If there is one defining characteristic of Google, you could say its their decidedly sparse and simple pages. The only busy, graphic element being their logo, which changes now and then to a particular theme or holiday. But for the most part, on their most important pages (the results of their search engine), ads consist of nothing more than a dozen or so words of text.

But the days of these simple text ads are numbered apparently. Google, which now owns YouTube, has been exploring a wide range of ways to put video ads online, the New York Times reported last February 14. They started testing video ads on some pages of search results. And it is developing ad formats with images, interactive maps and other more elaborate features.

At first, users will barely notice the change because the videos will not be immediately obvious, the article stated. Ads with accompanying videos will have a small button with a plus sign. Google has increasingly used the plus icon to indicate that certain information  like a map  can pop up on a search results page. Users that click the plus button on an ad will see a small video player that shows a commercial, movie trailer or other clip.

According to Marissa Mayer, Google’s vice president of search products and user experience, the change reflects the evolution of the once-sparse Google pages. Last year, they introduced what it now calls universal search, which combines images, videos, news stories and other types of information with the standard text links to Web pages.

Given the new format, text ads will no longer suffice, given the barrage of other media now available in searches. The eyes of users automatically gravitate to the images more than the text. Now that their main search results pages include more images, video links and other elements, it is more appropriate, Mayer said, to have corresponding advertising formats.

As of the moment, advertisers won’t have pay extra to put video in the ads. They enter a price they will pay for a click in Google’s regular text-ad auction. But in video ads, the advertiser pays when users click to see the video even if they never click through to the advertiser’s site. This allows Google to expand what it can offer advertisers that are focused on promoting their brands, rather than driving traffic to a Web site.

Directory publishers bent on enhancing their mobile presence are all too familiar with mobilePeople (www.mobilepeople.com), a local mobile search provider based in the UK and Copenhagen. mobilePeople builds mobile presence, distribution and advertising solutions using its award-winning white label solution, liquid, which offers a aWAP solution and a downloadable Java application.

The company has launched with publishers and media companies in 12 markets and 8 languages processing millions of local mobile searches every month. Their brag-worthy roster of global customers include Yell.com, Gouden Gids, Promedia, Golden Pages, P’ginas Amarelas, Schibsted, FAST Search and Transfer, Sensis, Eniro, and the Yellow Pages Group (NZ), among others.

Last week, mobilePeople further strengthened its position with the introduction of its liquid Advertising Suite.

The solution is designed to improve monetization opportunities through presentation of contextually and geographically relevant mobile advertising to mobile users. The liquid Advertising Suite consists of the liquid Ad Server, the liquid Adsite Builder, and liquid SMS Links. The Ad Server provides the capability to deliver targeted mobile ad campaigns for directory publishers. This is an attractive service for their active local advertisers who are looking to complement traditional listings which are based on yearly subscriptions with additional flexible campaigns. The Adsite Builder means the tools for rich and specific mobile adsite creation are available. SMS links is tailor made for directory assistance to add value to SMS messages using text or map links.

The liquid advertising suite is integrated with the highly successful mobilePeople liquid Mobile Search Platform, launched in 12 markets worldwide. With mobile search advertising predicted to grow from $1.4 billion in 2006 to $2.9 billion by 2011 the opportunity for directory publishers to monetize their mobile offer is huge.

Through Ad Suite, the advertisements can be targeted to users based on time, keyword, category or location. The mobile user’s behavior also impacts the adverts that appear during their user session. The design of the Ad Suite enables provision of relevant advertising to users and provides ontology bases upsell opportunities for directory publishers.

We have developed and tested local mobile advertising products that are highly relevant to Local Advertisers and Directory Publishers and based on our experience with both users and advertisers the solution is ready for global rollout, said Jens Andersen, CEO and co-founder of mobilePeople, in a statement.