Last week Google announced the launch of a pilot program enabling sponsored search results to show on the Google Play Store.
Mobile app developers will now be able to directly promote their app in the store and have it feature prominently for searches that apply within their app’s category.
The ads will initially be available to advertisers that are already running Google search ads and will also only show for Google Play search results. In this way, they won’t be present throughout other sections of Google Play - like the category pages - ensuring there should be some relevancy associated with their placement.
The ads themselves look very similar to any other search results on Google Play, with the only difference being a small orange ‘ad’ button that appears under the app’s name in much the same way as traditional search ads.
Also of interest is the fact that promoted apps retain the star rating system associated with all apps on Google Play and as such you can gauge the quality of a promoted app before even having to click on the ad.
Check out the new format:
Google claim that the program will allow newcomers and smaller developers the chance to compete and gain traction in an app store that apparently now tops over one million applications.
In the same blog post Google also took the opportunity to highlight the fact that they have now contributed over $7billion to developers distributing apps and games on Google Play.
Google’s commitment in this respect seems to be echoed in their desire to start using paid advertising as a way for developers to better leverage their exposure in this ever-growing space, helping to make Google Play “the best place to find great apps, games and other entertainment.”
