Search giant Google is looking to consolidate its position in terms of the mobile internet market, it seems from recent acquisitions.

The company is renowned for its policy of swallowing up what it considers to be interesting start-ups, with a view to increasing its already impressive portfolio. Not just search any more, the Mountain-View California based corporation is in the process of becoming a force to be reckoned with in many other markets, and its acquisitions list runs to 59 companies in everything from mobile software to VoIP and video since 2001.

Most recently, it has announced its intention to acquire AdMob, an advertising company founded four years ago which sells adverts designed to run on mobile phones; a move the US Regulator the FTC has asked for more information on. Prior to this buy-up, the FTC took four months to approve Google’s purchase of DoubleClick, another internet advertising company.

And now Google has its sights set on Yelp, a local business reviews site. The services offered by Yelp, being local, integrate logically with the increasing amounts of location awareness applications for mobile phones. Google has not traditionally been strong in the area of local recommendations and local advertising, especially in the mobile world – and with recommendation and social networking sites on the increase, Yelp will provide Google with an excellent foothold in this sector.