The excellent TCL 8-Series was be the first TV to use mini-LED technology. Sarah Tew/CNET

The latest new TV tech is called mini-LED. It first launched last year with TCL's 8-Series and is now available on the more affordable 6-series, starting at just $650 for the 55-inch size. With the promise of better contrast, mini-LED has the potential to offer improved picture quality compared to "standard" LCD-based TVs , at a cheaper price than OLED TVs. That's pretty much what our own David Katzmaier found when he reviewed the the 8-Series, saying "The TCL 8-Series has the best picture quality of any non-OLED TV I've tested this year."

An illustration of what a mini LED backlight could look like.

Read more: TCL launches 2020 6-Series Roku TVs with mini-LED, QLED, local dimming

While TCL is first TV maker out of the gate with a mini-LED TV, it probably won't be the last. Mini-LED's advantage, aside from a snazzy new name, is that it's actually affordable. It's an evolutionary technology, not a revolutionary one, and draws on existing LCD TV technology.

Here's how it works, and why it's so cool.

Mini-LED is not MicroLED

Before we get started, know that mini-LED and MicroLED are not the same thing. MicroLED is a cool future tech that's reserved for rich people today, while mini-LED is currently available and in TVs as low as $650 for the 55-inch 6-Series. 

MicroLED displays, like Sony's Crystal LED and Samsung's The Wall, use millions of LEDs, one for each pixel. Essentially, you're looking directly at the LEDs which are creating the picture. And while each individual MicroLED is tiny, the modular nature of MicroLED means it can get truly gigantic.

Seen here in a massive 219-inch size Samsung calls The Wall, MicroLED isn't affordable enough for the mass market yet. Sarah Tew/CNET

Mini-LEDs are found inside normal-size TVs -- TCL is currently selling versions from 55- to 75-inches -- but the LEDs themselves are much larger than MicroLEDs. Just like the standard LEDs found in current TVs, they're used to power the backlight of the television. A liquid crystal layer, the LCD itself, modulates that light to create the image. MicroLED  isn't LCD at all, it's a whole new TV technology that also happens to use LEDs.

Here's how the two stack up against one another as well as standard LED, QLED and OLED.

Bright lights, big TV, better local dimming

To understand mini-LED, you need to understand standard LED, at least as far as your TV is concerned. Inside all modern LCD TVs (i.e. every TV that's not an OLED), there anywhere between a few, to a few hundred light emitting diodes. These tiny devices emit light when you give them electricity and are being used everywhere in the modern world, from the flashlight on your phone to the taillights on your car. They range in size -- commonly they're around 1 millimeter, but can be smaller than 0.2 millimeter.

In some TVs the LEDs are on the edges, pointing inward. On others, the LEDs are behind the screen, pointing toward you. For improved image quality, particularly to appreciate high dynamic range (HDR), you need local dimming. This is where the TV dims the LEDs behind dark sections of the image to create a better contrast ratio between the bright parts of the image and the dark. For more on this, check out LED local dimming explained.

Ideally, you'd be able to dim each pixel enough to create a visually impressive contrast ratio. This is, for example, how OLED works. With LCD, though, it's much harder to do. The liquid crystal panel that creates the image only blocks the light created by the backlight. Not all the light can be blocked, so the image is grayer and has less "punch" than with OLED. 

Local dimming improves this issue, but it's not 1:1. There isn't one LED for each of the 8 million-plus pixels in a 4K TV. Instead there are thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of pixels for every LED (or more accurately, groups of LEDs called "zones"). There's a limit to how many LEDs you can squeeze onto the back panel of a TV before energy drain, heat production and cost become severely limiting factors. Enter the mini-LED.

On the left, the image as you'd see it on a TV with full-array local dimming. On the right, an exaggerated illustration of the backlight array as you'd see it if you could remove the LCD layer. Arranged across the back of the TV, each LED covers a large-ish section of the screen (i.e. creating the light for many thousands of pixels). Pinpoint, or per-pixel lighting is impossible. 

illuminated by another exaggerated illustration, this time of a mini LED TV array backlight (right). Note how much more you can make out compared to the standard-size LEDs in the first image above. With far more LEDs, the backlight has a greater "resolution," so there can be finer distinctions between light and dark. The ideal, like OLED and micro LED, would be per-pixel illumination, but mini LED is a step closer to that without the cost of the other two technologies. Geoffrey Morrison/CNET Going big with little LEDs

Although there's no accepted threshold, LEDs smaller than 0.2-millimeter tend to be called mini-LEDs. They're often 0.1-millimeter or less. Not too small though: At around 0.01-millimeter, they're called MicroLEDs.

