google's click to call
here's some fresh news for adwords users. Google started testing their new application, called click to call (screenshots, FAQ, slashdot). It's basically an extension to Adwords, by which advertisers can reach web users by phone. The search for certain keywords brings a small telephone icon, and when it is clicked, one can enter his phone number. Then Google calls both parties, via some VoIP protocols it seems, and connects them. The billing is done on the advertiser side; via adwords, therefore the call is free for the user. Google invested a lot into VoIP protocols, and will probably loose money at first by investing them into infrastructure, but will soon recover them via adwords. Most adwords advertisers already have up to date phone numbers in their accounts, therefore just one approval away, we'll see massive scale phone advertisement real. This phone-advertisement idea is not new; my current company implemented it in Germany since quite some time now. It has even a better name than click to call; it's called Click@Talk. Call implies costs and probably users don't like it; but probably google will figure this out by itself. My colleagues brought this to life more than 5 years ago. Probably under google's marketing protection, this feature will be perceived as new; and revolutionary as it usually happens with this kind of releases.
It's also interesting how will they deal with privacy issues. There is no way they can ensure that the user will enter his own phone number, and not somebody else's phone number. Also privacy related, there is no way they can check that the advertiser will not record user data (phone number, name address etc). It's also pretty bold from them, since they could loose their adwords intermediation commission; as advertisers do get a hand on users directly; but this happens with regular adwords as well.
