• by Ross Fadner , November 14, 2004

Pay-per-call distributor Ingenio is expected to announce its second distribution deal, with mobile Yellow Pages directory provider go2, this morning. Under terms of the agreement, Ingenio's pay-per-call listings will appear in the go2 directory network, which includes Alltel, AT&T Wireless, Boost Mobile, Cingular, Nextel, Sprint PCS, and Verizon Wireless.

Wireless consumers conduct one million directory queries per month, according to go2. Currently, 170 million people in North America own mobile phones, according to Strategy Analytics.

Because the mobile screen is so small, it's more important for merchants to buy top-of-queue in mobile search listings than in paid search, said Ingenio Chief Marketing Officer Marc Barach.

Pay-per-call allows companies that don't operate Web sites to participate in paid search listings. The service provides these advertisers with a hosted listing containing basic contact information and a custom phone number; advertisers only pay for leads generated by that number.

Both go2 and Ingenio will sell pay-per-call inventory for the go2 directory. Ingenio also has a distribution partnership with sponsored listings provider FindWhat.com. Its listings will begin appearing in the go2 directory the first quarter of 2005.