Generally speaking, when you make an LED smaller, it becomes dimmer. There's less material to create the light. You can offset this a bit by giving them more electricity ("driving" them harder), but there's a limit here, too, constrained by energy consumption, heat, longevity and practicality. No one is going to hook their TV up to a high-amp, home appliance-style outlet. 

As LED technology improves, they get more efficient. New tech, new manufacturing methods and other factors mean that the same amount of light is created using less energy, or more light using the same energy. New tech also allows for smaller LEDs.

TCL's comparison of LED backlight types using the 8-Series with mini-LED as the "Best" example. TCL

TCL's 8-Series mini-LED has over 25,000 mini-LEDs arrayed across the back of the TV. These are grouped into around 1,000 zones. Both of these numbers are significantly higher than what you'd find in a traditional LED TV. The 75-inch Vizio Quantum X for example, has 485 local dimming zones. No TV maker aside from TCL officially lists the number of LEDs in its TVs, but it's safe to assume none have as many as 25,000 (yet).

Meanwhile, the new 6-Series is much less impressive at 1,000 mini-LEDs and 240 zones -- more than many models at its price but clearly not at the same level as the 8-Series.

If you were to take the LCD layer of the TV off, the mini-LEDs would create an image that would look like a low-resolution black-and-white internet video version of the show you were watching (see the pairs of image comparisons above). By being able to dim parts of the screen far more precisely, the overall apparent contrast ratio goes up. It's still not quite as good as being able to dim each pixel individually (like OLED and MicroLED), but it's far closer to that ideal than even the most elaborate full-array LED LCDs now. Check out the video below for TCL's own demo of the 8-Series in action.

Having more zones is a big factor here, as it means improving two other aspects of the image. The most obvious is reducing the "blooming" typical of many local-dimming LCDs. Blooming is created because the local-dimming backlight is too coarse, creating light behind a part of the image that should be dark. 

Imagine a streetlight on an otherwise dark road. A local-dimming TV doesn't have the resolution in its backlight to only light up the pixels behind the street light, so it has to light up some of the surrounding night as well. Many LCDs TVs have gotten pretty good at this, but not as good as something that can dim each pixel. With mini-LED, you might not be able to light up individual stars in a night scene, but the moon probably won't have a halo.

Because there's less of a chance of blooming, the LEDs can be driven harder without fear of artifacts. So there can be a greater on-screen contrast ratio in a wider variety of scenes. The bright parts of the image can be truly bright, the dark parts of the image can be at or near totally dark.

The dark night returns

Deep blacks and bright whites are the Holy Grail (Grails?) of TV image production. Add in the color possible with quantum dots and you've got a the makings of a fantastic-looking television. With LG still the only company able to make OLED work affordably in TV sizes, other manufacturers need ways to create competing technology. LCD is still the only cost-effective alternative, and while it has come a long way, it's an aging technology. Mini-LED is the latest band-aid keeping it in the game.

As far as band-aids go, however, this is a pretty good one. The 8-Series looked really good, and is probably still a good deal before they run out of stock. The new 6-Series will be even cheaper, and will likely look great too, though we'll know more once we test one. That should happen soon. Hopefully more companies will announce mini-LED models, perhaps in January at the now online-only CES 2021.

Got a question for Geoff? First, check out all the other articles he's written on topics like why you shouldn't buy expensive HDMI cables, TV resolutions explained, how HDR works and more.

Google and Facebook should pay to use ABC and SBS content as well as news produced by commercial media, public interest journalism advocates have told the competition watchdog.

The funds collected from the digital platforms should be used to to set up an independent public interest journalism fund rather than be funnelled back into the public broadcasters, the Public Interest Journalism Initiative said in a final submission.

The media industry has been hit hard by Covid-19: 29 newspapers and TV stations have closed down and a further 97 newspapers have ceased to produce print editions, PIJI said.

Related: Google can afford a slice of its billions to help sustain journalism, Labor says

The consultation period for the draft mandatory code under which Google will be forced to pay Australian media companies for news appearing on Google closed on Friday.

Google has taken the fight against the legislation down to the wire, bombarding Australian users with a yellow hazard warning that states: “The way Aussies search every day on Google is at risk from new government regulation”, and repeating the message on YouTube’s social media accounts.

Public interest journalism advocates want Google and Facebook to pay when it uses ABC and SBS content, but say the fee shouldn’t be funnelled back into the public broadcasters.

But the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has called the campaign misinformation and will draft the legislation now the final submissions are in.

In a joint submission the Public Interest Journalism Initiative and the Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas called on the ACCC to amend the code to include the ABC and SBS, but use the revenue to fund public interest journalism.

