Category Archives: AdMob Blog

News, tips, and information on the AdMob developer platform

Introducing 2 more of our AdMob Student App Challenge judges

After introducing Chris Akhavanr and Purnima Kochikar in the last blog post, we would like to introduce our next two judges for the AdMob Student App Challenge: Robert Unsworth and Gregory Block. They are part of a six-person judge panel that will judge your app, and decide on the Grand Prize winner. As a reminder, the Grand Prize winner will score a week-long trip to San Francisco, including a visit to Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, as well as have their app featured on the Google Play store. To help you better prepare, we’d like to share some of the insights we gained from getting to know them, as well as what, in their view, makes a great app!



Robert Unsworth
VP Americas, News Republic

What is your background and experience working with apps?
12 years working in gaming, social and media apps across the globe.

What is the most important thing you look for when reviewing an app?
Usability and efficiency - within 60 seconds do I understand what it's for and how I need to use it in order for it to provide me with a service I need.

What tip(s) would you give to a new app developer building their first app?
Test it on real people and iterate frequently and quickly. Don't go just by the metrics but integrate qualitative feedback as well.

Anything else you want student developers to know?
There are two: Keep it simple and keep it simple.


Gregory Block
Director of Engineering, Google

What is your background and experience working with apps?
I've been responsible for the development and build of several apps, both inside and outside of Google, on both Chrome and in Android.

What is the most important thing you look for when reviewing an app?
Attention to detail of the user experience, and how well the app serves the core use case it's trying to address.  Users sweat the small stuff - developers should too.  Polish matters - it's not just about looking pretty, it's about feeling solid, responsive, and zippy.

What tip(s) would you give to a new app developer building their first app?
Sketch broadly, at first.  Build end-to-end use cases, and use them.  Iterate.  Don't go deep on a single screen and end up with unpolished areas, time-box yourself on things, and keep honest track of what's left to do. Don't end up on a death march in your last week of development because you spent time today doing things that weren't absolutely necessary. Don't cut the wrong corner at the wrong time.

And write tests. Because even if you think you're good enough to not need them, you'll wish you had by the time it's all over.

Anything else you want student developers to know?
Love your app. If there's something you don't love, your users probably won't love it either. Minimalism is more forgivable than lack of polish in the eyes of your users, but ultimately, you're the most important user to satisfy; be honest with and true to yourself.

If you’d like to learn more about the judging process please visit our AdMob Student App Challenge judges page for more details. Lastly, remember to continue to follow us on AdMob G+ and Twitter, and keep an eye on #AdMobSAC16 too, for regular updates on the challenge.

Posted by Jeff Miner, AdMob Student App Challenge Team

Source: Inside AdMob


Preventing accidental clicks for a better mobile ads experience

We’ve all been there. You’re trying to send an article from your phone to a friend, or you’re playing a mobile game while waiting in line for a movie, when you accidentally touch an ad on your screen. You weren’t interested in the ad -- heck, you didn’t even have time to see what it was for -- but now you’re hitting the back button to get back to what you were doing. Not only do accidental clicks like these annoy users, but left unaddressed, they can drive down the value of ads.

Over the last four years, we’ve introduced a series of protections across mobile web and mobile apps to prevent accidental clicks like these on ads. Today we are continuing this commitment to protecting users and advertisers by extending accidental click protections to native ad formats. Native ads were developed to help publishers and developers implement ads that complement the look and feel of their content.

Since our teams started instituting various click protections, we’ve learned quite a bit along the way. Here are two insights among many that guide our ongoing work.

Fast clicks are not real clicks
A professional baseball player has about 680ms1 to react and swing at a baseball thrown at 90mph. That’s fast, even for a professional who’s paying close attention to hitting the ball. We think it’s virtually impossible for someone to read, understand, and take action on an ad in that amount of time.

Figure 1: A click is ignored when a user accidentally fast clicks on an interstitial ad

Not surprisingly, we found super-fast clicks on ads to provide little to no value to advertisers. That’s why we ignore fast clicks that we detect to be accidental immediately upon ad load. Rather than our ads causing surprise low quality clicks, users can continue on uninterrupted.

