The search engine giant has introduced a new feature that lets publishers of adverts for mobile devices produce campaigns designed specifically for use on high-end handsets.

 

Aimed at those producing content for the iPhone, Palm Pre and devices powered by Google's own operating system Android, the changes will help marketers "earn revenue and fund more mobile-specific sites and web content", the company said in a blog post.

 

Citing Gartner research predicting that global sales of smartphones will climb by 27 per cent to 177 million this year, Google stated that these are a "natural extension" for any campaign involving the use of AdWords, adding that with the new features it hopes to "make advertising on high-end mobile devices as intuitive, effective and user-friendly as our existing AdWords tools".

 

One feature of the updated offering is automatic detection of the type of phone being used, meaning Google will change the AdSense content on a website to larger adverts optimised for high-end handsets.

 

Gartner has also forecast a rise in mobile advertising, suggesting that investment in this area will climb by 74 per cent this year.