The chair of PIJI, Allan Fels, a former chair of the ACCC, said there was a danger in excluding the ABC and SBS. “There is a real chance that digital platforms will adopt far more of their content than from news organisations whose content they have to fund,” Fels said.

The Australia Institute’s Centre for Responsible Technology has also thrown its weight behind the idea.

The draft mandatory news code does not require the digital platforms to share revenue with the public broadcasters because they are funded by the taxpayer.

In March, ACCC chair Rod Sims said any revenue that came to the ABC as a result of the new code “would be applied to the delivery of ABC charter objectives” but after he delivered the code the ABC and SBS were excluded and he said that was the government’s choice.

“Clearly, digital platforms derive direct and indirect value from the volume of news content generated by public broadcasters, particularly as the ABC and SBS are the most trusted news sources in Australia,” the PIJI submission says.

“If Google and Facebook pay for content from News Corp and Nine, but not from the public broadcasters, then in effect the Australian taxpayers are arguably subsidising the digital platforms.”

The Centre for Responsible Technology agreed there were dangers in allowing Facebook and Google to use taxpayer-funded journalism without a fee. The platforms “may be incentivised to prefer their content to content for which they have to pay”, the centre said in its submission.

The director of the centre, Peter Lewis, said it was a critical moment that will define our relationship with the global technology platforms.

Related: Why is Google taking aim at the Australian government with saturation advertising?

“It is difficult to imagine an issue more pertinent in this digital age than the decline of media revenues and the overwhelming power of Google and Facebook,” Lewis said.

“We know that Google and Facebook have become the dominant advertising platforms. We also know the impact this has had on media outlets – with more than 5,000 jobs disappeared in the past decade.”

Fels also called for more clarity about how the revenue will be calculated and for more attention to be paid to how the smaller players will not be disadvantaged compared with News Corp and Nine Entertainment.

“Our proposal is aimed at overcoming the concern that small innovators in public interest journalism could otherwise come out badly under the final offer arbitration process,” professor Fels said.

“Final offer arbitration has much to offer but it is extremely important that the bargaining power of all parties big and small is equally protected and this is one way of doing that.”

Google Images launches 'Licensable' badge, making it easier for users to identify creators and license images

In collaboration with Shutterstock, Google has announced the launch of licensable images on Google Images. This feature entered beta testing earlier this year and is now fully launched and integrated into Google Images, hopefully benefiting photographers. With the new 'Licensable' badge on Google Image search results, viewers can immediately identify which images can be licensed for varying uses and better understand the usage rights of individual images.

Shutterstock worked closely with Google to ensure the licensable images feature works effectively. Of the new features, Shutterstock's VP of Content Operations, Paul Brennan, says:

'Google Images' new features help both image creators and image consumers by bringing visibility to how creators' content can be licensed properly. We are pleased to have worked closely with Google on this feature, by advocating for protections that result in fair compensation for our global community of over 1 million contributors. In developing this feature, Google has clearly demonstrated its commitment to supporting the content creation ecosystem.'

When an image has specified license information on a website, the image can be displayed with the Licensable badge on image thumbnails in Google Images. This badge indicates to viewers that license information is available for the image and then provides a link directly to the license in the image viewer. From here, someone can learn how the image can be licensed and used.

For Google to be able to discover and index images on a website, the images must be accessible without an account or by logging in. You must also follow Google's Webmaster Guidelines and Google Images Best Practices. In addition to these existing steps, the new Licensable badge requires structured data or IPTC photo metadata to follow Google's new guidelines. You can learn more about these requirements here.

With the introduction of the Licensable badge, search results in Google Images can now be filtered to only display images that include licensing. Further, the dropdown Usage Rights filter has been streamlined, such that it now includes only options for 'All', 'Creative Commons licenses' and 'Commercial & other licenses'.

It has long been far too easy for people to search for images on Google and use them without a license or permissions. Today's changes to Google Images will hopefully reduce image misuse. At the very least, assuming a photographer has taken the steps to ensure their images are properly badged and filtered on Google Images, it will now be much easier for Google Images users to view creator information and licensing requirements.

Google launches Kids Space initiative on Lenovo tablets

Corrections & Clarifications: Updates the story to clarify that parents can opt-out of ads during the setup of the Lenovo tablet and that Google says the marketing content will include ads for family-friendly apps.

Google announced a new kids initiative with videos, books and apps on upcoming Lenovo tablets.

The Google Kids Space, aimed at children  under 9, will have "kid-friendly" apps, videos and books on two new tablets arriving  in September, the search giant revealed on Monday. And yes, there will be ads. While Google declined to state what companies will be advertising on the platform, the company did say there would be "E-rated app or banner ads." 

