Google is retiring Call-Only Ads, ending new creation in February 2026 and fully deprecating the format by February 2027. Service contractors should rebuild into Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) with Call Assets, enable call reporting with forwarding numbers, and set call conversions as primary goals. Assign conversion values to answered calls, link Google Business Profile, and schedule call assets to business hours to improve lead quality. Avoid jumping to Smart Bidding until call tracking and conversion goals are clean to ensure optimization focuses on valuable, answered calls.

Call-Only Ads Are Ending. Here’s How Contractors Keep the Phones Ringing

TL;DR Google will retire Call-Only Ads by February 2027 (creation ends February 2026). To keep driving phone leads, rebuild into Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) with Call Assets, enable call reporting, make call conversions your primary goal, and use smart bidding only after your call tracking is clean. Link your Google Business Profile and schedule calls to business hours.

Google is phasing out Call-Only Ads. If your HVAC, plumbing, or electrical leads lean hard on click-to-call, you’ve got about 16 months to transition. The replacement isn’t complicated, but you do need to be intentional: build RSAs with Call Assets, wire up call reporting correctly, and make sure bidding optimizes for answered, valuable calls—not vanity clicks.

What’s changing and when

Here’s the headline: you won’t be able to create new Call-Only Ads after February 2026, and the format retires entirely by February 2027. If you depend on phones (and most service contractors do), you need to move those budgets into search campaigns that use RSAs plus Call Assets. Google says they’ll provide step-by-step migration guidance, but your account structure and conversion setup matter more than any wizard they roll out.

How to rebuild for calls (the right way)

• Use Responsive Search Ads in standard search campaigns, and attach Call Assets at the ad group level so messaging matches intent (e.g., “water heater repair” group has its own call asset).
• Enable call reporting and use Google forwarding numbers so you can see duration, area code, and completed call metrics. Track both “Calls from ads” and “Calls from website” if you also want site click-to-call tracked.
• Set call conversions as a primary goal. Make “Calls from ads” a Primary conversion; demote soft goals (page views, time on site) to Secondary so Smart Bidding doesn’t chase junk.
• Assign values to calls. If a booked job is worth $600 on average and 40% of answered calls book, value an answered call around $240. This lets “Maximize conversion value” prioritize the calls that pay.
• Schedule Call Assets to business hours. Don’t pay for calls your CSRs can’t answer. If you truly take emergencies 24/7, split out an after-hours campaign with tighter bids and negative keywords like “warranty,” “jobs,” and “DIY.”
• Link your Google Business Profile (GBP). This surfaces location extensions and can boost local trust and CTR for near-me searches, especially on mobile.

Bidding: manual vs automated (don’t hand Google the keys too early)

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