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Which mobile ads are right for you? Google knows

Google is now letting advertisers target mobile ads for both HTML and WAP browsers.

In December, Google launched ads for iPhone and Android devices. This feature allows advertisers to target their standard AdWords text and image ads to the iPhone, Android devices, and other mobile devices with full (HTML) Internet browsers.

"Before that, advertisers who wanted to reach mobile users had to create mobile-specific text and image ads that would only show on phones with mobile Internet (WAP) browsers," said Alexandra Kenin, product marketing manager of mobile ads for Google, Mountain View, CA in a blog post.

"Now that mobile ads can be targeted for both full HTML and WAP browsers, some advertisers may be wondering which mobile ads are right for them," she said.

Standard mobile ads show on mobile devices with WAP browsers and usually direct users to a mobile Web site, most likely written in a mobile markup language such as XHTML, WML, or CHTML.

Standard mobile ads also offer a click-to-call feature, which lets advertisers direct users to a business phone number instead of a mobile Web site.

For advertisers that have a mobile Web site or want to collect leads via phone, standard mobile ads may be right for them.

High-end mobile ads show on iPhone and Android devices and don't require a mobile Web site.

High-end mobile ads don't have a click-to-call option, but they do allow advertisers to direct users to various other properties such Google Maps, the iPhone App Store or Android Market, or YouTube.

If a brand specifically wants its ads to show on iPhone or Android devices, these ads might be right for that particular advertiser.

"They are also a good choice for new mobile advertisers because they are easy to enable through campaign settings," Ms. Kenin said. "High end mobile ads are good for those advertisers who are new to mobile adverting and don't have mobile site yet."