Google, Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) is starting to place its advertising all over its web-based products as it tries desperately to gain ad revenue outside of its web search results. In what has been a long time coming, the world leader in internet search will now be tailoring ads for its search product specifically for smaller screens like those on the Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone and the Google-powered G1 smartphone, offered by T-Mobile.
This makes sense. A web search performed on a standard web browser brings up text ads that bring in billions of revenue for Google every quarter. On smartphones with full web browsers but with a lack of screen real estate, these ads work but are sub-optimal. If Google can get this right and make text ads next to search results look like they belong on small-screen web browser, it will have significantly upped its ante.
Will customers click (with their fingers, no less) on mobile ads set next to mobile search results on these full-featured phones? The law of averages suggests they will, most likely. As iPhones sell in more volume and smartphones eventually become the mobile device of choice, mobile advertising will become a decent income stream for Google and other mobile ad networks.
At least, that is Google's dream. So far, mobile ads are miniscule in income generation compared to standard web search income generation -- even with many more phones in use than computers with standard web browsers.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
12-10-2008 @ 9:18AM
Beltway Greg said...
Let's put it in perspective: JP Morgan downgraded Apple in Jan. of 07 when it was at about $85/share. In the year following that downgrade it went up $118.00/share.
JP Morgan ought to pay attention to its own business model. Making a call like this in this environment is easy. It seems to make sense. But how many things in this market make sense or have responded exactly the way you wanted them to? In the interim everybody at Morgan can only pray to have a balance sheet like Apple's and I don't think their prayers are going to be answered any time soon.
Beltway Greg.