google Ads is a powerful tool that helps you track what’s driving real phone leads. While it can throw clients off when they spot an unfamiliar number on their site, it’s a small price to pay for the valuable data you gain.
By explaining how it works and why it matters, you can help clients feel confident in the process — and keep your campaigns running smoothly.
