Is Pay Per Call the next big thing in search?

I haven't been a big fan of pay-per-call. In my opinion, the Internet isn't only about instant lead generation. Just as in offline media, such as magazines and newspapers, the Internet is also about branding. Still, now that Google is taking click-to-call and pay-per-click more seriously, particularly in light of its new partnership with E-bay, I'm starting to buy into pay-per-call.

Still, there are some warnings for advertisers. First of all, a call is a very solid lead. Consequently, a call is worth more than a click. Thus, advertisers should expect, ultimately, to pay far more for a call than a click, especially with high ticket goods.

Moreover, I believe that the mobile Internet is the next big thing, and that the mobile Internet is a much better platform for pay-for-call than pay-for-click. The mobile Internet is going to change the entire advertising world as much, or maybe even more than the Internet did.

In reality, the power of the Internet is still just emerging.

For more on this, check out the article, With Google's Formal Entry, Pay-Per-Call Set to Grow