Google Expects $2.5 Billion in Mobile Ad Revenue This Year

Google is on track to earn $2.5 billion this year in mobile ad sales, Larry Page told investors during Google’s third quarter earnings call today. That growth is led by mobile search activity, with mobile display ads a lesser factor.

Overall, Google grew aggressively during the quarter, reporting revenue growth of 33 percent and overall quarterly revenue that was just shy of $10 billion. Outside the U.S., the company is growing slightly faster than it is at home. International revenues during the quarter were $5.3 billion, or 55 percent of the company’s total Q3 revenues. That’s up from 54 percent last quarter, and 52 percent in Q3 2010.

Google’s headcount rose dramatically, from 28,768 full-time employees at the end of June 2011 to 31,353 on September 30. That’s growth of more than 2,500 full-time staff, or 8.9 percent of the company’s total headcount. The employee growth was driven by a “bumper crop” of college graduates, CFO Patrick Pichette said, as well as acquisitions.

Click prices were down slightly sequentially, falling 5 percent from third quarter prices. However they were up 5 percent year over year.

Page also reported Google+ has grown to 40 million users since its launch four months ago.