As reported previously, Google is now selling radio ads in local markets. I logged into my AdWords account and a big “Audio Ads” tab was staring at me this morning so I took it for a spin.

Much like SpotRunner.com, Google Audio Ads allows you to select the radio markets you want to advertise in by city, state, station formats, and audience type. You can select the times of day you wish your ads to run, days of the week preferences, and set your budget by the week. To help you get your :30 second spots created, they have developed an ad creative marketplace that you can search for audio production companies to help you create your spots complete with samples of their work.

Taking an idea from Ingenio.com, they also offer free call reporting service where they assign you a toll free or local phone number that rings to any number you wish and tracks the responses. How cool is that? Even if you already have a toll free number, it’s a good (and free) way to track each campaign separately and monitor all the responses in your Google AdWords account.

Hats off to Google for taking a very difficult ad buying process and putting it online and giving it trackability. I’m testing a campaign in Las Vegas for our upcoming WriteStuff Writers Boot Camp in June. I’ll let you know how it goes.