Jerry Dischler, vice president of product management for Google AdWords, announced Tuesday that Google had updated AdWords to make it easier for search engine optimization services to optimize and streamline their approaches to mobile-targeted advertising for their clients. While the new mobile feature is just one of nine updates to the service, it is undoubtedly among the most important. In essence, the AdWords update ties keywords to mobile applications.

Explaining the upgrades to AdWords, online tech and marketing news source eWeek uses the example of the HotelTonight app to demonstrate how the upgrade works. Say, for example, you have the HotelTonight app on your phone. In Google, you search for “discount hotel NYC.” Using AdWords new mobile app synergy technology, that search can bring up the HotelTonight page that deals with discount hotels in New York City. Beyond this, AdWords can now better measure lead conversion driven by mobile apps. The implications for mobile app makers, SEO services, and companies increasingly relying on mobile apps are significant.

A Continued Move to Better Mobile Marketing
The recent updates to AdWords come in a year when multiple companies are driving a push towards mobile usage. Facebook is now forcing its users to download their mobile application when attempting to access the social media platform from their phones and tablets. MobileDevHQ, a San Francisco-based startup, released a new feature two weeks ago that allows users to see what drives downloads of their mobile apps. Overall, 2014 is shaping up to be the the year for mobile.

What Do the Updates Mean for SEO Services?
Both SEO services and their clients are asking what the AdWords changes mean for search engine optimization strategies. Frankly, it’s too early to tell what the far reaching impact will be, but one thing is certain: if keywords are going to be tied into driving traffic to mobile applications which will then be converted to sales, it’s the small business SEO company with a knack for deep keyword research that will come out of AdWords changes thriving.

Conclusions
Google’s barrage of AdWords updates, rolling out over the next six months, represent significant, progressive changes to the world of online marketing. Changes to their mobile targeting and retargeting features are, arguably, the most important, as they mark a clear nod by the world’s most powerful web company toward where the industry is going. SEO services don’t have cause to worry — assuming, of course, they stay on the ball.