Two bits of news came out of the Google camp today, both of which are related to mobile search.
In an announcement today about new mobile advertising features for AdWords, the company glossed over a fairly significant revelation:
“In fact, more Google searches take place on mobile devices than on computers in 10 countries including the US and Japan.”
It has long been speculated that mobile search would overtake desktop in the near future, and now we have confirmation that it has. In addition, Google has launched new ad units that will allow marketers the ability to target ads and convert customers in a way that never before existed on mobile.
Google’s new cross-device conversion tracking will enable marketers to track customers as they move back and forth between their desktop and mobile devices. This new feature will also be able to attribute revenue to ad spend according to which device the customer ended up making a purchase from.
The new ad units are completely redesigned to more closely resemble the other interactive forms of advertising tailored for mobile devices.
The ads are also more functional, with new ad units designed for specific markets. For example, there are new hotel ads that will let customers find a hotel and book it right from within the ad unit.
Another impressive feature with these new ad units is the ability to measure when an ad click turned into an in-store visit. Currently, this feature is only available in the US, Canada, and Australia.
Google uses a combination of user-provided data, geo location data, and ad impression data to determine when a customer has entered a store, all of which is detailed in the company’s latest announcement.
Google says its mission is to connect people with what they’re looking for in the exact moment they’re looking for it. Today’s announcements are certainly a step towards realizing that goal.
