Google has announced plans to acquire mobile advertising
network AdMob in a $750m stock deal to boost its position in the
fast-growing industry.
The deal will enable Google to combine its own search ads with
AdMob's network for delivering display ads on mobile web pages and
applications, according to the
Financial Times.
Mobile advertising is growing rapidly and AdMob claims its
business has doubled in the past year to more than 10 billion
messages a month.
The deal will enable Google to increase its ability to compete
with rivals Microsoft and AOL, which have each made mobile
advertising acquisitions in the past two years.
In October, Google added a feature called Comparison Ads that
lets users
compare multiple relevant offers served by its AdWords
advertisement engine to boost its traditional online advertising
business.
The addition is part of Google's continuing effort to make
advertisements more relevant and useful to users and to help
advertisers reach the people who are most interested in their
products, the firm said.
Comparison Ads lets users specify more exactly what they are
looking for and then displays relevant ads side by side for
comparison.