Dive Brief:

• Since introducing "store visits" data in December, Google has been able to show that mobile search ads can directly drive foot traffic in retail stores. 
• The technology -- which uses geo-fencing to identify users that come into a store having in the past 30 days seen a search ad -- is helping retailers like Target see the real, direct value of advertising on mobile. 
• "People who have clicked on mobile-search ads spend more in its stores than those who click on desktop search ads," Target senior VP Kristi Argyilan told the Wall Street Journal. "One-third of Target’s mobile-search ads led to a user visiting one of its stores during the 2014 holiday season.”

Dive Insight: 

As Google announced earlier this month, the number of searches on mobile have official passed desktop searches in 10 countries including the U.S. While that data alone should convince some brands and marketers to invest in mobile search ads, Google is offering further incentive. 

Google isn't alone in trying to connect the dots between mobile ads to real-life metrics. Facebook has been offering a service as part of its Conversion Lift Measurement -- introduced in January. The social giant allows advertisers to upload CRM data into the ad platform to match up ad exposure and sales data. Facebook's service and Google's "store visits" data are one of the few ways advertisers have been able to draw a direct correlation between mobile search and foot traffic.