Martech news roundup: Zendesk acquires Smooch, Google updates mobile SERPs, LinkedIn ads transparency
In our roundup of this week’s martech news, we highlight:
- Zendesk has acquired Smooch to enable more support messaging via social media.
- Google has updated mobile SERP design to show website names and icons.
- LinkedIn has added a new Ads tab on Pages for increased ad transparency.
Top stories in marketing technology this week:
Zendesk has acquired Smooch to enable more support messaging via social media
What it is
Zendesk, the customer support platform, has acquired Smooch, an omnichannel messaging startup. Using Smooch, businesses can manage messages to customers across WhatsApp, Messenger, SMS, email, and more, all via the same platform.
The amount of the deal has not been disclosed.
Why it matters
As we’ve reported previously, messaging is transforming the way consumers want to interact with businesses. Additionally, social media is becoming increasingly ephemeral (Stories vs posts) and increasingly private (messages vs public pages).
This acquisition points to that shift of consumers looking for private, cross-channel communication with brands.
Google has updated mobile SERP design to show website names and icons
What it is
On May 22, Google unveiled a refresh to the search engine results page on mobile. They included this image in their announcement. The left shows the previous SERPs, the right shows the refresh. Note the new design more clearly displays a website’s name and favicon, as well as if the result is a paid ad.
Why it matters
According to Google, “With this new design, a website’s branding can be front and center, helping you better understand where the information is coming from and what pages have what you’re looking for.”
They’ve also noted that website owners can choose a preferred favicon they want to appear in organic results — you can do so here.
LinkedIn has added a new Ads tab on Pages for increased ad transparency
What it is
In a company blog post on May 21, the LinkedIn team announced a new feature for LinkedIn Pages. From a Page, a user will be able to click a tab named “Ads” in order to see all the sponsored content that page has run on LinkedIn over the previous six months.
Users will able to click on the ads to view them, but these clicks will not count as engagements and will not impact reporting.
This feature will be rolled out globally in the next few weeks.
Why it matters
LinkedIn said in their announcement, “We are committed to providing a safe, trusted, and professional environment where members can connect with each other, engage with relevant content, and grow their careers. Increased transparency to both our customers and members is critical to creating this trusted environment.”
This feature follows other efforts the company has been making in order to give users more control over their accounts. You can adjust your own ad settings here.
Before you go
- Salesforce launched Datorama Marketplace for creating apps with marketing intelligence.
- PepsiCo looks to drive more personalized experiences via new Foodservice Digital Lab.
- New research / survey on the state of predictive modeling in marketing, by ClickZ with Keen Decision Systems.
See something we missed? Leave us a comment below!
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