Coming to a mobile near you: Ads

Yahoo! on Wednesday launched a beta version of sponsored search results on mobile phones in the UK and US.

Like Yahoo!'s sponsored search results on the web, advertisers will bid in an auction on keywords that will display their ads on the search results page. The service will work on most mobiles and handhelds that have web browsing capabilities.

Clicking on the link will take a user to the advertiser's mobile website or a landing page that offers more information, including the ability to call the advertiser, Yahoo! said.

The test will be open to a "select group" of advertisers, Yahoo! added.

The major search engines are eyeballing the mobile advertising market, which promises to be lucrative. Experts say consumers using their mobile phones to search the web are likely to wind up making a transaction ultimately by visiting a retail store, restaurant or other merchant.

Yahoo! has previously run tests of mobile ads in Japan and the UK. Google has also conducted tests of mobile ads in Europe and Japan. AOL offers sponsored links on AOL Mobile Search for some results, an AOL representative said.

Also on Wednesday, Reuters reported NTT DoCoMo will add Yahoo! Japan search services for its mobile customers. It previously said it will include search technologies from 10 search engines, including Google, the report said.

Elinor Mills writes for CNET News.com