Advertisers using Google’s Adwords system have been told that the company is to introduce a new format of PPC advertising aimed directly at the mobile search engine market.
Instead of PPC sponsored search links, Google has announced it will begin to offer companies the option of a ‘click-to-call’ format for sponsored links on searches conducted via smart phones. It seems extremely likely that this announcement is tied to the launch of Google’s own smartphone, the Nexus one.
Google’s notification told advertisers that by the end of January, “your location-specific business phone number will display alongside your destination URL in ads that appear on high-end mobile devices. Users will be able to click-to-call your business just as easily as they click to visit your website. You’ll be charged for clicks to call, same as you are for clicks to visit your website.”
This extends a feature that already exists for Google’s organic local listings for smartphone searches. Effectively, phone numbers will appear alongside sponsored PPC links, and instead of visiting a company site, users will be able to directly contact those advertisers with listed numbers. Instead of being charged for a clicked link, advertisers are charged when a phone call is initiated. Given that the cost is said to be roughly equal to standard PPC advertising, this could prove a useful tactic for those seeking visibility and conversion in search engine marketing.
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