At Antik Seider, the decision to buy is almost always made over the phone. About 60 percent of all inquiries come in as phone calls. However, these calls didn’t show up anywhere in Google Analytics 4 (GA4) or Google Ads. Working with the agency Master of Search GmbH and using call tracking from matelso, the purchasing specialist changed that. Since the switch, the company has been optimizing its campaigns for real leads instead of just clicks.
At a Glance
- Company: Antik Seider, purchasing antiques, precious metals, and estates
- Agency: Master of Search GmbH
- Technology: matelso Call Tracking, since December 2025
- Results: +170% ROAS, +48% conversion rate, +96% impression share
- 44 percent of Google Ads conversions now come from phone calls
Summary
The Problem: Why Calls in Google Ads Remain Invisible
Why the Phone Matters at Antik Seider
Antik Seider buys items from estates and collections: gold jewelry, coins, silverware, luxury watches, paintings, and porcelain. The company has been in business for 17 years and is certified by the German Association of Appraisers and Experts. Anyone wishing to sell a complete collection or an estate doesn’t need to fill out a form. You simply call, ask questions, and schedule an appointment. About 60 percent of the company’s inquiries come in over the phone.
“Most of our inquiries come in over the phone. That’s exactly where we previously had no way of knowing which ones were actually worthwhile. Since we started working with matelso, we can finally see what a call is actually worth, and the inquiries have become noticeably more relevant. It’s been great for us that we can now report the good leads directly back to Google. That way, we invest our budget where it really pays off for us.”
– Katharina Seider, Managing Director, Antik Seider
The Blind Spot in the Campaigns
Until then, Google Ads tracked only one thing: clicks on the phone number. What happened after the call remained a mystery. Was it a qualified lead? A real order? No one could say. The calls were a black box.
This was a real handicap when it came to managing campaigns. The bidding system (Smart Bidding) optimized for clicks, not orders. And in the gold and precious metals market, keywords are highly competitive, so click prices are correspondingly high. As a result, many calls came in that led nowhere, and there was nothing that could be done about it.
“We were unable to improve lead quality and lay the groundwork for scaling the campaigns.”
— Lennart Pohle, Senior Online Marketing Manager, Master of Search GmbH
The Solution: Call Tracking for Google Ads
The initiative was launched by Master of Search GmbH. matelso’s call tracking has been in operation since December 2025. Instead of clicks, answered calls and qualified leads—including order value—are now counted as primary conversions in Google Ads. This means that the actual value of a call is factored back into the bidding system.
What Was Implemented
- Answered phone calls as conversions in Google Ads
- Qualified leads with an assigned order value
- Value-based targeting optimized for revenue potential rather than click volume
The agency sees lead qualification with an assigned order value as the most effective strategy. Only then does the system know which calls will actually generate revenue.
“I thought Master of Search GmbH’s idea to switch to matelso was great. This way, qualified leads can be reported back to Google.”
— Katharina Seider, Managing Director, Antik Seider
Live in two days
Setup was completed after about two days. Onboarding, support, and the knowledge base provided by matelso helped us find the right settings for our use case.
It didn’t go entirely smoothly, and that’s all part of the story. During setup, many missed calls were marked as “Success” but had no rating associated with them. At first, it was unclear whether the recorded message was glitching or if there was a technical error.
The finding:
Matelso Support looked into this together with the agency. It turned out to be a matter of missed calls that were only counted after a successful callback. After that, the picture made sense.
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The result: +170% ROAS with measurable call conversions—thanks to matelso Call Tracking
Since the changeover, the figures appear mixed at first glance. Upon closer inspection, however, they paint a clear picture.
| Kennzahl | Veränderung |
|---|---|
| Conversion-Rate | +48 % |
| Impression-Share | +96 % |
| ROAS | +170 % |
| Cost per Lead | +40 % |
| Klicks | −45 % |
| Impressionen | −60 % |
Why Fewer Clicks Are a Good Sign Here
Two figures give pause for a moment: a higher cost per lead and significantly fewer clicks. Both are by design!
Cost per Lead +40%:
We no longer count clicks on the phone number; instead, we count the calls that were actually made through matelso. Fewer conversions, but more valuable ones. The higher cost per lead reflects a genuine lead rather than a mere click.
Clicks −45%, Impressions −60%:
This is where the refined keyword set makes a difference. matelso shows which search terms generate qualified inquiries. Fewer ad clicks, more relevant leads, and a 96 percent higher impression share in the relevant auctions.
“Our job is to turn our clients’ advertising budgets into real revenue, not just clicks. For a long time, the phone was a blind spot in this process: We ran campaigns without knowing which call ultimately led to a sale. With matelso’s call tracking, we close this gap, feed the value of qualified calls back into Google Ads, and optimize for actual business opportunities. For us as an agency, this is the crucial difference between ‘we assume it’s working’ and ‘we can prove its success.’”
— Christoph Mohr, Owner and Online Marketing Expert, Master of Search GmbH
From Guessing to Predictable Control
Today, 44 percent of all conversions tracked via Google Ads come from answered calls. As a result, this area was previously unmeasurable.
For the agency, the real surprise lay in how accurately leads can now be classified according to their actual value. On the business side, the effect is more tangible—inquiries have become noticeably more relevant. The biggest benefit, however, is predictability. Antik Seider now demonstrably drives revenue through Google Ads, rather than guessing whether the budget is paying off.
“We can now demonstrably scale our revenue with Google Ads and no longer have to guess whether our efforts are paying off.”
— Lennart Pohle, Senior Online Marketing Manager, Master of Search GmbH
Conclusion: What Other Companies Can Learn from Antik Seider
At its core, the story of Antik Seider isn’t really about antiques. It’s about a pattern that applies to many industries: Sales are closed over the phone, but marketing only measures what’s clickable on the screen. Whoever bridges this gap regains control over their campaigns.
Key Takeaways from the Call Tracking Project
- If a significant portion of conversions occurs over the phone, the phone should be included in conversion tracking. Otherwise, Google Ads will optimize without taking actual value creation into account.
- It’s not the number of conversions that matters, but their value. Fewer clicks and a higher cost per lead (CPL) can still represent progress, as long as they result in actual orders.
- Only with a verifiable call value can scaling be planned. The budget can then be increased strategically where revenue is demonstrably generated.
Here’s how to apply this to your business
Antik Seider’s journey can be traced in just a few steps:
This is particularly beneficial for industries with a high volume of consultation-based, phone-based business. Law firms, tax consulting firms, skilled trades businesses, healthcare providers, car dealerships, and real estate agencies will quickly recognize their own business models in this description.
About the Agency
Master of Search GmbH now operates under the umbrella brand “Master of Scaling.” With this move, the agency is placing even greater emphasis on its current focus: not only making companies visible through search engines, but also helping them scale sustainably through measurable marketing, accurate tracking, and value-based campaign management. The collaboration with Antik Seider and matelso demonstrates exactly this approach in practice.
