• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, August 10, 2011

Mobile ad network Mobile Theory has partnered with contextual advertising firm NetSeer to launch a new ad unit publishers can offer to help boost monetization.

The move extends NetSeer's "concept-based" ad technology to the mobile Web, allowing sites to serve relevant ads based on an analysis of Web page content.

ConceptLinks served via Mobile Theory's network will be compatible with the iPhone, Android and BlackBerry handsets, and the iPad, among other devices. Publishers that have already adopted the format include Minyanville, Wikia, Opera.com, Experts-Exchange, and Business Insider.

The company's Mobile ConceptLinks unit, now available through Mobile Theory, features a list of topics related to page content that appears at the top of the page. A mobile site for investing, for example, might display related concepts like "exchange traded funds" and "portfolio management." Clicking on one of the terms takes users to a list of sponsored search results.

Unlike other contextual ad platforms, such as Google's AdSense, which typically show ads based on keywords found on a page, NetSeer touts its technology as superior because it scans pages across the Internet to find connections between words and phrases to surface relevant concepts.

It also maintains the two-click process; ConceptLinks ads leads to better results for advertisers by narrowing down a user's area of interest before they get to a search results page. "What we're seeing is that once a user clicks on that concept link, the click-through rate is actually high because the user is pre-qualified," said Bill Matthews, vice president of business development at NetSeer.

On its Web site, NetSeer says the click-through rate on the first click (on a concept) is 1% to 3%, and about 40% to 80% on the second click. But can NetSeer deliver the same performance in mobile? Matthews said the company is not yet ready to promise the same results because mobile advertising is still an emerging category that presents new challenges.

He noted, for instance, that on the desktop Web, an ad might include a list of six to eight concepts. But because of the limited real estate of the mobile screen, that total is reduced to two to four terms. Delivering a list of sponsored links instantly after a click is also more challenging depending on various factors, including type of device, platform or network someone is using. "Users are a bit more impatient in mobile," said Matthews.

But he believes the company's platform will prove an attractive alternative for mobile publishers and advertisers to AdSense or standard banner ads.

"Publishers in the mobile space need solutions to generate revenue on all their traffic. ConceptLinks provides 100% fill of all ad inventory and a superior user experience to other remnant solutions," stated Scott Swanson, CEO of Mobile Theory.

Mobile Theory has more than 300 publishers on its network and says it reaches more than 50 million mobile users and serves 2 billion ad impressions monthly. Advertisers include Grand Marnier, eBay, 3M, Fathom, Kellogg's and Microsoft.