Google said this week they are expanding their AdWords service, offering businesses the chance to place ads next to cell phone search results.
They are also rolling out a new Adsense for Mobile service, where contextual ads will appear on web sites specifically optimized for viewing on cell phones. Mobile users clicking on ads are sent to the mobile-version of an advertiser’s webpage or offered the option of connecting to a business phone.
According to a Monday press release, “AdSense for Mobile is intended for AdSense partners who have created websites specifically for mobile browsers, and who want to monetize their mobile content via contextual advertising. Like Google’s other AdSense products, mobile text ads run on an auction model. The system automatically reviews the content of publishers’ mobile websites and delivers text ads that are relevant to the websites’ audience and content.”
Google will use auctions to set prices and advertisers will pay when a user clicks, just like the online version. Google says conversion tracking is available for their mobile offerings.
AdSense for Mobile will cover at least 12 countries besides the U.S., including England, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Russia, Australia, India, China and Japan.
Google joins Yahoo, AOL and Microsoft in jockeying for the best position in the emerging mobile search marketplace. All four have recently snapped up intellectual talent and treasure. AOL bought Third Screen Media and Microsoft sucked up Frances’ ScreenTonic just three months ago. On Monday Nokia said it would buy Boston’s Enpocket.
As of this week, Sprint customers can take advantage of both MS mobile and LoMo search technology. Sprint’s Mobile Shopper allows users to search and compare prices on 7 million products from online stores like eBags, Bluefly, and Shoes.com with in-store prices. The tool is from a Boulder, Co. company called mShopper. Sprint also offers GPShopper’s “Slifter Mobile” local mobile search tool for finding an item a user wants as close to the user as possible.
According to Strategy Analytics, $14.4 billion will be spent on mobile advertising by 2011, an estimated one-fifth of all Internet ads.
Savvy businesses will optimize mobile versions of their Web sites, if they haven’t done so already.
I think people are really getting sick of pervasive, invasive advertising. I wonder if all phone services will pick up Adsense or whether some will hold off.