Google Grants Mobile Ad Strategies

Mobile Internet usage is growing at a tremendous pace. By 2013 it’s expected that more people will access the Internet through mobile devices than with desktop computers. Using your Google Grants AdWords account, you can extend your reach and harness this growth to promote your organization.

In your AdWords account, you already have access to a number of mobile ad formats and features. The new location extensions ad format lets users searching for your keywords find the local chapter of your organization by displaying your phone number and address with an expandable map. When people nearby your organization do a search on one of your keywords, the hyperlocal ad feature provides distance information to let them know how close they are to your physical location. Alternatively, if you accept donations via phone you can use phone extensions to drive phone calls directly from your ad. Popular desktop features are also available on mobile. Ad Sitelinks allow you to display additional links to popular content located deep within your site. For instance, you could drive users to your donations or volunteer page directly from the ad.

As you begin to target the mobile audience, remember to follow these guidelines to improve your performance. Create separate campaigns targeted only to high-end mobile devices. This will give you more granular control over bids, budgets and keywords. Also, there is a maximum of five ad units on mobile search pages -- two at the top and three at the bottom. Optimize your bids to aim for the top two ad positions to drive more users. As you optimize your account, keep in mind that user behavior can differ when searching from a mobile device. For instance, users may be more likely to make mobile queries with local intent than they would on desktop. Additionally, users on mobile often make more general queries, so consider using broader keywords to increase impression volume. Lastly, try including a strong mobile call to action in the ad text like the example below:

For more information on targeting mobile devices with full Internet browsers, such as iPads, iPhones and Android-powered phones, and the different mobile ad formats, visit the AdWords Help Center.

Posted by Zack Bailey, Mobile Specialist