Google offers AdSense to mobile advertisers

It started with AdWords, now online giant Google is offering AdSense to mobile marketers. AdSense contextually targets ads to users based on mobile website content.

by Kristina Knight

The company announced it would offer AdWords to mobile advertisers last week. Advertisers who don't want to participate in the offering must opt out.

The AdSense offering is available to advertisers already signed up to AdSense for the Internet.

"When you add the new AdSense for mobile code to your site, we'll display relevant ads using the same targeting technology that you are familiar with for existing AdSense products," was written on the AdSense blog.

The offering is available for AdSense advertisers who have created a website specifically for mobile users. Advertisers can earn money by placing the contextually targeted ads on their mobile space. The ads run on an auction model and are available to advertisers in several countries.

Mobile advertising has been forecast to reach more than $33 million in 2007 and to surpass $1 billion by 2012. There are an estimated 200 million mobile users in the US, with many of these users also becoming familiar with the mobile Internet. These users have begun to express interest in mobile advertisers, as long as they get something in return - free minutes, free ring tones or discounts/coupons for online or brick-and-mortar stores. With this interest in advertising, it makes sense for advertisers to begin experimenting with mobile advertising so that when use of the medium becomes widespread, they are ready for the mass of consumers using the platform.