Google describes the Kids Space initiative as a place for parents to manage screen time and have access to "teacher-approved" apps and popular children’s books free of charge, along with curated videos from YouTube Kids, an app for children too young to watch grown-up YouTube.

Google requires a minimum age of 13 to get a Google account and to watch YouTube, where ironically, eight of the top 10 most-watched U.S. channels are aimed at toddlers and tweens, according to TubeFilter.

Forget $1,000 smartphones:Here's three great ones for under $400 from Apple, Google and Samsung

The company has come under fire in the past for how it interacts with children, paying the Federal Trade Commission a $170 million fine for "illegally" collecting personal information from kids.

Back in 2015, a coalition of consumer and child advocacy groups asked the FTC to investigate Google's YouTube Kids app, calling it deceptive marketing aimed at children under five.

"It's just one, long, uninterrupted ad," Jeff Chester of Center for Digital Democracy told USA TODAY at the time. "It turns back the clock 30 years in terms of the role that advertising plays in kids programming."

In an interview, Google product director Mindy Brooks said unlike traditional Google, which makes its money by serving up personalized ads to users, "There is no interest-based advertising for children" on Kids Space.

Brooks wouldn't be specific on what type of ads they will see, besides saying "They should all be kid-friendly ads," that adhere to Google's guidelines.

Google is offering the ability for parents to opt-out of ads during the setup, or later by going to the Settings and making the selection.

In a statement, Google said it protects kids' privacy "by applying data minimization principles throughout the design process and not serving personalized advertising to children using Kids Space and giving parents control. For example, we collect information about a child’s activity in our services to do things like help improve app recommendations."

The content kids will see on the tablets will be curated, Brooks says, and selected with a team of experts. Examples include videos from PBS Kids, Nickelodeon, Sesame Street and Barbie and educational books and apps.

The two tablets from Lenovo will start at $129 and be available in the coming weeks. Google says it will expand the program to other Android tablet makers as well.

Instagram has now become a go-to social networking website for all kinds of business. It has emerged as a trendy tool for managing different marketing activities. Established businesses like Nike, Durex, etc. are making the best use of the platform. 

The use of Instagram marketing is not restricted to only these multinationals and huge companies. Small businesses are now finding their spaces in these huge networks. They are making the best use of Instagram to increase the reach and promote their business online.

Listed below are some of the useful Instagram marketing tips for small businesses:

Instagram Stories

Instagram has this popular feature of putting up stories that stay for 24-hours on the company's Instagram page. Stories will keep your audience hooked to your page. This way, you will be able to easily promote your business and its offerings. These stories have great potential and are also trending on the internet. 

Use this feature as a tool to give your consumers small insights into your business daily. 

Keep a track on the comments

Comments usually give you insights on what your consumers want. These comments also help you in understanding where you are going wrong or what you could have done better. Monitoring and reading the comments is critical. 

Also, the business must make sure that it addresses all the comments on a particular post. This builds a positive image of the business in the eyes of the existing and potential consumers. 

Monitor the performance

After posting a video or a visual, it is important to keep track of what’s working for you. Tracking audience engagement is a critical step while you are using Instagram to run a campaign or market your products.

A small business can effectively make use of Instagram reporting tools to track the performance of your posts. These figures will give you an insight into what your customers are liking and what strategy is not working for you. This gives you a window of improvement, and also you can now drive your strategies in the direction the consumer wants.

Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing has become a go-to strategy for all kinds of businesses irrespective of how big or small the business is. Several local influencers are dominating the market. These influencers have a huge follower base which a small company can leverage on in exchange for a little money. Brands can get in touch with these influencers and ask them for a video or a static post on their Instagram pages. You can also connect with an influencer to launch an Instagram contest to increase your engagement with your target audience.

Use hashtags

Hashtags are the lifeblood of Instagram. With the use of proper and relevant hashtags, a small business can make the best use of Instagram. Make sure not to use random hashtags. 

A business must use proper hashtags to reach its audience. Also, these businesses can post content related to the trending hashtags on Instagram. Also, using broad hashtags always works. 

Take the video route

Videos are the new Gospels of marketing. Make sure to post more video content on the Instagram page. A small business can easily create videos using video editing software like InVideo. This software is easy to use and is less time-consuming. These videos can also be made on a phone or a laptop. 

With the help of videos, you will be able to connect well with your audience. 

Instagram Ads

Ads are significant when it comes to video generation. However, platforms like Facebook and YouTube are quite expensive in terms of the ad cost involved. Therefore, Instagram becomes a more accessible tool for these small businesses to run ads and promote their products. 

Small businesses can create custom images that can be used in bumper ads or static ads. Instagram also gives you a channel to enhance the aesthetic appeal of these ads.

