Using Google Mobile Ads and the Provision of Impulse-Based LocalServices
http://www.seo-marketing-articles.com/articles/187/1/Using-Google-Mobile-Ads-and-the-Provision-of-Impulse-Based-LocalServices/Page1.html
Senior Writer
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Published on 10/11/2006
The 800-pound search engine gorilla is at it again, shaking
things up in the virtual world. This time it's extending the
reach of Adwords -its billion dollar contextual advertising
system -to mobile devices.
Google's new Mobile Ads system delivers two short lines of text
and a third line containing a destination URL (and an optional
"call" link that dials the advertiser's business) to mobile
phones and wireless PDAs. The text-based ad can be used to
target mobile users in the United States, the United Kingdom,
Japan, and Germany. From an advertiser's perspective, Mobile Ads
is used in conjunction with Adwords. So, when someone searches
Google from a PC the advertiser's Adwords ad appears, but when
searched on a mobile device the Mobile Ad appears. The
advertiser should have a mobile-enabled website or landing page
(written in XHTML, WML or CHTML), but theoretically Mobile Ads
could be used simply to put a local business' phone number in
front of mobile users.
Now hometown advertisers can use Mobile Ads to lure prospective
consumers to make local and, most importantly, impulse
purchases.
Imagine a shop that advertises a time-based neighborly discount
of 50% to local mobile users, who in turn drop what they are
doing and head to the advertiser's shop to make a purchase.
Think of the possibilities for neighborhood businesses.
Google Ads is a giant step for location-based services.
Of course, it's not as good as an advanced location-based
service that uses embedded chip technology to send subscribers
targeted discounts based on proximity to a shop -but, it's
nonetheless great that Mobile Ads can entice mobile users to
pursue locality-based offers.
However, there are some general limitations.
First, even the most brilliant copyrighters/marketers would be
hard-pressed to squeeze "motivation" into just two lines of text
with 12 characters each. Second, mobile devices may not be
conducive to the sort of on-the-spot analysis that most of us do
when an offer interests us. We open another browser to search
for alternatives, reviews, competitors, coupons, and other
things to evaluate the offer -and even bookmark the advertiser's
site for follow up evaluation. Third, e-commerce check-out
systems may prevent or frustrate mobile purchases.
In addition, people seem to use mobile phone searches primarily
for amusement and to alleviate boredom. So, they would be
searching for things like celebrity information, jokes,
horoscopes, games, sports, techie info, and ringtones. Indeed,
at least one major study of mobile search behavior (by Google,
Columbia University and Carnegie Mellon University) supports
this theory, indicating that many mobile phone searches relate
to adult, entertainment and tech info. While there is evidence
that wireless PDA users do search frequently for "local
services," I am not sure it's prudent to assume they are also
making purchases or visiting local merchants as a result of a
search.
So, where does that leave us overzealous web owners?
If you own a website that offers "sticky" mobile content you
could consider selecting the Mobile Ad option the next time you
run an Adwords campaign. If you don't offer mobile content,
well, maybe you could use this as an opportunity to get a
mobile-compliant website or landing page. However, you might
hold off on using Mobile Ads if you are looking to promote an
ecommerce-based service -and especially a non-impulse service!
Of course, if you have an impulse or content offer I would start
using Mobile Ads while the cost-per-click for various keywords
is still low due to the newness of the program.
Finally, I should note that many wireless carriers have advanced
location identification chips buried in their mobile handsets in
order to meet the Federal Communications Commission's E-911
public safety requirements.
It will be very interesting to see if Google finds a way to use
that technology to further expand its services to include
targeted, location-based advertising.
About the author:
Steven Rangel is a New Media consultant and web
strategist who offers products and services through numerous web
properties, including his
development company DotDNA.com
The 800-pound search engine gorilla is at it again, shakingthings up in the virtual world. This time it's extending thereach of Adwords -its billion dollar contextual advertisingsystem -to mobile devices.
Using Google Mobile Ads and the Provision of Impulse-Based LocalServices
The 800-pound search engine gorilla is at it again, shaking
things up in the virtual world. This time it's extending the
reach of Adwords -its billion dollar contextual advertising
system -to mobile devices.
Google's new Mobile Ads system delivers two short lines of text
and a third line containing a destination URL (and an optional
"call" link that dials the advertiser's business) to mobile
phones and wireless PDAs. The text-based ad can be used to
target mobile users in the United States, the United Kingdom,
Japan, and Germany. From an advertiser's perspective, Mobile Ads
is used in conjunction with Adwords. So, when someone searches
Google from a PC the advertiser's Adwords ad appears, but when
searched on a mobile device the Mobile Ad appears. The
advertiser should have a mobile-enabled website or landing page
(written in XHTML, WML or CHTML), but theoretically Mobile Ads
could be used simply to put a local business' phone number in
front of mobile users.
Now hometown advertisers can use Mobile Ads to lure prospective
consumers to make local and, most importantly, impulse
purchases.
Imagine a shop that advertises a time-based neighborly discount
of 50% to local mobile users, who in turn drop what they are
doing and head to the advertiser's shop to make a purchase.
Think of the possibilities for neighborhood businesses.
Google Ads is a giant step for location-based services.
Of course, it's not as good as an advanced location-based
service that uses embedded chip technology to send subscribers
targeted discounts based on proximity to a shop -but, it's
nonetheless great that Mobile Ads can entice mobile users to
pursue locality-based offers.
However, there are some general limitations.
First, even the most brilliant copyrighters/marketers would be
hard-pressed to squeeze "motivation" into just two lines of text
with 12 characters each. Second, mobile devices may not be
conducive to the sort of on-the-spot analysis that most of us do
when an offer interests us. We open another browser to search
for alternatives, reviews, competitors, coupons, and other
things to evaluate the offer -and even bookmark the advertiser's
site for follow up evaluation. Third, e-commerce check-out
systems may prevent or frustrate mobile purchases.
In addition, people seem to use mobile phone searches primarily
for amusement and to alleviate boredom. So, they would be
searching for things like celebrity information, jokes,
horoscopes, games, sports, techie info, and ringtones. Indeed,
at least one major study of mobile search behavior (by Google,
Columbia University and Carnegie Mellon University) supports
this theory, indicating that many mobile phone searches relate
to adult, entertainment and tech info. While there is evidence
that wireless PDA users do search frequently for "local
services," I am not sure it's prudent to assume they are also
making purchases or visiting local merchants as a result of a
search.
So, where does that leave us overzealous web owners?
If you own a website that offers "sticky" mobile content you
could consider selecting the Mobile Ad option the next time you
run an Adwords campaign. If you don't offer mobile content,
well, maybe you could use this as an opportunity to get a
mobile-compliant website or landing page. However, you might
hold off on using Mobile Ads if you are looking to promote an
ecommerce-based service -and especially a non-impulse service!
Of course, if you have an impulse or content offer I would start
using Mobile Ads while the cost-per-click for various keywords
is still low due to the newness of the program.
Finally, I should note that many wireless carriers have advanced
location identification chips buried in their mobile handsets in
order to meet the Federal Communications Commission's E-911
public safety requirements.
It will be very interesting to see if Google finds a way to use
that technology to further expand its services to include
targeted, location-based advertising.
About the author:
Steven Rangel is a New Media consultant and web
strategist who offers products and services through numerous web
properties, including his
development company DotDNA.com