Patentseed

This patent application by Google may be on to something.  As we’re all intricately aware, Google has done more than anyone else to capitalize off PPC (pay per click).  Their patent application, 11/948,171 brings the same concept to telephone calls.  As coined in the patent application, advertisers would be charged based on a “cost-per-call amount.”  Here’s how the “cost-per-call” advertisement works.  Let’s say an advertiser has a phone number for consumers to place an order, and let’s call this a “second telephone number.”  The “first telephone number” is a number created for an advertisement that is associated with the “second telephone number” - i.e., calls to the “first telephone number” are forwarded to the “second telephone number.”  When an ad is displayed, and somebody calls the “first telephone number,” Google is able to track this call and charge the advertiser the “cost-per-call.”  To prevent call fraud, Google also discusses the concept of a “call-through event” which would make sure that the advertiser wasn’t charged for more than say 5 phone calls from the same number.