Google’s latest move in its mobile push: The company told AdWords advertisers this week that it would display their business phone numbers in ads that show up on some smartphones—and then charge advertisers when users click on the number in order to call them. SearchEngineLand—which first reported the news—says that Google (NSDQ: GOOG) will charge advertisers the same amount for a call as for a visit to their site (advertisers can opt-out).
It’s not clear how extensive the initiative is for now since Google says it only applies to unspecified “high-end mobile devices” but it’s easy to see how this could become an important revenue stream, as the adoption of smartphones grows. As Broadpoint AmTech analyst Ben Schachter writes in a report, since the main use of phones remains making calls, it’s very possible that there will be higher “call-through rates” than click through rates for the standard web links on mobile ads.