We found this article from the Nielsen Blog on the shopping habits of Mobile users really interesting. No surprise that it’s mostly about research and location. Until Mobile users are offered a mobile payment platform they can really embrace, buying via mobile device is still mostly a non-starter.

For over a year now, advertisers have been using Call Extensions to allow consumers to place a call directly from an ad. Recently, Google announced the addition of clickable phone numbers within mobile ads. Now, phone numbers in any part of the ad creative will be clickable. Additionally, the cost per call will be priced the same as a regular click. Google has also provided detailed reporting on clickable numbers which can be accessed by segmenting traffic by click type within the AdWords interface.

While this new feature is not drastically different from Call Extensions, it does offer up some advantages. First and foremost, the cost per call will often be significantly lower than the $1.00 flat rate cost per call of Call Extensions. The ability to place phone numbers anywhere within the creative will allow advertisers to further optimize mobile campaigns by examining how the position of phone numbers affects performance. Lastly, setup is quick and simple; no additional steps are needed to take advantage of this feature.

by Gail Kenney, Director of Client Services

One of our clients, Foley Engines, got a call this week from someone in Tennessee whose entire area was out of power.  The caller used his Android to Google “Rockford” to find the transmission he needed for his wood chipper to help clean up the storm damage.  Fortunately the site he found, our clients’ business in Massachusetts, had exactly what he needed and they were able to ship out the transmission that very day.

Just one more example of the power of mobile and another compelling reason to be there in search “when” and “how” someone is searching.