Repost and Regram

Small businesses support each other. Therefore, it is very important to build a cohesive atmosphere for all small businesses to conduct operations.  A small business can grow its network by reposting relevant content posted by other pages operated by different companies. 

This strategy can give your page the required momentum. You can use different applications to repost. Alternatively, you can also share public posts by different companies on Instagram stories. This has become a really popular way to network with other small and large businesses.

Reach out or target your competitor's followers

People who are following your competitors fall under the category of your direct consumers. These people share a common interest. Therefore, it becomes important for you to target these consumers and build an engagement with these people. 

You can make a list of your direct competitors and study their Instagram pages. You can easily check what your competitors are doing to market their product and how do these pages engage with their competitors. Try with following those people and using similar hashtags. This will increase the visibility of your posts and your Instagram page. 

Organize an Instagram contest

Instagram has been successfully using different contests for product promotions. Small businesses can launch small competitions and giveaways to create a buzz among their followers. Different kinds of the Instagram contest can be organized to increase engagement with your target audience. Some of these contests would include small quizzes, treasure hunts, selfie competitions, etc.

However, you can create a much larger impact by providing your consumers with experience. You can ask them to prepare a video and then publish the best entries on your Instagram page as posts or Instagram stories.

Instagram has now emerged as a very popular and useful tool to promote all kinds of businesses. Therefore, a small business can make the best use of the features that Instagram has to offer. Small businesses can also collaborate with businesses to increase their reach and promote their products to a broader set of audiences and also to gain mass popularity.

Why You'd Be Wise to Get In Early On Instagram Reels for Social Media Marketing

As you may have heard, Instagram recently released its newest feature, Instagram Reels, allowing users to create and edit 15-second video clips set to music. Sounds familiar, right? Many have been comparing Reels to TikTok, an app which similarly allows users to create short, entertaining videos.

Even though TikTok’s original target demo was Generation Z, it has also attracted millennials seeking advertisement opportunities. Besides, it only makes sense to use the most popular and fastest-growing social media platform to promote yourself — especially one getting through to a younger crowd.

The debut of Instagram Reels has come at a very convenient time, as the future of TikTok remains uncertain with the Trump administration’s potential ban of the app. Consequently, many TikTok stars are encouraging fans to follow them on other apps. So, why should you use Instagram Reels for your social media marketing strategy?

Reels could topple TikTok

Since its release in September 2016, TikTok has gathered more than 800 million active users worldwide. In February 2019, the app reached its first billion downloads, and eight months later, obtained half a billion more — a massive feat considering its infancy.

However, because Reels is built into Instagram, it has the potential to reach an even wider audience — and faster — than TikTok. An article on Entrepreneur points out that Reels combines all of TikTok’s best features and offers them in the same place you create your regular posts, making it more easily accessible. After all, Instagram is still technically more popular than TikTok, having reached one billion monthly active users as of 2018.

But Instagram won’t stop there. They’ve been working on expanding to an even wider audience. Instagram’s VP of Product, Vishal Shah, shared with reporters recently that, “We have not historically been very good at helping new creators find an audience. The pitch for new creators is that Reels is a way for you to get discovered. It's a way to find a global audience.”

Related: 7 Tips for Increasing Your Brand’s Instagram Followers

Instagram is already an important tool for marketers

Eighty-nine percent of marketers say Instagram is crucial to their marketing strategy. Brands with more than 100,000 followers on Instagram have grown by 163 percent in the past two years. 

Then there’s the question about engagement rates. Instagram already has an incredible global reach, so brands will inevitably see those statistics climb even higher with Reels.

In an article from 2016 on Entrepreneur, Jonathan Long stated, “Take advantage of free Instagram tools,” as his very first tip on how to grow your brand on Instagram, and the point still applies. 

Instagram has a track record of successfully following in footsteps

For anyone who has an Instagram, you should know that its popular Stories feature was also essentially mirrored after another social media app, Snapchat.

Since its release, Instagram Stories has opened up a whole new world for brands to interact with their followers. In a 2019 study from Social Insider, it was found that 51 percent of brands analyzed are currently using Stories to promote their business. Instead of trying to cram everything in a description of a few hundred words or less, Stories has enabled brands to show what makes them unique and interesting in a fun and exciting way.

If the response to Stories is any indication, Reels might be just as successful for marketers in reaching the largest audience possible.

Related: Instagram Launches Reels and Tries to Beat TikTok at Its Own Game

TikTok’s future is uncertain; Instagram will stay put

The potential ban looming over TikTok has sparked fear in many who rely on the app. Stars and influencers have been pleading with their fans to follow them on other social media platforms before it’s too late. That’s why now is the best time to get a leg up and start using Reels to spread your message.