Edge clicks lack value
If you’ve used a mobile device, you know fat-fingers are a reality of touchscreens: the average fingerpad is roughly 50px large when pressing down.2 When we’re swiping, pinching, and poking our screens, it’s easy to accidentally touch the edge of an ad that appears unexpectedly or is placed too close to tappable controls on your screen.

Figure 2: A click is ignored when a user misses adjacent content and accidentally hits the ad

When we compared the performance of clicks from the edge of ads to those coming from the interior region, we found dramatically higher conversion rates and user intentionality on clicks toward the middle of ad units. A few years ago, we started to expand these protections across mobile placements resulting in ad clicks that are more intentional.

The overall benefits of click protections
Fast clicks and edge clicks are just two of the user interaction issues we prevent in order to deliver value to advertisers. By expanding protections like these to native ad formats on mobile, we observe conversion rates increase over 10% on average with minimal impact to long term publisher revenue. This combined with our previous efforts has greatly improved the experience with mobile ads for users and advertisers.

The protections we’ve put in place across mobile web and mobile apps prevent tens of millions of accidental clicks per day, saving users tens of thousands of hours. When we look at the effect for advertisers in mobile apps, we observe double the value per click. We work hard to ensure that the clicks advertisers are charged for are more meaningful, and we hope sharing insight on these protections helps raise awareness and guide the wider advertising ecosystem. Plus, we really love playing games on our phones too, and want to make sure that we’re only taken to an advertiser’s page when we mean to go there.

Posted by Alex Jacobson, Product Manager, Ad Traffic Quality

1: 90ft/132 ft per second = 681ms, 132 ft per second = 90mph
2: http://touchlab.mit.edu/publications/2003_009.pdf

Source: Inside AdMob


Introducing our AdMob Student App Challenge judges

Now that we’re two months away from the deadline of June 28, 2016 to submit your app and business report for the AdMob Student App Challenge, we’d like to introduce our judges via a three-part blog post. They’re a panel of six industry experts who will judge the final round of the judging process and decide the Grand Prize winner.

The Grand Prize winner will score a week-long trip to San Francisco, including a visit to Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, as well as have their app featured on the Google Play store. To help you better prepare, we’d like to share some of the insights we gained from getting to know them as well as what, in their view, makes a great app!

Chris Akhavan
President of Publishing @Glu Mobile, a leading global developer in gaming

What is your background and experience working with apps?

I'm currently the President of Publishing at Glu Mobile (we make mobile games like Kim Kardashian: Hollywood, Racing Rivals, and Cooking Dash), and prior to that I was the SVP of Partnerships at Tapjoy (a mobile ad network I joined in the early days and helped grow from 10 people to 300+ and $120MM+ [revenue?]/year).

What is the most important thing you look for when reviewing an app?

A simple and clean user experience. Great mobile apps immediately delight users within the first 30 seconds and deliver value with ease.

What tip(s) would you would give to a new app developer building their first app?

The biggest mistake I see new developers make is forgetting that they are designing for a very small device. I often see new developers using tiny fonts that are hard to read on a phone, and placing too many intricate buttons in the UI. Look at apps like Instagram and Clash Royale for inspiration on clear and simple mobile design.

Anything else you want student developers to know?

I'm excited to check out your apps!

Purnima Kochikar
Director of Business Development for Google Play, Google

What is your background and experience working with apps?

I lead the team that works with all the apps and games developers on Android/Google Play globally. I was also a software engineer in my past life and wrote apps - but that was a LONG time ago.

What is the most important thing you look for when reviewing an app?

  • Utility (does it have a clear purpose - and that could be fun)
  • Beauty (is it well designed?)
  • Creativity (is it an innovative solution for the problem being tackled?)

What are some golden rules of good app design? 

The rule I like best is the 1-minute value - the user should get the full sense of your app within a minute.  Uber is a great example - within a minute you get all the information you need about finding a ride. To be able to do that Uber has reduced input required from the user by using the sensors on the device - such as GPS.

