If you use Google Ads to promote Android or iOS mobile apps, you can use conversion tracking to help you learn how effectively your ads lead to app installs and in-app activity. This article explains the different types of mobile conversions and how to track them.
Types of mobile app conversions that you can track
You can track the following conversions for your Android and iOS apps:
- App installs, such as first open: Conversion tracking can measure how effectively your ads are leading people to install your mobile apps. Apart from seeing how many people are seeing your ads and taking action by installing your app, you can also track the number of people who open your app after installing in response to your ads. This is captured by default using Firebase or most third-party app analytics providers.
- In-app actions, such as purchases: If you're using Google Ads to drive purchases or other valuable actions within your app, use conversion tracking to measure your campaigns' effectiveness. You can track custom in-app actions using Firebase or any third-party app analytics provider by adding the relevant code to your app.
For Android apps, there are several conversions that you can track automatically from Google Play without adding tracking code to your app:
- Downloads: Automatically track when someone who clicked your ad downloads your app from Google Play Store.
- In-app purchases: Automatically track when someone who clicked your ad performs an in-app purchase for apps that use Google Play’s in-app billing.
- Pre-registrations: Automatically track when someone who clicked your ad pre-registers for your app or game from Google Play Store.
Reporting for App campaigns on iOS and Android
To offer a more complete report of iOS and Android app campaign conversions, we may use privacy-safe data from models based on users who have previously signed into Google services. These models predict iOS and Android app conversions that we're unable to observe directly. This allows us to provide complete reporting on iOS and Android app campaign behaviour that combines observed and modelled conversions.
Instructions
How to set up mobile app conversion tracking
You can track mobile app conversion events such as first opens and in-app actions by importing events from Firebase, third-party app analytics providers, and Google Play.
How to view conversions
'All conversions' and 'view-through conversions'
- In your Google Ads account, click the Campaigns icon
.
- Click the Campaigns drop-down in the section menu.
- Click Campaigns or Ad groups.
- Click the 'Columns' icon
at the top right of the campaigns list.
- Click Modify columns.
- Click the down arrow for 'Conversions' to find all metric options from conversions.
- Tick the boxes beside 'View-through conv.' and 'All conv. (by conv. time)'
- Click Apply.
- Now when you view campaigns or ad groups, you'll find all conversions and view-through conversions as metrics columns.
.
at the top right of the campaigns list.For select accounts: 'Engaged-view conversions', 'clicks' and 'engagements' (use these to measure conversions for video ads in your app campaigns)
- In your Google Ads account, click the Campaigns icon
- Click the Campaigns drop-down in the section menu.
- Click Campaigns or Ad groups.
- Click the 'Segments' icon
at the top right of the campaigns list.
- Select 'Conversions'
- From the 'Conversions' menu, select Ad interaction type.
- You’ll be able to view the number of conversions that resulted from 'Clicks', 'Engaged views' and 'Engagements'.
at the top right of the campaigns list.Target CPA bidding for apps
Since these campaigns are optimised to count app downloads, there isn’t a waiting period for target CPA. As soon as you've set up conversion tracking, you can use target CPA bidding to help get more installs at your cost per install goal.
Video ad conversion tracking for apps
Conversion tracking is unique for video ads. An Engaged-view conversion is counted when someone watches at least 10 seconds of your video ad on YouTube or the Display Network. Conversion reporting for videos includes click-through conversions and Engaged-view conversion windows. App download conversions are counted only if the install happens within 2 days of the engagement. For people who click on your ad, conversions are counted if they install your app within 30 days.
Your video ad's billing will vary depending on where it’s shown. If it’s on YouTube, you’ll be billed for each impression. If it’s on the Display Network, you’ll be billed for each engagement.
Security and privacy for conversion tracking
Google has strict security standards. Google Ads only collects data on sites and apps where you have configured tracking.
Ensure that you provide users with clear and comprehensive information about the data that you collect on your sites, apps and other properties. Make sure that you also get consent for that collection where required by law or any applicable Google policies governing user consent, including Google’s EU user consent policy.
