Google iPhone ads in beta

Google is preparing to offer advertisers a way to tailor their advertising to the iPhone, despite its own, soon-to-be-released, mobile operating system, Android.

by Helen Leggatt

According to reports out today, Google is currently testing a feature that will give advertisers more control over how their ads appear to users of mobile devices with full Internet browsers, such as the iPhone. The feature is currently in a limited beta with a small number of advertisers, announced Google.

The iPhone, unlike others that browse the mobile web, pulls sites directly from the Internet so users see the same ads as they would on their computer. Google's iPhone-specific ads will allow advertisers to produce messages specifically for iPhone users allowing more interactivity and relevancy from their mobile devices than they would get via repurposed Internet ads. For example, advertisers can develop 'click-to-call' or text message automation.

"The move highlights Apple's growing clout in the mobile ad market, as well as the challenges raised by iPhone for marketers," writes Brian Morrissey at AdWeek.

According to comScore, 20.8 million users in the U.S. and 4.5 million users in Europe used mobile search in the month of June 2008.