Anything else you want student developers to know?

Follow your heart - build something to solve a problem or create an fun experience that truly matters to you. The best apps are those that come from a deep-rooted interest in the topic.

Well folks, there you have it! We hope that these tips and advice can help guide you as you continue to build your app! Stay tuned for two more posts about our judges in the coming weeks.

If you’d like to learn more about the judging process please visit our AdMob Challenge judges page for more details. Lastly, remember to continue to follow us on AdMob G+ and Twitter, and keep an eye on #AdMobSAC16 too, for regular updates on the challenge.

Posted by Andres Calzada, AdMob Student App Challenge Team

Source: Inside AdMob


The Mobile Ads Garage: Episode 2 – Implementing AdMob Banner Ads

The Mobile Ads Garage has returned with its second episode. In this video, you'll see screencasts and detailed breakdowns of how to implement banner ads for both iOS and Android. Plus, you'll get links to guides, samples, and other great resources.


If you like the video, save the Mobile Ads Garage playlist to your YouTube Playlist collection and you'll never miss an episode.

We’d love to hear which AdMob features you’d like to learn more about. The comment sections for the videos are open, and you're welcome to toss out ideas for new episodes and examples you'd like to see. If you have a technical question relating to something discussed in one of the episodes, you can bring it to our support forum.

For more tips on app monetization, be sure to stay connected on all things AdMob by following our Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ pages.

 - , Mobile Ads Developer Relations

Source: Inside AdMob


[New eBook] Download The No-Nonsense Guide to In-App Ads

A clear trend is emerging in the world of smartphones – people want free apps. According to a study by Juniper Research, barely 1% of apps are now paid for at the point of download.1

While demand for free apps continues to increase, app developers are answering a very important question, “what’s the best way to publish my app for free while sustainably funding my business?”

In-app ads are a reliable solution that is set to grow 3.2X between 2014-18. 2

Many of the world’s most popular apps rely heavily on in-app advertising to earn income. Apps like PicsArts and Trivia Crack each have hundreds of millions of downloads and use advertising as a revenue source. In-app ads are evolving and there are many options for developers to utilize which provide great experiences for users.

So, how do you get started with ads?

To answer this, we’re launching a new ebook called “The No-Nonsense Guide to In-App Ads”, the latest in our No-nonsense series. This guide is designed to provide a comprehensive overview of in-app advertising for those new to the opportunity. We’ll walk you through how digital ads can be included into your app strategy and what’s the best way for you to get started.

In the eBook, you’ll learn:
  • Foundational advertising concepts like eCPM, Fill Rate, Demand, and Inventory.
  • A simple overview of how businesses make money from advertising. 
  • How Pay Per Click advertising works.
  • A basic explanation of ad networks and how they can help you monetize your app.
  • How to choose the right ad network for your app.
Download a free copy here.


For more tips on app monetization, be sure to stay connected on all things AdMob by following our Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ pages.

Posted by Joe Salisbury, Product Specialist, AdMob

1 - Juniper, April 2015 and Juniper website, The App Landscape Today, Feb 2015

Source: Inside AdMob


Tips for writing a successful invalid traffic appeal

In a previous publisher blog post, we discussed tips for writing a successful policy appeal. In today's topic, we’re exploring what happens when publisher accounts are disabled due to invalid traffic, when to submit an appeal, and tips for making those appeals successful.

Invalid traffic includes any clicks or impressions that may artificially inflate an advertiser's costs or a publisher's earnings. Invalid traffic covers intentionally fraudulent traffic as well as accidental clicks.

In the ads ecosystem, advertisers rely on the relevance of our ad placement and the quality of the interaction their ads receive. Publishers in turn count on advertiser participation that contributes to the success of their apps and business. Without this trust, the Google advertising network could not exist. Google treats invalid traffic very seriously, analyzing all clicks and impressions to determine whether they fit a pattern of use that might artificially drive up an advertiser's costs or a publisher's earnings. If we determine that an account might pose a risk to our advertisers, we may take actions against the account, such as suspending or disabling it, in order to protect our advertisers' interests.

