SearchKings and the Power of the Perfect Handoff with ASC
Why live agents and speed to lead matter in high-stakes lead generation
When consumers respond to an online ad or local search result, they are often ready to take action. Whether they submit a form or call a dedicated number, these leads represent the final step in a carefully crafted digital journey. Each call results from targeted advertising, precise audience matching, and strong intent. The quality of the first live interaction can decide if months of campaign strategy lead to real business or fade away unnoticed.
As Matthew Marcus, Chief Integrations Officer at SearchKings, explained, this reality became especially clear during a national, hyper-localized campaign for a major manufacturer with an extensive network of local service providers. Across 122 total calls and 367 minutes of call activity, the program required each inquiry to be carefully qualified and routed to the correct location in real time.
SearchKings needed absolute confidence that each caller would reach a knowledgeable, professional representative. Not only that, but agents also needed to follow strict scripts and deliver the lead to the correct destination without delay. To meet those expectations, they partnered with Answering Service Care.
A Campaign That Required More Than Basic Call Answering
SearchKings built the campaign around precision. They drove high-intent traffic to a dedicated landing page and phone number, knowing that each call represented a consumer actively seeking service. This was not a situation where someone could place calls in a generic queue or handle them with loose guidelines. The intake process had to be structured, consistent, and dependable across markets.
As a result, answering service agents had to follow detailed lead qualification scripts. They gathered specific information and confirmed the lead’s location. This process helped determine which local provider should receive the lead. The process had to feel seamless to the caller, while still meeting the operational and reporting needs of SearchKings and its enterprise partner.
“There were two components [to making this work],” Marcus said, describing the first factor as the implementation side, working together to architect the workflow, build out the integrations, set up the dealer lookup, and train the team on the custom scripts. The second was the operational side, the actual quality of the live call handling. Both had to be strong for a campaign of this size and complexity.
Because the campaign operated at a national scale with localized fulfillment, even small inconsistencies could have created confusion for dealers and frustration for callers. The call handling team needed to function as a true extension of the brand, not simply as a third-party answering service.
Raising the Bar on Call Quality and Consistency
Before working with Answering Service Care, SearchKings had relied on another answering provider. Over time, the team noticed that quality assurance was slipping. As call volume grew, maintaining consistency in tone, accuracy, and script adherence became harder.
“We noticed the quality assurance [prior to ASC] was going down a little bit. We were listening to calls and weren’t really overly excited about the way that they were being handled,” Marcus explained. “If the calls aren’t being handled a certain way, you know, we’re a lead gen business. So if we’re leading the calls to an unreliable person answering the phone, it makes us look bad.” This is why treating call answering for PPC marketing campaigns as part of performance, not just support, is essential.
For SearchKings, that lesson extended beyond brand perception. Google evaluates how responsive a business is to incoming calls when determining Local Services Ads ranking. Inconsistent coverage or long hold times can lower conversion rates and directly affect ad visibility and campaign performance. In other words, quality call answering influences both how well leads convert and how frequently those leads are generated in the first place.
What stood out immediately with Answering Service Care was the contrast to other services. From the start, SearchKings felt that call quality, professionalism, and responsiveness were stronger and more consistent. The team provided detailed feedback from the get-go, and ASC was receptive and quick to make adjustments, which helped build confidence in both the process and the people handling the calls.
Scalability was also a key factor. SearchKings needed a partner that could support growing call volumes without sacrificing attention to detail or the caller experience. With ASC, they experienced reliable support and solid operational maturity. This gave them confidence to proceed with a complex, high-visibility campaign. They trusted that each call would reflect well on both SearchKings and its client.
Turning Location Data Into the Right Local Connection
SearchKings and the manufacturer’s leadership team provided detailed documentation for the national campaign, outlining how to handle calls, what information to collect, and how to distribute leads. Answering Service Care agents received training on these requirements and followed a structured process for each interaction.
The team assessed calls based on the caller’s needs and location. This way, lead qualification directs only the best prospects through the dealer locator to the right local provider. Rather than sending information back to SearchKings for redistribution, the system delivered leads directly to the right destination, reducing delays and preserving momentum.
“Without being able to send it to you guys and have you handle not only the qualification but the farming out of the leads, I don’t even think we could have taken on this project at all,” Marcus explained.
This approach protected the experience for all parties involved. Callers reached the right local team quickly. Dealers received qualified, relevant leads. SearchKings and its enterprise partner could trust that the handoff process matched the expectations set by the marketing.
Total Visibility From First Click to Final Handoff
Beyond call handling, the technical side of the workflow also played an important role. SearchKings linked its landing pages and form submissions to the Answering Service Care platform. This integration combines phone calls and digital leads in a single system.
This visibility gave the team confidence that every inquiry was being processed as intended. They could log in, review activity, and understand how calls and form submissions were moving through the lead qualification and routing process.
