Mobile App Advertising in Google Ads
We promote your app on Google Play, Search, YouTube, Discover and partner apps. We optimize not for cheap installs but for the actions that make money: sign-ups, orders, subscriptions.
- Funnel stageSales
- Setupfrom ₴24,000
- Managementfrom ₴12,000/mo
Google Play ad: in the search for “learn english” the first result is the Movnyk app marked “Ad”; the person taps “Install”, the progress ring fills around the icon and the button turns into “Open”.
App ad on YouTube: under a Brewnest coffee-shop video there is an app card with a Google Play badge and an “Install” button; tapping it opens the Google Play install sheet without leaving YouTube.
Google Play
App ad inside another app: after a game level is complete, a full-screen Movnyk ad opens with screenshots, a rating and an “Install” button; a few seconds later a close “×” appears.
App Ads explained in 40 seconds
App ad: the Movnyk ad marked “Ad” is the first Google Play search result; the person taps “Install” and sees “Open” once the download finishes. These ads run on Google Play, Search, YouTube, Discover and in other apps.
App Ads: the essentials
App campaigns are the most automated campaign type in Google Ads. You don't choose keywords or placements here: we set the goal, bid, budget and a set of assets (text, images, video, HTML5), and Google assembles the ads and distributes them across Google Play, Search, YouTube, Discover and the Display Network with AdMob. There are three subtypes: app installs, engagement of existing users and pre-registration for Android.
Because of this automation, results depend almost entirely on the data the algorithm receives. So the main work is in measurement: Firebase or an MMP (AppsFlyer, Adjust) sends in-app events to Google Ads, from sign-up to purchase with value. On iOS, Apple's restrictions come into play, namely the App Tracking Transparency (ATT) prompt and SKAdNetwork, so we build expectations and metrics for Android and iOS separately.
How it works under the hood
- 01
We connect measurement
We link Google Ads with Firebase or an MMP, set up in-app events and their values, and check that each event is counted only once.
- 02
We choose the subtype and goal
Installs, engagement or pre-registration, plus the target action: an install, a specific in-app event or purchase value.
- 03
We upload assets
Text, images, video in different orientations and HTML5. Google combines them for each channel and format.
- 04
We guide it through learning
We let the algorithm gather data without abrupt changes, then move from simpler goals to deeper ones and replace weak assets.
When to use App Ads
Delivery and ordering services
The value of these apps lies in repeat orders, so we optimize for the first order and its value, not for installs.
Online stores with an app
In-app purchases with order value passed through let you optimize for return on ad spend.
SaaS and subscription services
A free trial, a subscription start, activation of a key feature: clear events the algorithm learns from to find paying users.
Education apps and online courses
Sign-up, first lesson, course purchase: this chain of events clearly shows the quality of users coming from ads.
Car rental and bookings
Installs plus in-app bookings, with deep links that take people straight to the right location or car.
Launching a new app
Pre-registration on Google Play builds an audience before release, so you already have your first users on launch day.
Ad formats and their anatomy
Text lines
Several headlines and descriptions that Google combines with each other; each one should explain the app's value on its own.
Images
Different aspect ratios for the Display Network, AdMob and Discover: the interface, a key feature, a use case.
Video
Landscape, portrait and square videos for YouTube and AdMob. Without vertical video, the campaign loses part of the inventory.
HTML5
Interactive mini-demos of the app for AdMob: people try the product before they install it.
App store listing
Screenshots, description and rating from Google Play or the App Store: part of the ad and the last step before the install.
What we set up in the campaign: 12 steps
No templates: we adapt every item to your niche, margins and goals. Here’s what our launch checklist looks like.
- 01 Firebase or MMP We connect GA4 for Firebase, AppsFlyer or Adjust, link it to Google Ads and import app events as conversions.
- 02 One source for each event We never import the same event from both Firebase and an MMP: double counting breaks bid strategy learning.
- 03 Event map Sign-up, onboarding, first purchase, subscription, repeat order, with value wherever it applies.
- 04 Choosing the campaign subtype Installs to grow the user base, engagement to bring back inactive users, pre-registration for an Android release.
- 05 A target action that fits data volume We optimize for an event that happens often enough and switch on deeper goals once data has built up.
- 06 A budget for learning Google recommends a daily budget dozens of times higher than the target cost per install and at least ten times higher than the target cost per action.
- 07 Android and iOS separately Each platform gets its own campaign, goal and expectations: on iOS, data arrives with a delay and is partly modeled.
