Google Improves App Advertising With New Mobile App Extension

Google is announcing some new search advertising features designed to help advertisers drive more app downloads, and to track those downloads.

The first feature, an Ad Extension, seems aimed at companies who have both a standard Web presence and an app to promote. Should a company like GrubHub (which was part of the beta test) advertise for its website or its app? Hard to say, since people might be looking for either. So with the new Mobile App extension, advertisers can do both, adding a link to the iPhone or Android app below the regular search ad. Apparently, campaigns with the ad extension saw 6 percent higher clickthrough rates than those without it during the beta.

The second feature is designed for those who are all about promoting their mobile apps, specifically through Google’s click-to-download ads. Those ads now automatically pull information from your iTunes or Google Play Store listing, including image previews, a description of your app, and pricing and rating information.

Other new features include the ability to track Android downloads as a conversion in their AdWords campaign, and making Custom Search Ads (which are search ads that run inside a mobile app) available for tablet apps.