For law firms, phone calls often matter more than form fills. If your CTV attribution doesn’t track calls, you’re missing a major piece of performance data.
Why Call Tracking Matters for CTV
Law firm leads come through multiple channels:
- Form submissions
- Phone calls
- Chat (sometimes)
For many PI firms, calls represent 50-70% of leads. CTV attribution without call tracking is incomplete attribution.
How CTV Call Tracking Works
Ad Exposure
CTV ad plays and household is tracked with IP-based identifier and timestamp.
Phone Call
Viewer calls your firm using the tracking number shown in ad or found on website.
Data Capture
Call tracking platform captures caller phone number, IP, timestamp, and call details.
Household Match
Platform matches caller information to exposed household database.
Attribution
Call is attributed to CTV with exposure-to-call timing recorded.
The Technical Reality
Matching calls to CTV exposure requires:
- Call tracking platform (CallRail, Invoca, etc.)
- CTV platform integration
- Household-level matching
- Attribution window configuration
Call Tracking Setup Options
Option A
Option B
Manual Matching (Fallback Option)
Export CTV exposure data and call data, match offline:
- Export exposed households (hashed)
- Export callers (hashed)
- Match in data warehouse
- Calculate attribution
Pros: Works with any platforms Cons: Manual effort, delayed insights
Call Tracking Platform Considerations
Key Features for CTV Attribution
- Dynamic number insertion: Different numbers for different sources
- Caller ID capture: For household matching
- API access: For CTV platform integration
- Call recording: For quality assessment
- Integration ecosystem: Compatibility with CTV platforms
Popular Options for Law Firms
| Platform | CTV Integration | Law Firm Features |
|---|---|---|
| CallRail | Strong (MNTN native) | Intake integration |
| Invoca | Strong | AI call analysis |
| Dial800 | Moderate | TV attribution focus |
| CallTrackingMetrics | Moderate | Multi-location |
Attribution Window for Calls
How long after CTV exposure should a call count?
| Scenario | Recommended |
|---|---|
| Direct response campaign | 7-14 days |
| Brand awareness | 14-21 days |
| Ongoing PI advertising | 14-30 days |
Longer windows capture delayed response but may over-attribute. Start with 14 days and adjust based on data.
Matching Methodology
Household-Level Matching
Most common approach:
- CTV tracks household (IP-based)
- Call tracking captures caller phone/IP
- Match at household level
Match rates of 90%+ are achievable with proper setup.
Phone Number Matching
When caller ID is available:
- Match phone number to household database
- More precise than IP matching
- Requires phone data access
Probabilistic Matching
When deterministic fails:
- Geographic proximity
- Timing correlation
- Modeled attribution
Less precise but captures otherwise-lost attribution.
What to Track
Call Metrics
- Total calls from CTV-exposed households
- Call volume by day/week
- Call duration (quality indicator)
- Answer rate
Attribution Metrics
- CTV-attributed calls
- CTV-attributed call rate
- Time from exposure to call
- Call source breakdown
Quality Metrics
- Qualified call rate
- Signed case rate from CTV calls
- Case value from CTV calls
Reading the Data
Healthy CTV Call Attribution
| Metric | Good Range |
|---|---|
| CTV-attributed calls | 15-30% of total |
| Average time to call | 3-14 days |
| CTV call quality rate | Similar to overall |
| CTV calls trending | Up with spend |
Warning Signs
- Zero CTV-attributed calls (tracking issue)
- CTV calls much lower quality (targeting issue)
- No correlation between spend and calls (measurement issue)
Common Setup Issues
⚠️ Issues to Avoid
- − No integration. CTV platform and call tracking don't connect
- − Wrong attribution window. Too short misses calls, too long over-attributes
- − Missing caller data. Can't match without caller info enabled
- − Duplicate attribution. Same call credited to CTV and search
Solutions: Use middleware or unified platform. Test multiple attribution windows. Ensure caller ID capture is enabled. Define attribution rules (usually last-touch for calls).
Connecting Calls to Cases
The full picture:
CTV exposure → Call → Intake → Case
Track conversion at each stage:
- CTV-attributed calls: 50
- Qualified after intake: 30 (60%)
- Signed cases: 10 (33% of qualified)
- CTV cost per case: $X
This connects CTV spend directly to revenue.
Implementation Checklist
- ☐ Select call tracking platform with CTV integration
- ☐ Install tracking numbers across all properties
- ☐ Configure CTV platform integration
- ☐ Set attribution window (start with 14 days)
- ☐ Test matching with sample data
- ☐ Validate attribution is working
- ☐ Build reporting dashboards
- ☐ Review weekly, optimize monthly
For complete measurement strategy, see the CTV attribution guide.
References
- Nielsen. (2025). Connected TV: Transforming advertising trends. https://www.nielsen.com/insights/2025/connected-tv-transforming-advertising-trends/