Before we continue, let's clarify the difference between an account suspension and an account disablement.

If your account was suspended due to invalid traffic, ad-serving has been turned off for a fixed period (typically 30 days). While suspensions are not currently appealable, if you would like to provide additional feedback to help us improve our processes and communications, you may do so using our suspended publisher feedback form. If there are no further compliance issues with your account, it will be automatically unsuspended after the fixed period. For more information about account suspensions, please visit our AdMob Help Center.

If your account was disabled due to invalid traffic, your account is no longer serving ads, and you will be unable to monetize with any Google ad solutions. You're eligible to file an invalid activity appeal, but please be aware that that filing an appeal does not guarantee reinstatement. For more information about account disablements, please visit our Help Center.

If you would like to file an invalid traffic appeal for account reinstatement, please first review the AdSense program policies and top reasons for account closure. These policies and reasons apply to all Google ad solution products, including but not limited to AdMob, AdSense and YouTube.

Here are some tips that you may find useful in writing your appeal:

  1. Review the top reasons for account closure. Think about if any of these reasons applied to you and your content. Did your friends click on your ads too many times? Did you purchase traffic that led to a surge of invalid activity? Can you make content and/or behavioral changes to prevent the activity from happening again?
  2. Review ad implementations on your desktop site, mobile site, and/or mobile app. Think about what your typical user workflow would be, and see if the ad implementations may cause users to accidentally click on your ads.
  3. In the appeal form, provide the e-mail address that is associated with your disabled AdSense/AdMob account. This will help locate your account and reduce delays in appeal processing time.
  4. Tell us what changes you’ll make for the future. Once again, carefully consider the top reasons for account closure. What systems or behaviors have you put in place to ensure this won't happen again? For example, tell us how you've adjusted your ad implementations, evaluated your traffic sources, hired testers to properly test your content, etc. We will appreciate your honesty in the appeal.
Publishers are a vital part of the online ads ecosystem, and we want to see you succeed while keeping your users happy and engaged. Everyone in the digital ecosystem benefits when publishers provide engaging content and useful resources, which in turn incentivizes advertisers to bid for space on your content. We hope that these resources can provide some guidance.

Posted by Danielle Chang, AdMob Ad Traffic Quality Team

Source: Inside AdMob


What you need to know to install AdMob on your app

Two weeks ago, we shared a video in which some of the industry’s most prominent app developers shared. In the coming weeks, we will continue to have tips on app design, but let’s now look at installing AdMob. Monetizing your app with AdMob is a requirement for the contest, so it’s important that you install the program correctly. Check out our AdMob Developers site for both Android and iOS to learn about the entire process for installing AdMob to your app.

Here’s a video that you can reference as well, as your team configures AdMob in your app for the first time.



If you run into issues with installation or need help with any troubleshooting, be sure to head to the Google Developers forum, where any questions or troubleshooting can be addressed. Continue to follow us on AdMob G+ and Twitter, and keep an eye on #AdMobSAC16 too, for regular updates on the challenge.

Source: Inside AdMob


The Mobile Ads Garage: A new video series about using the Google Mobile Ads SDK

Cross-posted from the Google Ads Developer blog.

Today, the first episode of the Mobile Ads Garage hits YouTube! The Mobile Ads Garage is a new series that covers how to use the Mobile Ads SDK to display ads from AdMob and Doubleclick For Publishers. Each episode will cover one aspect of the SDK, break down a feature, and show screencasts of real implementations on both Android and iOS – all in a friendly format.

The series will make its home on YouTube's Google Developer Channel, where you'll find the first episode in the Mobile Ads Garage playlist along with a sneak peek of the next four.



In addition to being a new way that people can find out about the SDK and how to use it, the series is a way for publishers to let us know what features they'd like to learn more about. The comment sections for the videos are open, and you're welcome to toss out ideas for new episodes and examples you'd like to see. If you have a technical question relating to something discussed in one of the episodes, you can bring it to our support forum.

