Google today announced that it has added a new option for AdWords advertisers to specifically target iPhones, T-Mobile’s G1, and other mobile devices that have ‘real’ Internet browsers. Unlike the standard mobile AdWord ads that were targeted to appear on mobile web sites, this new feature will allow advertisers to target any mobile device with a full HTML browser. Google also points out that it is seeing ‘a lot’ of searches from iPhone and G1 users and the iPhone drove more traffic to Google.com during last year’s holiday season than any other mobile platform.
As AdWeek reported in October, Google has been working on this feature for a while now. One possible implementation of this new functionality, according to AdWeek, would be to allow an airline to not just advertise its services on Google’s search engine, but to also include a phone number, knowing that mobile users would just have to click on one link to initiate a call to make a reservation.
It makes good sense for Google to get start offering this new feature now, as mobile Internet usage on smartphones and other mobile devices is starting to take off. Other companies like AdMob and JumpTap have already carved out some lucrative niches for themselves, so Google is clearly trying to protect some of its home turf here.
