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Google Ads App Assets Took My Downloads From Zero To Viral – Find Out How!

Google Ads App Assets Took My Downloads From Zero To Viral – Find Out How!
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So, we have got Google Ads extensions, why you need to use them, why should you care about them and why you ought to be using it... It's because it makes your ads a lot bigger. You hog even more real estate on Google at the top. Doesn't cost you anything additional or extra. You can cram in more of your messaging, products, services, or anything you want to put up on Google.

So, why wouldn't you use it? You know, it doesn't cost you anything extra. It's just that sometimes people don't know how to use them. Can't be bothered. They are a bit lazy because it does take a little bit of time to set them up. But once they're set up, you don't need to touch them. They'll just keep on running.

As long as Google thinks it is relevant to that search term which somebody is putting up and it's going to enhance the user experience. So, in this case, I put in let's say iPhone 11, you got these site links, see now how big this ad is compared to this one. I'm really surprised how small Apple's own ad is, not put in description two even, but there you go!

You've got your auto headline one and two descriptions. We've got two lines and your site links these are so you got a bigger, big heading as big as the main headline and then two additional lines of text. This ad looks a lot bigger than this one, that one and that one. And this is what I mean by using these extensions, makes your ads a lot bigger, increases your quality score, ad rank, click-through rate, pretty much, you know, everything is heading in the right direction.

If you know how to use these properly, same over here, we've got two site links and the three other ones. Now, these won't appear on all the ads. It will be only at the top. So, the ad or the advertiser with the highest ad rank will get to build these site links. Now, you can have up to a maximum of four site links over here.

Now, there are other extensions as well, and I'm not seeing any over here, there you go. These are call-outs over here. So, you've got four site links... You see how big this ad is? So, this is what I'm going to show you how to put these in. So, your ads become a lot bigger and you attract that click.

Let's hop into our GoogleAds interface. So, go to your plus blue button, add extension. Then you have what eight or nine, I think and they keep on changing as well and this is the new one, the lead form extension. That's why it's ten. Site link, callout structure, snippet, call, location, price, app, promotion. If you are not running an app campaign, then this doesn't apply to you.

But the two most important one, which I would always start with is the call extension and the location extension. You must link your Google My Business page to your Google Ads account because when somebody's searching for a restaurant near me, Google is going to look at your Google My Business page, and then it will work out okay.

How far that searcher is away from your restaurant or your store or whatever, so this is really a must. Let's do the easy one - call extension. Now, all of these can be set up at the account campaign or ad group level. So, if you've got a fairly small business and pretty much all the extensions apply to the whole account, then I would just set it up over here and then forget about it.

But if you've got some extensions which are relevant to certain campaigns only then you apply to those campaigns or perhaps to those ad groups. So, you can create new or use the existing one. I'm going to create new and you use your country. Now, it is not available in all the countries, but the ones which are available, you will see them in this list and I'm going to put my number and call reporting is turned on and I'm not going to go into conversion tracking and conversion setup, but that is from there.

So, I want to make sure that I'm tracking all the clicks from my ads. So, somebody clicks on my ad as a call button. I know that it has come through my ad and it is being tracked. This is why we set this up. You can go on the advance options. So, let's say you want to run this call extension from your opening to the closing time, which could be let's say nine AM till five PM and it will only run during those times, not at any other and you can select the days, Monday to Friday or on the weekend and that's your call extension set up.

With site link, it is kind of like creating a mini ad on extension. So, we saw we had a headline and two lines of description, right. So, the same thing will apply over here. The headline will be twenty-five characters and the description one, description two is up to thirty-five characters and then a final URL. One thing you can't do is send all of these to the same homepage or the same URL.

It's got to be different. On my website, we've got different pages for GoogleAds, web design, video, photography and so on. If I'm talking about GoogleAds agency and say the best agency for managing the campaign, something like that. Now, you will notice that I have not put in or put up the capitalisation on each of these words, which we always do on the ads, what you want to do is to...

Because this is kind of like a subheading. You don't want to make it too obvious and it doesn't read right or look good, it's fine. If we just have the first letter as the capital, even though over here, they have not utilised the capitalisation properly. They should have, but overall, this ad looks good. They've got all the various pages call to actions as well.

You can put in a call to action, buy now, book now, free consultation or whatever it may be in these like site links. Now, what you want to do is you don't want to just put up four you want to put up at least six to eight because then Google is going to pick out the most relevant ones for that ad.

So, if you just put in four, you're more likely to get a maximum of two site links being shown you won't get three or five. Four is the maximum obviously, but they'll either show two or four, I've never seen three site links being shown. So, it's best you put up more, set them all up in one go, and it's all done and dusted, don't need to tinker with it.

Okay, I'm going to cancel this. Go to a couple of other ones. Callouts are really good. Again, account-level campaign or ad group level. These are like, let's say free consultation, I will use capitalisation on there. What else could I...open five days a week or it could be seven days a week. If you had something like a free trial for your offer, the free trial, spell it correctly, free parking is good because then people can see that you've got plenty of parking and so on.

So, these are all the callouts, which you don't need to have additional headlines description it's just one line up to twenty-five characters. Cancel that. Structured snippets are one of my favourites because you have got lots of things you can put up - you can put up if you are a service-based industry like we are, we'll put up our service catalogue, pay per click, Google Ads, we can put in Facebook ads.

