14 DAY TRIAL // Google makes a lot of money from advertising and the revenue it tapped into when it introduced search ads helped it become one of the most powerful tech companies in the world. Now, it's looking to do the same with mobile advertising, which it believes will be a huge market in the next few years. Mobile web use is definitely growing fast but if this translates into thriving on the mobile ad market remains to be seen. It is clearly trying all options though and will soon introduce click-to-call ads enabling users to call a company just as easy as they would follow a link.
Search Engine Land revealed that AdWords clients received an interesting notification announcing that sometime later this month “your location-specific business phone number will display alongside your destination url in ads that appear on high-end mobile devices. Users will be able to click-to-call your business just as easily as they click to visit your website. You’ll be charged for clicks to call, same as you are for clicks to visit your website.”
The value of getting a potential customers engaged in a phone call with the advertisers has been recognized for a while now. Google introduced an ad option, which enabled users to leave their phone numbers to be contacted by the company advertising. This didn't turn out to be that successful but the idea lingered on.
Phone numbers on the web can be called directly from most smartphones today. Google already lists phone numbers for businesses in the organic search results meaning that smartphone users already have a form of “click-to-call” option. What the company is doing now is adding the same functionality to ads, a logical next step. This option will be enabled by default and advertisers will be charged for the calls but Google is playing it safe and smart by charging the same rate as a regular click on a link in an ad. It's a very interesting option for advertisers but the real issue here is how popular this practice will become with the users.