“Having [the platform] to be able to look at on my own time and to be able to log in and see things was very beneficial versus before. It’s not just like the calls are handled and it’s done, and then we don’t really know what else happens [like with our previous provider],” Marcus noted.
API and form-based integrations supported the campaign’s custom setup and allowed SearchKings to maintain oversight without adding unnecessary manual steps.
Why Real Conversations Still Outperform Automation
SearchKings has evaluated automated and AI-based call handling solutions as part of its broader commitment to performance and innovation. In practice, however, Marcus found that fully automated agents often created friction rather than improving conversion.
“We have also tested the AI agents. We’re not a fan. We tried a couple of different solutions, but what we found was the tone from the caller was often not very positive, and it led to a lot of hang-ups,” he said.
From SearchKings’s perspective, voice interactions are very emotional and time-sensitive. This is particularly true when a consumer calls after seeing an ad, expecting fast, human support.
This aligns closely with the findings in Answering Service Care’s Robots Reveal Yourself: The AI Call Report, which showed that many callers react negatively and often disengage when AI disclosure happens late in the interaction.
For SearchKings, this reinforced the value of live answering vs. AI answering services. Trained live agents can adapt, reassure, and guide callers through qualification without creating uncertainty or frustration.
Marcus also noted that it makes more sense to invest in real people who can handle the call properly and convert it into business rather than rely on cheap AI solutions with poor performance.
A Team That Responds, Refines, and Follows Through
During onboarding, SearchKings worked closely with the ASC team to review lead delivery and routing workflows. The ASC team was highly responsive and proactive in incorporating feedback, helping fine-tune the process early on.
“You guys were always receptive to our feedback. You were very responsive, which is a big part of this, and you addressed everything that we brought to the table,” Marcus said. For SearchKings, that level of responsiveness made a big difference, especially on a complex, high-visibility program.
Logan, Vice President of Strategic Growth at ASC, served as the primary point of contact and provided continuity throughout the relationship. Having a stable, knowledgeable partner who understood both the technical and operational sides of the campaign helped keep communication clear and expectations aligned.
A Successful Campaign With Momentum Ahead
The team built the program with a specific timeline in mind, and they evaluated performance within that planned window. According to the manufacturer, the campaign delivered strong results, and SearchKings is already planning to renew a similar effort in 2026.
The call data reflects that activity. During the campaign, ASC handled 122 total calls, including 94 inbound and 28 outbound. Inbound calls accounted for 77% of total call volume, indicating that most campaign-related interactions were initiated by callers responding to the campaign. Altogether, ASC managed 367 minutes of call activity, with 277 minutes coming from inbound calls and 90 minutes from outbound calls.
Average call duration remained steady across both categories. The overall average call length was 3.01 minutes, with inbound calls averaging 2.95 minutes and outbound calls averaging 3.21 minutes. This suggests a balanced call-handling pattern in which time spent on calls generally tracks with call volume, rather than one type of call requiring significantly more handling time.
While SearchKings did not have direct access to downstream revenue data from individual dealers, Marcus emphasized that the answering and routing component was foundational.
“All of the calls were handled by your team,” he said. “Without that piece in place, we would not have been able to execute the program at the level required. It was an essential part of making the campaign work.”
From National Campaigns to Local Business Wins
The value of live, professional call handling extends beyond enterprise campaigns. SearchKings works with thousands of small and mid-size service businesses, many of which invest heavily in digital advertising but struggle to answer every call.
“We drive a lot of phone calls, and what we often realize [with other providers] is they’re either not being answered, or they’re being put on hold for a long time. When you’re paying for leads, that’s a big no-no,” Marcus explained. “So one of the things we tell our customers is, listen, you’re paying a lot of money for these leads. You need to make sure they’re handled properly. If you don’t have the capacity, you need to implement another solution. That’s why we refer Answering Service Care, because it’s in everyone’s best interest that the call gets picked up by a human being.”
For these businesses, having a live, trained team answer the phone can mean the difference between capturing a new customer and losing them to a competitor. This is why SearchKings regularly recommends Answering Service Care to protect conversion rates and improve the caller experience.
Protecting the Most Valuable Moment in the Customer Journey
Across both large national programs and local service campaigns, Answering Service Care supports SearchKings at the most critical point in the customer journey. This includes reliable call handling for local businesses and the precision routing required for complex dealer networks.
ASC makes sure trained agents handle important inquiries carefully. They route these inquiries without delay to the right place, using clear visibility and quick support.
“I’d say you guys are the complete package. To work with us on our level has been really pleasurable. And the quality of the call handling has also been really positive,” Marcus said. “[We’re] looking forward to bringing some more projects your way in the future and working together and continuing building [a partnership].”