Google announced some new features today for AdWords that give advertisers more tools to promote, track and make money off app downloads and in-app advertising. Batting first in the new lineup is a mobile app extension that enables advertisers to include a link to download their mobile app within search ads.
"The mobile app extension gives advertisers a new distribution channel for their mobile apps and users a new discovery medium. Beta participants saw a 6% lift in CTR for campaigns using Mobile App extensions, compared to control campaigns," writes Anurag Agrawal, product manager of Mobile Search Ads at Google.
The mobile app icons running next to text ads are now accompanied by more detailed information about the mobile app itself, including image previews, a description of the app, pricing and ratings. The new information in click-to-download ads will be pulled from Google's Play Store and Apple's App Store.
Finally, advertisers can also track downloads of their Android apps as an AdWords conversion.