These are all your services, right. Web design, videography, corporate photography, nice and quick. It literally takes you seconds and you should always put these up. If you are selling brands, Nike, Puma, Adidas, and all of these, then put them up and make a list. You can have insurance coverage as well. Lots of things. Courses, destinations. If you are a travel company, then you can say, well, you know, cover or travel to, all of these can be put up.

Location is your Google My Business. So, you link it and it's going to show up over here. This is another good one where you can make your ads fairly prominent by pre-qualifying your audience for that click by putting up your price. They can't afford ten dollars. I don't want them to click on my site, and waste my budget, but I could have service categories, services, products and so on.

Let’s be real, launching an app can feel like shouting into a void. You pour your heart and soul into creating something amazing, but then… crickets. That’s exactly where I was. My app was a passion project, something I truly believed in, but it was sitting in the app stores, gathering virtual dust. Downloads were, to put it kindly, non-existent.

Then, I stumbled upon Google Ads App Assets. And let me tell you, it changed everything. In just a few weeks, my app went from being an unknown to getting a buzz, and the downloads? They started climbing, then soaring, and before I knew it, my little app was going viral. Want to know my secret? It wasn’t magic; it was smart use of Google’s powerful tools.

What Even ARE App Assets?

App Assets Google Ads

Okay, let’s break it down simply. When you run ads on Google, you usually have a headline and a description, right? App Assets are like extra, super-powered bits you can add to these ads specifically for your app. Think of them as extra hooks that give people more reasons to check out and download your app.

Instead of just saying “Download My App,” you can show people a direct link to your app in the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, right there in your ad! This makes it incredibly easy for interested users to go straight from seeing your ad to downloading your app. No extra clicks, no searching, just a direct path.

Why They Were My Game-Changer

Google Ads App Campaign Assets

Before App Assets, my ads were just text. They probably blended in with everything else. But once I started using App Assets, my ads stood out. Here’s why they worked wonders for me:

  1. Instant Gratification for Users: People are busy. If they see an ad for an app and then have to go search for it, many will just give up. App Assets puts the “Download” button right there. It’s like having a direct line from their search to your app. This dramatically reduced the steps for someone to install my app.
  2. More “Real Estate” on the Page: When your ad has an App Asset, it takes up more space on the Google search results page. Think about it – a bigger, more noticeable ad is going to catch more eyes. It made my ads pop, especially on mobile devices where screen space is precious.
  3. Smart Targeting by Google: This was huge for me. Google’s system is pretty clever. When you add App Assets, Google automatically works to show your ad to people who are more likely to download your app. It looks at what people are searching for, what kind of devices they’re using (Android or iOS), and then serves up the most relevant ad with the correct app store link. I didn’t have to be a tech wizard to figure out who to target; Google did a lot of the heavy lifting.
  4. Seeing What Works: Google Ads gives you reports, and with App Assets, you can see how well that direct link is performing compared to other parts of your ad. This helped me understand what was truly driving downloads and allowed me to fine-tune my campaigns. For example, I could see if people were clicking the direct app link more than my website link, and adjust my strategy accordingly.

My Simple Strategy: How I Did It

How To Use Google Ads App

I’m not going to lie, the idea of Google Ads seemed complicated at first. But using App Assets was surprisingly straightforward. Here’s the simple path I followed:

  1. Set Up a Basic App Campaign: If you don’t have one already, start a Google Ads App campaign. Google guides you through it. You’ll need your app’s link from Google Play or the Apple App Store.
  2. Add Your App Assets: This is the key. Within your ad settings, look for the “Assets” (they used to be called “Extensions,” so don’t get confused). You’ll specifically select “App Assets.” You then link your app. You can add one for Android and one for iOS, and Google will automatically show the right one based on the user’s device.
  3. Craft Compelling Text: Even with App Assets, your ad text still matters. Make your headlines and descriptions clear and exciting. What makes your app unique? Why should someone download it now? Focus on the benefits. I focused on the main problem my app solved and how easy it was to use.
  4. Don’t Overthink It (Initially): When you’re just starting, don’t get bogged down in every single setting. Focus on getting your App Assets live. Let Google’s system learn. You can always refine things later. I started with a modest budget and slowly increased it as I saw results.
  5. Monitor and Adjust: This is crucial for any advertising. Keep an eye on your Google Ads dashboard. See which ads are getting clicks and downloads. If something isn’t working, try tweaking your ad copy or using new images. I learned that small changes can make a big difference.

The Takeaway

Going from zero downloads to “viral” might sound like an exaggeration, but for my app, it truly felt that way. Before, it was just me, hoping someone would find it. After using Google Ads App Assets, it was like someone finally turned on the spotlight.

If you have an app that’s struggling to get noticed, or even if you just want to supercharge your current download numbers, take a serious look at Google Ads App Assets. They’re a simple yet potent tool that can put your app directly in front of the people who are looking for it. You don’t need to be an advertising guru to see real results. Just give it a try – you might be surprised at how quickly your app takes off!

Uzair Kharawala

Written by Uzair Kharawala

Founder of SF Digital Studios, a Google Premier Partner agency. Uzair has been helping businesses grow with Google Ads since 2002 and teaches it every week on YouTube.

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