Expanded Ecommerce on Facebook & Instagram & This Week’s Digital Marketing News [PODCAST]

Hosts Jess Budde, Greg Finn, and Christine “Shep” Zirnheld are covering all the digital marketing news of the week on this week’s episode of Marketing O’Clock.

Plus, why the new CVS ad network and Google’s heavy ad policy have us listing to Sarah McLachlan, the Deftones, and seagulls on repeat.

If you’re unable to listen on Spotify, check out our smiling faces on YouTube! You can catch full video episodes each and every week.

Instagram Checkout & Facebook Shops 

Facebook announced enhanced ecommerce experiences on Facebook and Instagram apps and that all selling fees will be waived through the end of 2020.

Facebook Shops and Instagram Checkout are both expanding to all U.S. businesses and creators.

Retailers will be able to manage both their Facebook and Instagram shops through a single online store.

Shops will integrate with Instagram Direct and Facebook Messenger so retailers can assist customers while they shop on the apps.

Finally, they announced the launch of live shoppable videos on both apps.

Google Career Certificates

Google announced professional six-month certificate programs for Data Analyst, Project Manager, and UX Designer career paths.

The new programs will help job hunters fast-track employment regardless of formal education or experience.

Google said that they will treat the certificates as the equivalent of four-year degrees in related fields in their own hiring practices.

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Is Apple going to launch a search engine?

There has been significant evidence that Apple may be planning to develop its own search engine to compete with Google.

Updates to the Applebot web crawler page and Spotlight Search seem to shed light on Apple’s future plans.

Short-format videos spotted on Google Discover

Short videos from Trell and Tangi have been spotted in a carousel format on Google Discover recently.

The new test, along with the upcoming lunch of YouTube “Shorts” are compelling reasons for brands to invest in short video content.

This week’s take of the week comes from Anna Blanken, who isn’t pulling punches when it comes to agencies being forthright with their clients (and former clients).

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Then, ICYMI, Martin McDonald, doesn’t have a lot of confidence in Apple’s new search engine.

We answer these important digital marketing questions during our lightning round segment:

Who is upset that Google Ads isn’t giving them a break on their unpaid invoices?

What is Spotify’s new “podcast topics” search?

When is TikTok launching shoppable live streams?

Where can you find new data on calls from your Google Ads?

Why do webmasters need to know what Google considers “heavy ads”

How can you identify featured snippets in Google Search Console?

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Benzinga Money is a reader-supported publication. We may earn a commission when you click on links in this article. Learn more.

Google Ads, formerly known as Google AdWords, is a useful marketing tool for businesses of all sizes. 

Whether you’re a one-man show, startup or established small business, you can use the tool to garner more attention for your company and increase sales. It’s also frequently implemented as a marketing strategy in mid-sized and large corporations. 

If you want to learn the basics or enhance your Google Ads expertise, an online course is worth considering. There are options for all skill levels and budgets that can help you get results in your business, work more effectively or become a subject-matter expert to land a promotion.

Let Benzinga help you find the perfect fit. 

Quick Look: Best Google AdWords Courses

Here’s a sneak peek at Benzinga’s top picks: 

What Makes a Google AdWords Course Great?

The best Google Ads courses meet the following criteria. 

Facilitated by Google AdWords Expert 

You want a Google Ads Course that’s led by a subject-matter expert. They should also have extensive experience using the tool and have the ability to share pertinent concepts in a way that’s easy to comprehend. Check reviews from past and current students to get a feel for the instructor’s teaching style and what you can expect if you enroll. It’s also a good idea to review the facilitator’s professional biography to gauge the instructor’s expertise. 

Interactive 

Does the instructor only include video lectures in the course material or are there opportunities to apply your knowledge in a practice setting? It’s easier to learn Google Ads by testing your skills. You want an interactive course that features live demonstrations and assignments. This allows you to follow along with the simulations from your computer and test out the strategies to determine which are most effective for your business. 

Self-Paced

Only consider Google Ads courses that are self-paced to get the most from your online learning experience. You can work through the material without feeling rushed and spend extra time on more challenging lessons. 

Our Top Picks

Below, you will find Benzinga’s top picks from leading online learning providers, including LinkedIn Learning, Skillshare and Udemy. The courses are organized by skill level – beginners, intermediate students and advanced students. 

We’ve also included a description and enrollment fee for each class to help you make an educated decision. 

Google AdWords Courses for Beginners

Consider these courses that are designed for beginners if you’re just getting started with Google Ads. 

