The cost of generating an incoming sales call from Google Adwords is nearly twice as expense as compared to similar advertisements on the YP Local Ad Network according to a new study from Altman Vilandrie & Co.

The study revealed that ads from YP (formerly known as AT&T Interactive and AT&T Advertising Solutions) had an average cost-per-call of $46 compared to $88 for AdWords. In addition, of the 56 companies receiving calls from both YP ads and Google ads, 77% realized better value (lower cost-per-call) from YP ads. The Altman Vilandrie study also compared how various types of businesses fare used both a YP ad and Google ad. Of the 20 categories studied, 17 showed better cost-per-call value through the YP ads.

"Advertising and search experts have theorized that location-based search websites deliver better cost-per-call value than general search for small businesses but no one had ever seriously studied the issue," said Altman Vilandrie & Company Director Jonathan Hurd, who oversaw the survey. "While there are a variety of other factors that small businesses need to consider before developing a local advertising strategy, the study shows a clear potential for better value by including YP ads in an overall campaign."