Hi there,
Thanks for reaching out. Happy to give you some initial thoughts and guidance on how to best approach advertising for your new app. It's a common situation to be in, especially when you're just starting out with a low budget and looking to test the waters. It can be a bit confusing with all the different campaign types Google offers, but we can definately clear a few things up for you.
Based on what you've described, here's my take on it.
First off, let's clear up the Search vs. App campaign confusion...
You've pretty much hit the nail on the head with your own assessment. An App campaign is designed for scale and reach across Google's entire network – that means Search, Google Play, YouTube, Discover, and the Google Display Network. It uses machine learning to find users wherever they are, which is great once you've got a proven product and a bigger budget, but it gives you very little direct control over where your ads show or which keywords they trigger for. For someone just starting and wanting to test very specific things, it's probably not the right tool for the job right now.
A Search campaign, on the other hand, does exactly what you want. It lets you target users based on the specific keywords they are typing into the Google search bar. This is perfect for your goal of testing the market because you can get in front of people who have a clear intent and are actively looking for something your app might offer.
Your main point of confusion seems to be whether you can link to an app from a Search ad. The answer is absolutely yes. It's a very common strategy. You just use the direct URL to your app's page on the Google Play Store as the 'Final URL' when you create your ad. When someone clicks the ad on their Android phone, it'll take them straight to the download page. It's as simple as that. The issues you were having with the setup probably came from an incomplete campaign getting into a 'funny state' as you put it, which happens sometimes if you switch between campaign types midway through.
You'll need to get the campaign setup right...
Getting the foundations of the campaign structured correctly from the start is going to save you alot of wasted money. Since your budget is low, every penny needs to count towards getting you useful data.
Targeting Settings:
This is where you tell Google exactly who you want to see your ads. The errors you saw were likely just a temporary glitch or because the campaign wasn't fully saved. This is standard stuff you can set up easily:
- Locations: In your campaign settings, you can specifically target the 'United Kingdom'. You can even go more granular and target specific cities if you wanted to, but for a nationwide app, the whole UK is fine.
- Devices: Also in the settings, there's a 'Devices' tab. Here you can set targeting for specific operating systems. You'd simply select 'Android' and you can choose to exclude iOS, desktops, and tablets if you want to focus purely on Android phone users. This ensures you're not paying for clicks from people who can't even install your app.
Keyword Strategy:
This is the most important part of a Search campaign. You mentioned wanting to target 'very specific keywords', which is exactly the right approach. Don't go for broad, one-word keywords like 'app' or 'productivity'. You'll just burn through your budget. Think about what a potential user, who has a problem your app solves, would actually type into Google. For example, if your app helps people budget:
- -> "best budgeting app android uk"
- -> "free personal finance app for android"
- -> "how to track my spending on my phone"
- -> "android app to manage money"
Start with a small, focused list of maybe 10-15 of these highly specific phrases. This keeps your testing controlled and tells you if people with this specific intent are interested.
I'd say you need to think about your bidding strategy...
You mentioned you'd rather pay per impression (known as CPM bidding) than per click. I understand the logic – it feels safer. However, for a Search campaign with a goal of getting installs, it's not the right way to think about it. CPM bidding is mostly for Display or Video campaigns where the goal is just to get your brand seen by as many people as possible (brand awareness). You don't want to just be seen; you want people to take an action.
With Search, you're paying for intent. You should use a Cost-Per-Click (CPC) model. This means you only pay when someone is interested enough in your ad headline to actually click through to your app page. It's far more efficient for your goal.
Now, here's a bit of expert advice. While you pay per click, you should tell Google what your ultimate goal is. Your goal is an app install. You need to set up conversion tracking so Google knows when someone who clicked your ad actually installs the app. Once that's set up, you can use a bidding strategy like 'Maximise Clicks' to start, just to get some traffic and data. But soon after, you should switch to 'Maximise Conversions'. This doesn't mean you pay per conversion, it means you let Google's algorithm use your budget to find the people who are most likely to click AND install your app. It's the smartest way to spend your money, even a small budget. The system will automatically bid higher for a user it thinks will convert and lower for one it thinks won't, all to get you the most installs possible for your daily budget.
So, what results can you expect...
This is the big question. With a low test budget, the goal isn't to get thousands of users straight away. The goal is to get data and validate your idea. You want to answer questions like: Are people searching for these keywords? Do they click my ad? Do they install? And what does it cost?
Costs can vary massively, but based on my experience with app and software campaigns, we can make some educated guesses for the UK market. I remember one Google Ads campaign we ran for a software client, and we managed to acquire users for just £0.96 each. It realy depends on how competitive your keywords are.
Here's a rough idea of what you might see:
| Metric | Estimated Range (UK, Android) |
|---|---|
| Cost Per Click (CPC) | £0.50 - £1.50 |
| App Page Conversion Rate (Installs from Clicks) | 10% - 30% |
| Estimated Cost Per Install (CPI) | £1.67 - £15.00 |
As you can see, the range is wide. If you get a click for £0.80 and 20% of people who click then install, your cost per install is £4.00. Your initial test will tell you where on this spectrum you fall. If your costs are on the high end, you might need to test different keywords or improve your app store page.
This is the main advice I have for you:
I've put my key recommendations into a table for you to make it clearer. This is the blueprint I'd use to set up your initial test campaign.
| Area | My Recommendation | Why It's Important |
|---|---|---|
| Campaign Type | Google Search Campaign. | Gives you maximum control over keywords and placements, perfect for focused testing. |
| Targeting | Location: United Kingdom. Device: Android Phones. | Ensures you only spend money on clicks from relevant users who can actually install your app. |
| Keywords | Start with a small, focused list (10-15) of highly specific, long-tail keywords. | Targets users with high intent, leading to better quality traffic and more efficient budget use. |
| Ad Destination | Use the direct URL to your app on the Google Play Store. | Creates a seamless user journey from search ad to download page, increasing conversion chances. |
| Bidding Strategy | Set up install tracking. Start with 'Maximise Clicks', then move to 'Maximise Conversions'. | Tells Google's algorithm to find users most likely to install, getting you the most value from your budget. |
Running ads as a newbie can be daunting, and it's easy to make small mistakes that waste your test budget before you've gathered any meaningful data. Getting the setup right, choosing the correct bidding strategies, and knowing how to interpret the initial results is something that comes with experience.
An expert can ensure your test is structured properly from day one, giving you the best possible chance of getting clear, actionable data on whether there's a market for your app and what it will cost to acquire users.
If you'd like to go over this in more detail, we can always book in a free consultation to have a proper chat about your app and your goals.
Regards,
Team @ Lukas Holschuh