Ultimate Google Ads Training 2020: Profit with Pay Per Click

All Levels • 137 videos • 25.3 hours

1. Ultimate Google Ads Training 2020: Profit with Pay Per Click by Udemy 

Who it’s for: Beginners

Price: On sale

Certified Google AdWords professional Issac Rudansky presents this Udemy bestseller that teaches you how to boost traffic to your landing page or website. He covers campaign development, conversion tracking to gauge the value of your ad campaigns, remarketing to attract repeat visitors to your website and so much more. Plus, you will learn how to capitalize on daily Google searches to monetize your site. 

Ultimate Google Ads Training 2020: Profit with Pay Per Click includes the following modules: 

Introduction to Google Ads

Creating and Setting Up Our First Google Ads Account

Structuring Your Ad Groups Like a Professional

How to Write Killer Ads in Google Ads!

Setting Up Your AdWords Billing

Keywords in Depth – The Heartbeat of Your Account

Account Structure – How To Structure Ad Groups Like a Pro

The Incredible Dynamics of the AdWords Auction 

Expanding and Refining Your Campaigns

Negative Keywords – Your Greatest Ally

Making Your Ads Unstoppable With Multiple Ad Extensions

Remarketing – Your Secret Weapon to Converting Like a Boss

Keeping Track of Profits with Conversion Tracking

Profitable Bidding Strategies

Using AdWords Scripts to Enhance Performance and Increase Optimization Speed

Conclusion… Goodbye for Now!

Bonus Material!

Join over 156,000 students who have selected this course to level up their Google Ads skills by registering today. You will get full lifetime access to 25.5 hours of on-demand video and 4 articles.

Enroll now. 

2. Google Ads (AdWords) Essential Training by LinkedIn Learning

Who it’s for: Beginners

Price: Included with the monthly membership

Master the essentials of Google Ads with this introductory course from LinkedIn Learning. It includes lessons on the basics and transitions into ad extensions, a tool that you can leverage to increase your click-through rate.  

Marketing Thought Leader Brad Batesole divides the course into the following segments: 

Pay-Per-Click Advertising

Before Getting Started

Getting Started with AdWords

Researching Your Keywords

Creating Your First Campaign 

Creating Your First Advertisement 

Monitoring Your Advertisements 

Advanced Advertising Tracking 

Key Optimization Strategies

Going Beyond the Basics 

Enrollment is free with a monthly LinkedIn membership. Not yet a member? Grab a free seat by signing up for a 1-month trial. 

Enroll now.

3. Digital Marketing with Google Ads (AdWords) Taught by a Former Googler by Skillshare

Who it’s for: Beginners

Price: Free

In less than 2 hours, you can learn how to set up a Google Ads account and begin attracting business prospects. This introductory course also includes step-by-step instruction on launching a search campaign, retargeting, advertising on YouTube with video ads and more.

Led by seasoned digital advertiser Ben Lund, Digital Marketing with Google Ads (AdWords) Taught by a Former Googler consists of 10 video lessons: 

Introduction

Google Account Creation and Search Campaign

Introduction to Measurement

Setting up Appropriate Measurement

Introduction to Display Ads

Display Advertising on the Google Display Network

Video Ads on YouTube

Find Google Ads Coupons 

Recommended Columns for Google Ads

Recap and Recommendations on Where to Invest Your Ad Spend

It’s free to register with a Skillshare trial. 

Enroll now. 

If you have some experience using Google Ads, these courses may be a good fit. 

The Complete Google Ads Masterclass (Former Google AdWords)

All Levels • 103 videos • 16.1 hours

4. The Complete Google Ads Masterclass (Former Google AdWords) by Udemy 

Who it’s for: Intermediate students

Price: On sale 

The Complete Google Ads Masterclass (Former Google AdWords) is another Udemy bestseller that’s worth considering. It dives into ways you can use Google Ads to boost traffic to your company’s website, get more sales and propel your business and career to new heights.

Here’s a quick look at the course syllabus:

Getting Started

Conversion Tracking 

Keywords

Ranking and Bidding

YouTube Ads

Additional Features 

Sales Psychology 

Copywriting 

Bonus Lecture 

The registration fee includes full lifetime access to 16 hours of on-demand video, 3 articles and 3 downloadable resources. You will also get a certificate of completion when you reach the finish line. 

Enroll now. 

5. Google Ads: 12 Steps to Your First Google AdWords Campaign by Skillshare

Who it’s for: Intermediate students 

Price: Free

If you’ve mastered the mechanics of Google Ads and are ready to launch your first campaign, this intermediate course from Skillshare will show you the ropes. It’s instructed by digital marketing guru Diego Davila and spans a little over 1 hour. 