- 08 SKAdNetwork and on-device measurement We set up the SKAdNetwork conversion value schema through an MMP or Firebase and enable on-device conversion measurement for iOS.
- 09 A complete asset set Video in three orientations, images, HTML5, localized copy. We regularly replace weak assets based on the performance report.
- 10 Deep links App Links for Android and Universal Links for iOS, so engagement ads open the right screen instead of the home screen.
- 11 Store listing We review screenshots, description and rating on Google Play and the App Store: a weak listing “eats” the clicks you've already paid for.
- 12 Cohort reporting We look at retention and revenue by cohort from the MMP or Firebase, not just at the cost per install in Google Ads.
The mistakes we find most often
If your ads are already running, let’s start with an audit. Here’s what usually eats up the budget in this campaign type.
Optimizing for installs only
Installs are plentiful and cheap, but users don't sign up or buy. The algorithm found exactly the people it was asked to find.
Double-counted events
The same purchase arrives from both Firebase and the MMP. Conversions are inflated, and the bid strategy learns from false data.
A goal that's too deep
Optimizing for an event that happens a few times a week. The campaign never exits learning and gets almost no impressions.
Frequent changes
The goal, budget and assets change every day. Each abrupt change restarts learning, and results never stabilize.
Static images only
No video, especially vertical, and no HTML5. The campaign loses YouTube, Shorts and part of AdMob, and its reach shrinks.
Judging iOS like Android
Without accounting for ATT, SKAdNetwork delays and modeling, the iOS campaign gets switched off over “bad” numbers that simply haven't arrived yet.
What we track
- Cost per install (CPI) The baseline volume metric. On its own it says nothing about quality, so we always read it together with post-install events.
- Cost per in-app action Sign-up, first order, subscription: how much a user who did something valuable for the business costs.
- Install-to-action rate Shows the quality of traffic and onboarding. A drop signals a problem with the creatives, the audience or the app itself.
- User retention How many people come back after a day, a week and a month. Without retention, cheap installs have no value.
- Revenue and ROAS by cohort How much revenue each cohort of users from ads brings in: the basis for scaling decisions.
- Asset performance Google's ratings for each text, image and video show what to replace and what to build on in new variations.
Bid strategies
Where this campaign type works especially well
Full-service App Ads: what it costs
You pay the ad budget directly to Google. Our fee is fixed — no percentage of spend below the Scale plan.
Questions and answers: App Ads
Didn’t find your answer? Ask us directly — we’ll advise for free.
How long does an app campaign's learning phase take?
In the first weeks, the algorithm tests audiences and asset combinations, and results may fluctuate. We avoid abrupt changes during this period and judge the campaign by accumulated data, not by the first few days. The duration depends on the budget and how often the target event occurs.
Can we show ads only on Google Play or only on YouTube?
No, App campaigns don't let you choose individual channels: the algorithm decides the distribution. You can influence it through the asset set, the goal and the bid. If you need control over impressions on YouTube, we add a Demand Gen campaign with an app promotion goal.
Which is better: Firebase, or AppsFlyer and Adjust?
Both options pass events to Google Ads correctly. Firebase integrates natively with Google Ads and GA4 and is convenient if most of your advertising runs on Google. An MMP is needed when you buy traffic from many sources and unified attribution matters. The key is to pick one data source for each event.
Why are iOS results worse than Android?
Often they aren't worse, just incomplete. Because of the App Tracking Transparency (ATT) prompt, some users don't give consent, and SKAdNetwork data arrives with a delay and in aggregated form. Google fills the gaps with modeling and on-device measurement, so we evaluate iOS separately and over a longer horizon.
Can we advertise an app that hasn't launched yet?
Yes, Android has pre-registration campaigns on Google Play. People sign up in advance and get the app on release day. Google Ads has no such subtype for iOS, so there we prepare an install campaign ahead of the launch date.
Are there restrictions for finance or gaming apps?
Yes. Apps offering financial services may require financial services advertiser verification, and gambling apps need a license and Google certification. The app must also comply with Google Play policies. We check these requirements before launch so the campaign doesn't get stuck in review.
We’ll launch your campaign right from day one
Leave your contact — a specialist will review your ads or website and prepare a short breakdown with concrete next steps. No obligations, no hard selling.
- 01 A short call or chat We clarify your niche, goals and what you’ve already tried.
- 02 Ads and website review We check the account (read-only access), tracking and landing pages.
- 03 Action plan You get a list of issues and priorities — even if you don’t work with us.
We reply within 1 business day