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Google Helps Local Searchers and Marketers Go Mobile

Posted 03.29.2010 by Ahmed Khamash

Location-based applications for mobile phones were all the rage at this year’s SXSWi, but there’s another location-based activity that marketers should keep an eye on. Director of Mobile Advertising at Google, Diana Pouliot, revealed last week at the International CTIA Wireless Conference that one-third of mobile Google searches now include a location-based element.

Location makes mobile advertising a much more salient option for businesses, as it offers one of the most important dimensions of consumer targeting. For searchers, location makes their mobile activity much more relevant and actionable. Google aims to bridge businesses and mobile search engine users with new search ad formats and features such as click-to-call ads and local inventory search.

Local advertisers who have adopted the mobile click-to-call ads from Google AdWords have seen a noticeable increase in response rates. Surojit Chatterjee, local mobile ads product manager at Google, says the increase can be attributed to consumers becoming more inclined to interact with a local ad that contains specific and relevant information, such as a phone number or street address.

Google's local inventory search provides users the ability to make smarter purchase decisions with the help of their mobile phones. Retailers are beginning to partner with Google to offer real-time inventory information, which can be accessed by searchers anytime the product they search is “In stock nearby”.

With the increasing amount of local searches taking place through mobile devices, local businesses need to consider how they are offering their information to mobile searchers. Google provides a great platform to engage with these potential customers by serving content that encourages action.

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