Google is expanding the functionality of AdWords to help its mobile advertising clients target and reach smartphone consumers.

The Google mobile ads team has added a new campaign-level option that lets AdWords advertisers show their desktop text and image ads on the iPhone, the T-Mobile G1 and other mobile devices with full HTML Internet browsers.

"With this launch advertisers needn't modify their AdWords ads nor have a mobile Web site," said Daniel Rubin, spokesman for Google, Mountain View, CA. "We hope to give advertisers more tools to extend the reach of their campaigns to deliver the most relevant ad at the right time--while users are searching or browsing on the go.

"We also think this feature gives advertisers more information about their campaigns with specific mobile campaign reporting, allowing them to experiment with the mobile platform in real time," he said.

This move is one of many indicators that Google is placing a lot of emphasis on its mobile strategy.

"Google is very focused on mobile marketing -- it's a big part of their mix, so they're going to do everything they can for advertisers to help them reach consumers on their phone," said Neil Strother, Kirkland, WA-based analyst for Forrester Research. "The iPhone and G1 are both pretty good platforms for marketing and search.

"People are looking for content using their mobile browser and brands are leveraging that to quite an extent," he said. "This is one of those evolutionary moves that makes sense from Google's standpoint and addresses a need for marketers."

The ads can point to desktop landing pages so advertisers don't need to create mobile landing pages or ads in mobile formats.

The optimized Google ads, like its standard mobile ads, will include the delivery of mobile-specific calls-to-action and reaching mobile consumers that are searching with their phones.

The announcement was posted to the Google Mobile Blog by Alexandra Kenin, product marketing manager for Google's mobile ads team.

Google ads are already running on the iPhone and G1.

Google Search on these devices is used to show desktop results pages modified for these handsets.

Recently, the Google mobile team launched new results pages formatted specifically for the iPhone.

Now, advertisers will be able to display ads exclusively on these mobile devices, create campaigns for them and get separate performance reporting.

If advertisers prefer not to show their desktop ads on these phones, they can opt out and show ads only on desktop and laptop computers.

To target ads for G1 and iPhone, brands can go to the campaign settings tab in their AdWords account.

Then in the "Device Platform" option under "Networks and Bidding," they can select "iPhones and other mobile devices with full Internet browsers."

As additional devices that use full browsers enter the market, ads will show on those phones, too.

Advertisers can visit the AdWords Help Center for more detailed instructions and to watch Ms. Kenin's demo video.

She has a dedicated YouTube channel of videos that accompany her mobile blog posts.

This new option for desktop ads does not affect the campaigns of brands that are currently running Google's mobile ads. They can still create mobile ads that show up on other mobile devices like before.

There is speculation that Google may have plans to work out a deal with Research In Motion to add this AdWords enhancement for BlackBerry devices, although nothing has been announced.

It also raises questions as to whether others will try to develop a similar platform.

"This fits very well with Google's whole search advertising concept, and it begs questions about cost and can others duplicate this?" Mr. Strother said. "Will Microsoft do something similar?

"Google is always pushing ahead, looking at ways of creating inventory and creating easy passages for advertisers to get their messages on mobile phones via search," he said. "This is good for marketers who don't have the internal resources to do this themselves."

It is obviously in Google's best interest to enable mobile advertising as much as possible.

"Google wants to make mobile advertising easier and more streamlined for brands," Mr. Strother said. "It sounds very appealing at first glance."