App streaming comes to Google search ads: Android users can try out apps for 10 minutes

Google app streaming allows users to experience apps for a limited time right from the search results. Now that experience is coming to ads.

Search Trial Run Ads will begin to appear over the next few weeks in search results on Android devices. Run through AdWords, the ads include a “Try now” button that loads up a preview mode of the app that users can use for up to ten minutes before opting to download the full version from the Google Play store.

In December, Google began testing a display version of Trial Run ads forAdMob apps. Those ads appear in-app and have a trial time of just 60 seconds, however.

Google is unveiling Search Trial Ads along with several other updates for Android Developers on Monday at its Developer Day during Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.

There were two other AdWords announcements during the conference day. Android developers will soon be able to run portrait-oriented video ads to promote their apps. Additionally, two new targeting methods will also be available in the coming weeks: the ability to target users who have spent more than 30 minutes playing games, or who have played a game that’s integrated with Google Play Games, within the last 30 days.

With AdMob Mediation, developers will be able to earn money through what’s called rewarded advertising — users can gain in-app rewards in exchange for engage with ads. Supported networks and platforms include AdColony, AppLovin, Chartboost, Fyber, Upsight, and Vungle.

Google will also be releasing a new Video Recording API in a few months to let users record themselves playing games and share to the videos to YouTube.

The Player Stats API now includes Predictive Analytics to help developers identify groups of players that are either most likely to spend or stop playing. Google is adding new predictions on the probability that a player is a high spender so that developers can tailor their game experiences to try to increase spend or engagement.

For more highlights, see the Google blog post.

About The Author

Ginny Marvin

Ginny Marvin is Third Door Media's Editor-in-Chief, managing day-to-day editorial operations across all of our publications. Ginny writes about paid online marketing topics including paid search, paid social, display and retargeting for Search Engine Land, Marketing Land and MarTech Today. With more than 15 years of marketing experience, she has held both in-house and agency management positions. She can be found on Twitter as @ginnymarvin.