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Following the trial in Boston, which started in December, Verizon is planning to introduce the ads in 500 directory editions this year, with generic ads for florists, hair dressers, chiropractors and dozens of other categories.The ads should show up soon in directories in Maryland, Pennsylvania, California and New Jersey, said Robyn Rose, vice president of Internet marketing for Verizon Superpages.com.
"One of our challenges, of course, with the print medium, is that once it's printed, it's there for a year," Rose said.
"By doing this, there's actually an update daily of who will receive the calls based on the top daily bid."
Depending on the category, businesses pay at least $2 to $6 per call, but Verizon has seen bids reach $10 or $15.
"For example, a restaurant would have a much lower bid than, say, a mortgage company, because their return is much higher on those calls," Rose said.
The call routing is handled by eStara Inc., which provides "click-to-...
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