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A Click on a Phone Number Is Not a Call: How to Evaluate Inquiries from Yandex Direct

In its September review, Yandex highlighted Direct's built-in call tracking. I explain how to link calls to ads without mistaking repeat inquiries for new sales.

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A work phone placed next to product samples on the counter
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A customer clicked the phone number but decided not to call. Another called twice because no one answered. A third asked about the size and placed the order later from a computer. If you look only at clicks on the number, these situations are easily confused.

In the September 3, 2026 update review, Yandex highlighted Direct's built-in call tracking. The tool was introduced in summer and marked as a beta feature. It allows you to count real calls and use them to optimize campaigns, making call quality verification especially important.

Choose the outcome you need

For a store, a call can be the start of a sale, an inquiry about an already paid order, or a request regarding a return. All three contacts are important, but only one necessarily relates to attracting a new customer.

Define the signs of a useful contact together with the staff who answer the phone. Call duration alone is insufficient: a short question may end in a purchase, while a long one may not relate to the assortment.

Analyze missed calls separately. Their increase sometimes indicates successful interest generation but insufficient staff on the line. Increasing the advertising budget in such a situation can increase losses.

Number substitution requires website verification

Dynamic call tracking uses substituted numbers to link an inquiry to its advertising source. On the site, the number may appear in the header, mobile panel, contacts, or a pop-up window. It is important to verify the entire intended scenario, not just a single block.

After connecting, call the number a visitor would see from a phone. Ensure the call reaches the correct team and is not lost during transfer. Then verify how the inquiry appears in available reports.

Do not consider the appearance of data in the dashboard as proof of processing quality. If an employee cannot see the product or the context of the question, the conversation will still be inconvenient for the buyer.

Align advertising with communication results

A useful sample includes new questions, repeat calls, missed calls, and completed orders. It helps determine exactly what the campaign delivers and at which stage people drop off.

For expensive products, account for the decision-making time. A person may compare options for several days. An evaluation on the day of the first call will be incomplete, and mechanically attributing every subsequent purchase to the last contact is overly simplistic.

Call tracking gives a store a clearer view of the customer journey. The benefit materializes when the store uses data for specific improvements: responding faster, refining product cards, and distinguishing purchase interest from inquiries by existing customers.

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