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Advertising coming to Google Voice?
I'd kind of assumed that Google would place contextual ads on the Google Voice web site next to transcripts of your voicemail messages, much the way it does with Gmail. And it still might. But Google has also filed a patent for a system that would insert audio ads into your phone calls. The patents also describes a system for determining the caller's location in order to geographically target the ads.
It's not necessarily as obtrusive and annoying as it sounds. The ads would be played while the phone is ringing and you're waiting for a person to pick up, or at other times when you're not talking. It's not entirely clear whether Google will roll out this feature. I personally would rather not listen to adds every time I make a call, so I'm kind of hoping the company doesn't.
I also think if Google were going to insert audio ads into your phone calls, it would have been nice of the company to roll out this feature before launching the service. But Google Voice is still only open to beta testers with invitations, so you could argue that there's time to make a major change like this before launching the service more publicly.
[via Unwired View]
Comments
10
Subscribe to commentsKyokoJul 16th 2009 6:39PM
I'm thinking that google will read and capture datas of the voicemail (transcribe), records spammers phone number (better phone number spam), different companies we call locally or internationally.
with these kinds of data, they could target the users and the account with the ads that more relevant to them.
I think that is how they make the money. (data mining + targeted ads)
ToddJul 16th 2009 8:44PM
@kyoko
Voicemail transcription text is "post mortum" and tied to the browser interface of Google voice ( Yes there will be AdSense ads inside web based GV just like Gmail )
...but that's not what Google is after - it *mobile* use of GV. While you are either using GV to make a call with your mobile, or calling some who is, while on hold you'll hear audio ads based on where you are.
Standing on the corner, waiting on hold, you see a Dominos pizza across the street. Suddenly the on hold music stops and you here "...Why not take a hot Dominos pizza home with you tonight?..."
Not science fiction - audio AdSense ads with location hooks already being beta tested.
JCJul 16th 2009 8:45PM
FAIL....
If they start doing that then lots of people will not use it anymore. NOBODY wants to hear voice ads during a phone call. No matter how well of a service they provide, that is way too much. Otherwise charge for it.
pg808Jul 16th 2009 8:45PM
If/when Google gives us an option to pay for GV and not get ads, I'll be first in line. That is, if they make it reasonable. I pay $20/year for Yahoo! Mail, so I don't see ads when I'm using it, and my outgoing emails don't have that one line ad on the bottom. If Google were to charge something close to that, I'd take it. I doubt Yahoo would ever make $20 on me, based on click through numbers or any sort of ad response measurement. This way we both win.
Oh, and they'd have to offer Hawaii numbers, too, which they currently don't.
the real BradJul 16th 2009 8:45PM
As long as they don't do it like Trapcall does (type in pin, bam, thirty-second add), I'm fine with it. I think I like Google's model of unobstructive advertising.
iGateJul 16th 2009 8:45PM
what if they used ads as the dial tone, like when you call someone, instead of hearing the "ring ring" u'd hear ads. and these would stop as soon as the other person picks up or it goes to the message bank.
tmJul 16th 2009 8:45PM
Hopefully they'll make mone on data and selling an apps-type version to businesses.
KevinJul 16th 2009 9:43PM
If Google has shown anything, it's that they understand how to utilize ads without pissing people off. I seriously doubt you're going to have an automated voice interrupt you mid-conversation to try to get you to get an auto insurance quote.
It'll be subtle but lucrative, as always.
KoolioJul 17th 2009 8:09AM
If the ad is less than 10sec, then I'm cool with it.
Eric H.Jul 17th 2009 9:59AM
I actually think that this is a great idea by Google and not FAIL by any means. Replacing the typical "ring ring" noise that you hear with a geo-targeted ad is a great idea and I think that I may actually enjoy listening to some different ad everytime I call someone instead of that boring old "ring ring". Also if they could detect while I am on hold and play ads during that time it would most likely be better than the usual hold music, especially if the ads were relevent. For example I am calling my cable company for some reason and they put me on hold for 5 minutes. A competing cable company could buy ad space to be played while on hold letting me know about their product, I may learn that I am getting ripped off by my current cable company and decide to switch.