Search Engine Advertising

Promoting Mobile Apps with Google AdWords

Do you have a mobile app? Then of course you want to increase the number of installations and user interactions. Revenue from mobile apps has risen by nearly 30% in 2015 worldwide compared to the previous year and it is forecast to increase, so it is well worth your time to promote your app. Campaigns in Google AdWords can increase public awareness of your app as well as the number of installations and user interactions.

You can now choose between three different campaign types to promote your mobile app. In the following you will learn which campaign type is right for your advertising goal and how to create these different types of campaigns.

1. Increase Awareness of your App with Universal App Campaigns

You can increase awareness of your app with universal app campaigns. This campaign type is fully automated. The ads, the targeting and the bids are automated based on your app. Universal app campaigns can be displayed in the search and display network and on YouTube. Since October you can create these campaigns via AdWords. At the moment they are only available for Android apps. Use the other two campaign types to reach iOS users as well.

Campaign Setup: Create a new campaign by clicking on +Campaign and choose Universal App Campaign. You will then see the following screen:
AdWords Universal App Campaigns
Fill out all fields and save the campaign. You can add a YouTube link. AdWords will decide if the linked video or your predefined ad text will be used for the ad.  Installations of your app via the Google Play Store are tracked automatically as conversions.

2. Increase App Installations with Mobile App Installs Campaigns

The goal of mobile app installs campaigns is to increase the number of app downloads.
Ads of this campaign type are displayed on YouTube, in the search and display network on tablets and smart phones. Unlike the universal app campaigns you need to create a separate mobile app installs campaign per network.

Campaign Setup – Example Display Network: When creating a mobile app installs campaign for the display network you need to create a campaign for display network only and choose Install your mobile app as your “Marketing objective”.
Add your app (by app name, id or publisher) and fill out the rest of the fields. Now you can create an ad group and ads.
AdWords Mobile App Installs Display
To advertise on YouTube you need to choose Video and Mobile app installs when creating a new campaign. Create a new campaign and choose Mobile app installs to advertise in the Search Network only.

3. Increase User Interactions with Mobile App Engagement Campaigns

You can reach users who have already installed your app with mobile app engagement campaigns. Encourage these users over the display and search network to interact with the app, for instance to make a purchase or simply to open the app again.

Currently the mobile app engagement campaigns are in beta phase and not available to all advertisers. You can fill out a form to activate this campaign type in your AdWords account. If this campaign type is already available in your AdWords account, create a campaign for search or display network only.

Campaign Setup – Example Search Network: If you chose Search Network only you will see the following screen where you need to tick the round box before Mobile app engagement.
AdWords Mobile App Engagement

Choose your app and fill out the rest of the fields. Afterwards you can create an ad group and ads.

Feel free to write me an email with your questions regarding mobile app campaigns in Google AdWords.