AdWords Announcement For May 5th
91% of smartphone users now turn to their phones for ideas while right in the middle of a task. Google’s new product announcements will be aimed at creating a better mobile experience because of its increasingly prominent role in the customer journey. The livestream event will be May 5th at 9:30am PT / 12:30pm ET, on their Inside AdWords blog. You can register in the link above and follow it at +GoogleAds page for sneak previews.
Google’s Mobile Search Interface
In other Google mobile news, Google has streamlined search results to load faster and be overall easier to use. On April 21st, Google will start considering mobile-friendliness as a ranking factor.
The Google AdWords Fundamentals Exam was recently revamped: finally, the exam has the much-needed changes we’ve all been hoping for. The exam now tests more on the understanding of best practices and the working knowledge of account management. The time allotment and number of questions remains the same, but the passing grade has been dropped to 80%. The recertification period has also changed to 12 months and the previous 10 categories have been pared down to just 3 modules, cutting exam materials down from 150 pages to just 15.
LinkedIn Inks Lynda.com Acquisition
In a recent post, I lobbied for consideration of LinkedIn. Soon after, LinkedIn made its biggest acquisition ever – Lynda.com. Lynda.com is a website that provides its users with a plethora of instructional videos. LinkedIn says the acquisition will be about “connecting people to opportunity.”
The first-party data LinkedIn now has access to is giving a golden opportunity to advertisers. For example, imagine Adobe getting its Creative Suite ads in front of design students or recruiters getting notifications when people complete Lynda courses relating to positions they’re looking to fill.
Oh – and yes, Lynda.com offers PPC courses and many other trainings related to positions we’re hiring for!