Google Ads Conversion Tracking: How to Track Offline Sales and Phone Calls

Running Google Ads without proper conversion tracking is like driving blindfolded—you spend money but don’t really know what’s working. While it’s easy to track online actions like form submissions or purchases, many Nigerian businesses—real estate firms, hospitals, restaurants, car dealers, and service providers—close deals offline or via phone calls.

That’s where Google Ads offline conversion tracking and phone call tracking come in. They allow you to measure the real impact of your ads beyond clicks and impressions.

In this guide, we’ll break down:

• Why offline and phone call tracking matter
• Tools you need (Google Tag Manager, call tracking numbers, CRMs)
• Step-by-step setup for offline conversions in Google Ads
• How to track phone calls directly from your ads and website
• Common challenges and troubleshooting
• Local applications for Nigerian businesses

By the end, you’ll know exactly how to connect online ad spend to offline results—and stop wasting money on ads that don’t drive revenue.

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Why Offline Tracking and Phone Call Tracking Matter

Most small and medium businesses in Nigeria don’t close sales online. Let’s look at a few examples:

• Real Estate Developers: Ads bring traffic, but the deal closes after an on-site inspection and negotiation.
• Hospitals & Clinics: Patients see your ad, then call or walk in to book an appointment.
• Car Dealers: Prospects click an ad, then call to ask about availability or visit the showroom.
• Training Schools: Students see your ad, but payment happens via bank transfer or in person.

If you only track website visits or clicks, you’ll miss the bigger picture: the actual sale. Offline tracking ensures that Google Ads learns which clicks turn into real customers, so the algorithm can optimize better.

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Tools You Need

Before diving into setup, here are the essential tools:

1. Google Tag Manager (GTM)

GTM makes it easy to install tracking codes without constantly editing your website. You’ll use it to fire tracking events like form submissions, phone clicks, or landing page visits.

2. Call Tracking Numbers

These are special phone numbers that forward calls to your real line but allow you to see which ad generated the call. Popular tools include:

• Google Forwarding Numbers (available in some countries, not always Nigeria).
• Third-party tools like CallRail, CallTrackingMetrics, or Twilio (work in Nigeria with setup).
• Basic method: Track “click-to-call” events on mobile using GTM.

3. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) or Spreadsheet

You’ll need a way to collect offline data (sales, bank transfers, walk-ins) and later import it into Google Ads. Even Excel works if you’re consistent.

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Step 1: Setting Up Google Ads Offline Conversion Tracking

Offline conversion tracking connects your ad clicks to actions that happen later (like an offline sale).

A. Enable Offline Conversions in Google Ads

1. Log into Google Ads.
2. Go to Tools & Settings → Measurement → Conversions.
3. Click + New Conversion Action → Select Import.
4. Choose Other data sources or CRMs → Import offline conversions.

This tells Google you’ll upload conversions that happened outside your website.

B. Capture Click Identifiers (GCLID)

Google uses a unique tracking parameter called GCLID (Google Click Identifier). Every time someone clicks your ad, Google attaches this ID to the URL.

You must capture this GCLID and save it (via hidden form fields, cookies, or your CRM). Later, when a sale happens offline, you upload the GCLID back to Google Ads to credit that conversion.

How to Capture GCLID:

• Add a hidden field in your website forms to store the GCLID.
• Use Google Tag Manager to pull it from the URL and store it in a cookie.
• Pass it to your CRM when the form is submitted.

C. Upload Offline Conversions

Once you close the deal offline:

1. Export customer data from your CRM/spreadsheet (including GCLID, conversion name, conversion time, value).
2. Upload into Google Ads via Google Ads Editor or directly in the dashboard.
3. Google matches the GCLID with the click and attributes the conversion.

This way, Google’s algorithm learns which ads drive real paying customers, not just leads.

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Step 2: Tracking Phone Calls in Google Ads

Phone calls are one of the most important conversions in Nigeria, especially for real estate, healthcare, and high-ticket services.

There are two main ways to track phone calls:

A. Call Extensions & Call-Only Ads

• You add a phone number directly in your ad.
• When someone taps “Call,” Google counts it as a conversion.
• You can set a call-duration threshold (e.g., only calls lasting 60+ seconds count as conversions).

Limitation: In Nigeria, Google’s forwarding numbers are not always available, so you may not see detailed call reports.

B. Tracking Website Call Clicks

If you display your number on your landing page, you can still track calls:

1. Use Google Tag Manager to fire an event when someone clicks your phone number link (tel:+234...).
2. Send this event as a conversion to Google Ads.
3. Optionally, use third-party call tracking to see call recordings, duration, and missed calls.

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Step 3: Local Application for Nigerian Businesses

Here’s how this works for different industries in Nigeria:

• Real Estate: Track form submissions for site visits, phone calls for inquiries, and offline sales via imported conversions.
• Hospitals/Clinics: Track “Book Appointment” clicks, track calls, and later upload offline patient visits.
• E-commerce (high-value items): Track online checkouts plus offline bank transfer confirmations.
• Educational Institutions: Track lead forms and calls, then import confirmed payments.
• Car Dealerships: Track ad-driven test drive requests, phone calls, and final offline purchase.

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Troubleshooting Guide

Setting up offline tracking can get tricky. Here are common issues:

1. GCLID Not Capturing

• Check your form setup.
• Ensure GTM is correctly storing and passing GCLID.
• Test by clicking your ad and filling a form.

2. Mismatch in Uploads

• Make sure your upload file has correct format: GCLID, conversion name, conversion time, value.
• Ensure time zone in Google Ads matches your upload data.

3. Phone Tracking Not Showing Calls

• If using click-to-call, confirm your number is in the correct format (tel:+234...).
• If using third-party tools, confirm forwarding is set up correctly.

4. Conversions Not Attributing Properly

• Sometimes uploads take 24–48 hours to reflect.
• Check that your campaign is still active and tracking is enabled.

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Best Practices for Optimizing Offline Tracking

• Use Call Duration as a Quality Filter: A 5-second call shouldn’t count as a conversion. Set 60+ seconds as your threshold.
• Segment Conversions by Type: Separate form leads, calls, and offline sales so you know where revenue really comes from.
• Automate Uploads: If possible, connect your CRM (HubSpot, Zoho, Salesforce, or even Google Sheets with Zapier) to Google Ads for automated offline uploads.
• Test Before Scaling: Always test tracking on a small budget before rolling out big campaigns.
• Educate Sales Teams: Your staff must record GCLIDs or client details accurately to avoid broken data loops.

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Final Thoughts

Most Nigerian businesses are leaving money on the table because they don’t track offline conversions or phone calls. Running ads without this setup means you’re optimizing for clicks, not real sales.

By using Google Tag Manager, call tracking numbers, and offline uploads, you can finally connect your Google Ads spend to actual revenue.

For small businesses, real estate companies, clinics, and service providers in Nigeria, this can be the difference between burning money on ads—or scaling profitably.

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Need help setting up Google Ads offline tracking and phone call tracking in Nigeria? At Abitraj, we specialize in ROI-driven Google Ads strategies that help you measure what matters.

Book a free 30-minute Visibility Audit and let’s fix your tracking so every ad naira you spend drives measurable results.

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