Call tracking now includes CEC and CDEV features in Google Analytics 4

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Google’s analytics tool, Universal Analytics, has now been replaced by Google Analytics 4 (GA4). From 1 July 2023, standard Universal Analytics properties stopped processing new data.

We produced a transfer guide for this early in the year, which our call tracking customers used to move the service across quickly and easily with no downtime. Call tracking now runs successfully on GA4 for all of our existing customers.

As part of the migration, and the adjustments to call tracking that the new environment required, we have added new features, namely:

1. Call-Event Conditions (CEC feature)

In principle GA4 allows you to generate new events from existing events using conditions. This is commonly used to determine conversions. However, in GA4 this mechanism does not work for events fed in externally. Since that is precisely what a call tracking service does – feeding in events from an external source – it is unfortunately not possible to generate conversion events in the strict sense using the standard tools.

Our solution:

We are the only call tracking provider to have successfully integrated the CEC feature into our service. It allows conditions for a further event (a second event) to be set in the back end.

Example application:

Previously

A call takes place and, once it ends, we feed a call event into GA4. That event cannot be filtered on the GA4 side and, because of the link to Google Ads, always results in a conversion.
CORAZÓN - Call Tracking Blog GA4 - bild 1

That may not be what you want: it is not granular enough, and it is unsuitable for detailed analysis. What is often wanted instead is for calls to count as a conversion only from a minimum duration of, say, 30 seconds.

New now

We have configured a “minimum call duration” condition in the back end. If a call then lasts longer than (for example) 30 seconds, we generate a further event with different parameters, so the provider can use this new event for their conversion tracking.
CORAZÓN - Call Tracking Blog GA4 - bild 2

2. Customer Defined Event-Value (CDEV feature)

The event value matters a great deal to Google Ads. For the first event, the event value is always equal to the call duration. That of course does not reflect the value of a conversion in Google Ads. For bidding strategies in Google Ads, the customer needs event values that match their own assessment, so they can optimise campaigns or score leads.

Our solution:

To do this we generate a second event and assign it a Customer Defined Event-Value (CDEV).

Example application:

The call ends and the first event, with Value = “call duration”, is fed into GA4, provided the condition (call longer than 30 seconds) is met. We then feed in a second event, and here the event value is “EUR 100” (configurable to your needs). That event can then be used to best effect for conversion tracking in Google Ads.
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