Google goes mobile, small biz

A busy day at the plex

Posted in Mobile, 17th July 2007 14:00 GMT

Google is ramping up its assault on the mobile internet with tests of its AdSense service and rumours of product search aimed at the mobile phone screen.

AdSense allows websites to allocate space to Google, which then provides context-sensitive advertisements and splits the revenue those ads generate with the site owner. Providing the same service to mobile websites might seem an obvious step, but the fact that Google thinks it's worth doing demonstrates that there are a significant number of sites providing content specifically for the mobile user.

Mobile AdSense is very similar to the desktop counterpart, with a few extra rules on content and layout.

Product search is just a rumour at the moment, but the Wall Street Journal reports that Google will offer searches for mobile-specific content such as games or ringtones, with companies able to pay for better placement in the list.

Meanwhile, the search giant has launched a hosted search service for small businesses. For $100 a year for 5,000 pages to $500 per year for $50,000, Google will index a businesses site. Google said the service will deliver much quicker, and ad-free results to visitors navigating small businesses.®

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