Google Ads: 12 Steps to Your First Google AdWords Campaign entails 14 video lessons: 

Google AdWords for Your Business

How Google AdWords Works

Example of Ads that We Are Creating

Setting Up Your AdWords Account

Exploring the AdWords Interface

Discovering the Best Keywords

Creating a Google AdWords Search Campaign 

Selecting Your Audience

Choosing Your Bid Settings for Google AdWords

Creating an Ad Group and Adding Keywords

Finalizing Your Google AdWords Ad

Managing Your Google Ads Campaigns and Analytics 

Creating a YouTube Ad with Google AdWords

Your Final Project 

Get started today for free with a Skillshare trial. 

Enroll now. 

6. The 3 Most Costly Google Ads Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them by Skillshare

Who it’s for: Intermediate students 

Price: Free

Stretch your marketing budget and avoid Google Ads pitfalls. This popular course from Skillshare will show you how. 

The 3 Most Costly Google Ads Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them is facilitated by certified Google Ads Partner Kim Kohatsu and includes 5 lessons: 

Start here: The 3 Statements 

Google’s Networks

Keywords

Account Organization

Conclusion: Revisiting the 3 Statements 

You will walk away from the class with the knowledge to identify frivolous spending in your Google Ads campaigns, maximize your budget and improve future campaigns. 

There’s no cost to enroll.

Enroll now. 

Advanced Google AdWords Courses

Seasoned digital marketers will benefit from the instruction provided in these courses. 

Advanced Google Ads / AdWords Training – Updated for 2020

Intermediate • 70 videos • 5.9 hours

7. Advanced Google Ads/AdWords Training – Updated for 2020 by Udemy 

Who it’s for: Advanced students 

Price: On sale 

Advanced Google Ads / AdWords Training – Updated for 2020 features 6 hours of on-demand videos and 2 downloadable resources to boost your Google Ads chops. It is designed for Google AdWords practitioners who have experience running AdWords accounts and want to explore more in-depth concepts. 

Here’s what you can expect to be covered in the course: 

Testing Ad Concepts

Budget Optimize Tool: Regression Modeling to Optimize CPA and ROI

Google Ads Paid and Organic Interaction Report

GeoLocal Campaigns – Double Campaign Structure

Google Ads Campaign Experiments (drafts and experiments)

Automate Budgeting for Multiple Ad Accounts

AdWords Audit 

Remarketing Strategy and Implementation 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Dynamic Ad Customizers

Google Analytics for Google Ads

Using Scripts 

AdWords Editor

Competitor Research Tools

Landing Page Software 

Other Features 

Take advantage of the promotional pricing by enrolling today. You will get instant access to all the course material at a discounted rate that can’t be beaten. 

Enroll now. 

8. Advanced Google Ads by LinkedIn Learning 

Who it’s for: Advanced students

Price: Included with the monthly membership 

Advanced Google Ads is another viable course offering if you have a solid grasp on Google Ads for marketing campaigns and want to take advantage of all this tool has to offer. Growth marketing agency founder Michael Taylor teaches you how to follow bid and budget optimization rules to maximize your budget and explains tactics top advertisers use to manage the Google Ads campaigns for large accounts. He also includes lessons on Google Ads scripts that allow you to automate your activities and so much more. 

This advanced course is divided into 6 core modules:

Google Ads Strategy

Optimizing Google Ads Account Performance

Tips for Working Efficiently with Google Ads

Using Automation in Google Ads

Tracking Campaign Performance

Other Google Channels 

You can enroll for free with a monthly LinkedIn membership or opt-in for a 1-month trial to access the course. 

Enroll now. 

9. 7 Advanced Google Ads (AdWords) Optimization Tips from a Former Googler by Skillshare 

Who it’s for: Advanced students

Price: Free

Also facilitated by Ben Lund, this advanced course sheds light on proven strategies and tips professionals use to get the most out of Google Ads. It’s designed to help you get the maximum return on your investment with the advertising tool. 

7 Advanced Google Ads (AdWords) Optimization Tips from a Former Googler is presented via 8 video lessons: 

Top 7 AdWords Tips

Device Segmentation 

Creative Excellence

Audiences

Location Settings

Responsive Ads

Partner Network

Automation 

You will also complete a course project that requires you to monitor a particular company’s performance after implementing the lessons taught in the class. 

It’s free to register. 

Enroll now. 

Get Started with a Google Adwords Course

Don’t keep putting off your continuing education goals. Start with one of our recommended courses to acquire the knowledge you need to effectively use Google Ads. They’re available for all skill levels and budgets and feature world-class instruction from individuals who are subject-matter experts. Even better, the classes are self-paced and can be completed around your busy schedule.