Digital Trends

Google is experimenting with ads on its mobile version of YouTube in the US and Japan to see how consumers react.

Google spent a lot of money to buy YouTube two years ago - $1.65 billion in fact. It’s still looking for ways to make money from its purchase, and it’s hopeful that its latest idea might bring in some cash.

The company is experimenting with ads on its mobile version of the video-sharing service to see what happens.

In a blog, Christine Tsai, product marketing manager for YouTube, announced the ads on Monday:

"You may have noticed that we started running a test of display ads on select pages of the YouTube mobile site in the U.S. and Japan. This is our first step in testing mobile advertising for YouTube -- it will give you a new way to interact with content on the go, while allowing us to learn how video viewers engage with mobile advertising. Our test advertisers will also have an additional branding tool at their disposal and the opportunity to reach the millions of people who visit YouTube every day on their phones."

But she was careful to add an addendum showing that Google is bearing consumers in mind:

"At YouTube, we are constantly testing new ways to deliver the kinds of ads that contribute to the user experience while making the most sense for advertisers, and we've learned a lot about what works for YouTube and what doesn't. We're excited to explore new approaches to mobile advertising, and will evaluate this test closely over the next several weeks to make sure we provide our community, our partners and advertisers with the most valuable and effective mobile experience possible,"