Google announced this week that advertisers that use its AdWords Internet service now have the option to extend the service onto mobile devices without the need for reformatting. In its official blog, Google said the new mobile service would apply to all devices with a full (HTML) Internet browser, including Apple’s iPhone and the T-Mobile G1, which is based on Google’s own Android operating system. Google’s advertising search functionality is already available on such devices but until now has needed to be modified to fit the phone. However, the new feature means that advertisers do not have to create campaigns specific to mobile devices, and allows adverts to point to desktop landing pages, eliminating the need to create mobile landing pages. 

Google’s move is seen as a strategy to further replicate its dominance in traditional Internet search in the mobile space. According to a recent comScore M:Metrics study, Google is the preferred brand for mobile browser-based searches with a 60 percent share in the US and Western Europe. However, Internet search rivals such as Microsoft and Yahoo are also targeting the mobile space as mobile operators look to partner with large Internet players for search functionality rather than develop their own services.