Google ads take aim at people on the move

Google on Tuesday unveiled redesigned ad products aimed at catching eyes on mobile devices and enticing people with nearby offerings at just the right moments.

Changes set to take place later this year include expanding space for text ads and making headlines more prominent.

Early feedback indicates the larger ads draw more "clicks" from "on-the-go mobile consumers" by letting them know more about offerings before tapping into merchants' websites.

Google also introduced local search ads at its free Google Maps service and at Google.com.

Tactics being tested included promoted "pins" appearing in maps to point out locations of coffee shops, gas stations, restaurants or other offerings people may want, Ads and Commerce senior vice president Sridhar Ramaswamy said in a blog post.

"We're experimenting with a variety of ad formats on Maps that make it easier for users to find businesses as they navigate the world around them," Ramaswamy said.

Google remains the money-making engine for parent company Alphabet, with the bulk of that revenue coming from online advertising.

The California-based Internet giant has been working to stay at the forefront of a trend of going online using smartphones or tablets, on which advertising is less lucrative than on desktop computers.

Google tactics have included weaving artificial intelligence into services to better anticipate and cater to people's desires and understanding context of queries to catch people at ideal moments, such as when they are hungry and seeking a lunch spot.

"Every year, there are trillions of searches on Google and over half of those searches happen on mobile," Ramaswamy said.

"To help marketers succeed in this mobile-first world, we have redesigned AdWords -- from the ground-up."