Google adds more ads to Play Store, and other app ads news from I/O

Google will now show app ads on the Google Play Store home page and app listings pages. The company made several app ad announcements at the I/O developer conference Wednesday, including bidding options and a redesigned AdMob.

More ads in Google Play Store

The new ad placements are included in an “Ads suggested for you” carousel when users scroll down the page.

Google introduced ads to search results in the Play Store in 2015. Last fall, it added a second ad position to search results. Google said Wednesday that its app install ads have generated over 5 billion installs (up from 3 billion as of mid-September 2016), and monetized in-app events now drive over 3 billion events quarterly.

Smart Bidding in Universal App Campaigns

Google is expanding its automated Smart Bidding strategies to Universal App Campaigns. Universal App Campaigns allow developers to run a single app install campaign across Google Play, Search, YouTube, Gmail and the Display Network. With Smart Bidding, bids will automatically adjust based on developers’ cost per acquisition or return on spend targets. Smart Bidding will roll out in Universal App Campaigns over the coming months.

App Attribution Partners

To make it easier for developers to access third-party measurement data to optimize campaigns in AdWords, Google announced integrations with seven mobile attribution partners as part of a new App Attribution Partners program.

The launch partners are adjust, Adways, AppsFlyer, Apsalar, CyberZ, Kochava and TUNE.

Redesigned AdMob

Google also unveiled an updated interface for AdMob, the company’s app advertising network.

Like other recent Google business-facing interface updates, the new AdMob UI uses Material Design of its consumer products. The update also integrates Google Analytics for Firebase to provide user metrics in one place once developers link their AdMob and Firebase accounts.

Over one million apps on Android and iOS sell ads through the AdMob network. Google said AdMob has paid developers a total of more than $3.5 billion.

About The Author

Ginny Marvin

As Third Door Media's paid media reporter, Ginny Marvin writes about paid online marketing topics including paid search, paid social, display and retargeting for Search Engine Land and Marketing Land. With more than 15 years of marketing experience, Ginny has held both in-house and agency management positions. She provides search marketing and demand generation advice for ecommerce companies and can be found on Twitter as @ginnymarvin.