Last week, Google announced a new click-to-call program for mobile search will launch in January. This coincides quite nicely with the release of Google’s own mobile phone: Nexus One. The click-to-call listings won’t just appear on the Nexus One, though. Click-to-call ads will be found on any “high-end” mobile device with a full HTML browser.

How will it work? Based on a user’s geographic location, a location-specific phone number will appear next to the URL on paid ads that typically appear on mobile devices. Users can choose to click on the phone number to dial the business instantly, or click on the URL to be directed to the business’ website as usual. Currently, not all Google ads are eligible for this feature, but plans to expand the program are on the horizon.

Personally, I think Google’s click-to-call program is a win-win situation for both advertisers and consumers. Advertisers win because they will pay the same amount for a click to call as a regular click. We all know that a phone call has a higher sales-conversion rate than a click, which means the advertiser will enjoy an increased volume of leads (presumably) at no extra charge. Advertisers do have the option to opt out of this service, but if you are a local business with a phone, I’m not sure why you would want to do that. Consumers, on the other hand, win because the click-to-call option takes one more step out of the local-business search process. If you’re searching for a business’ phone number, there is no longer the need to hunt for it on the website.

There is, of course, another winner in this scenario: Google. Google has once again found a way to make search (mobile search, in particular) more convenient and relevant for consumers, while monetizing it at the same time. Well done.