Google Mobile Ads

After expanding the offering for mobile devices (web search, image search, news, local, personalized homepage, Gmail), Google intends to monetize their services. Entering Google Mobile Ads.

"Mobile ads are shorter text-based AdWords ads that appear when users search Google from a mobile device. Send users to your mobile web page, or offer them the option to connect to your business phone after clicking on your ad.

Mobile ads contain two lines of text, with a limit of 12 or 18 characters per line, depending on the language in which you write your ad. Your destination URL appears on a third line if you choose to enter one. If you select the option that allows customers to directly connect to your business phone, a Call link will appear next to your destination URL."

What's interesting is that mobile ads are a simplified version of the ads from the standard Google results page.

"When a user searches Google.com from a PC for your keywords, your standard text ads will appear alongside the search results. And when someone uses a mobile phone to search Google.com for your keywords, your mobile ads will appear."

Click-to-call, a feature that makes it easier for businesses to connect with customers, is more appropriate for mobile phones, where people don't have time to browse web pages and need information fast. Google also intends to use click-to-call VoIP ads on eBay.

For the moment, the ads are displayed only in Japan (a country where the Internet usage via mobile phones grows rapidly), but RCRNews.com reports that Google launched the service in the US:

"The Internet giant quietly launched the offering that allows AdWords customers to place marketing messages — including clickable links — in listings retrieved through Google’s mobile search service."