 - , Mobile Ads Developer Relations

Source: Inside AdMob


Tips for Monetizing Your App in the Two Largest Markets in the Americas

There’s lots of opportunity to expand your app outside of your home country. This is part two of our series exploring markets around the world, providing quick tips on how you can grow your business.

The Americas is a massive market for your app with nearly one billion people across major cities including New York, Los Angeles, Mexico City, São Paulo and Buenos Aires. 1 The small number of languages spoken by the majority of the population - English, Spanish, and Portuguese - can help you scale fast. Check out these app monetization tips in the region’s two largest countries; Brazil and the US.

Brazil

When expanding to Brazil, consider displaying video ads in your app. It’s becoming an increasingly popular media type across the country. Last year, online video views nearly doubled, rising from 17.5% to 30.6%. 2 Additionally, the number of mobile video impressions grew 529.8% in the 2nd quarter of 2015 from the year before. 3

Also, keep in mind that Brazilian Portuguese is significantly different from European Portuguese. It’s important to identify which region you are targeting when consulting with your translation service.

United States

You may be more successful if you offer a free version of your app when expanding to the US, rather than a paid version. According to App Annie, all of 2015’s top 10 grossing app companies in the US offered free apps. 4 54% of US app users said that they only download free apps, and only 7% of users “commonly” spend on apps that cost $6.99 or more. Additionally, 76% of US users said cost as a ‘very important’ factor in deciding between several apps of the same type. 5

If you enjoyed these tips, check out these case studies featuring how developers have succeeded in the US, Brazil and Argentina.

If you’re not already an AdMob user, consider using AdMob to help maximize ad revenue and monetize globally. Also, stay connected on all things AdMob by following our Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ pages.

Posted by Paul Somers, AdMob Partner Development Executive & Paolo Fornasini, AdMob Partner Development Associate


[1] - List of countries by English-speaking population, Wikipedia
[2] - The Global Media Intelligence Report: Latin America, eMarketer, 2015
[3] - Video Ad Volume Amps Up in Brazil, eMarketer, 2015
[4] - App Annie 2015 Retrospective, App Annie, 2015
[5] -  Consumer Mobile Apps Study Google/Ipsos Media CT, 2014

Source: Inside AdMob


Tips for Monetizing Your App in 3 Huge Markets in Asia

As the world becomes more connected, new monetization opportunities may begin to surface outside of your home country. This is part one of our series exploring markets around the world, providing practical tips on how you can grow your business.

1.4 billion smartphone users are estimated to be in Asia by 2019 – more than all users in other regions combined. 1 Its unique culture, large base of engaged app users, and growing monetization opportunities make Asia a key region to expand to. Here are tips for monetizing your app in some of Asia’s largest countries.

China

When expanding to China, consider investing in a quality translation and localization. 53% of users in China are likely to experience poor app localization. 2 You’ll be able to stand out by providing a polished translation. Be mindful that simplified Chinese is commonly used for users in mainland China, while Traditional Chinese is used more often in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Japan

When localizing your app for the Japanese market, consider polishing your user interface to account for the charming aesthetics popular in the market. Marked by well-illustrated stories, engaging goals, and Kawaii (cute) character themes, Japan’s creative preferences are often unique. Check out the “Big in Japan” category in Google Play to see Japan’s charming style in action.

India

When localizing your app for India, you may be able to successfully test your app in the region using your English version before investing in a thorough translation. While Hindi is the most popular language in India, 57% of the population in urban areas use English to browse the Internet, providing a significant base for you to see if your app resonates with the Indian market. 3

We hope you enjoyed these tips. If you’re not already an AdMob user, consider using AdMob to help maximize ad revenue and monetize globally. Also, stay connected on all things AdMob by following our Twitter and Google+ pages.

Posted by Aksara Sumethkul
Developer Monetization Specialist and the Go Asia team, AdMob

[1] Smartphone Sales in China, India, the US and Worldwide, eMarketer, 2014–2017
[2] AdMob Developer Business Kit, AdMob by Google, 2014
[3] How Non-English Speakers Are Taking Over the Internet, WSJ.com, Aug 2015

Source: Inside AdMob