Google Brings Search Ads to the Play Store

google play store adsWith its search advertising revenue growth slowing, many investors and analysts have been questioning whether Google will be able to maintain its dominance in the mobile age. Google seems to have addressed those concerns by announcing that it will be bringing app search ads to the Google Play Store, opening up a whole new stream of revenue.

The company is set to begin testing search ads from a select group of advertisers on a limited set of users in the next few weeks. Once the test has run for several months and Google is able to analyse the results and feedback it has received, it will decide whether to expand the plan to all users.

Search ads will mean that users who search the Google Play store for apps may find that the top result is a sponsored suggestion that a developer has paid for, similar to how Googles search ads appear using its internet search engine.

The introduction of ads could mean big changes for a number of areas. As well as opening up a whole new area of revenue for Google, it could stratify the Play Store ecosystem, enabling developers with capital to invest in search ads to dominate those who cant.

It will also impact the many businesses that currently offer app store optimisation for developers – after all, why pay to improve your search engine standing when you can just pay to be put to the top anyway?

“Google has provided best practices to enhance app discovery and engagement, as well as app promotion tools to get the most out of search and display advertising for developers,” said Michael Siliski, product management director for Google Play. “Search ads on Google Play will enable developers to drive more awareness of their apps and provide consumers new way to discover apps that they otherwise might have missed.”