If you’re an Android app developer, you’d probably welcome the opportunity to pay to advertise your app within the Google Play store. If you’re a user shopping for an app, you may not be as enthused about the ads.
Whichever side you’re on, it appears that ads are on their way. In a post Thursday on the Android Developers blog, Michael Siliski, product management director with Google Play, confirmed that ads are on their way to Google Play.
While the reach of the app store has grown substantially in recent years to more than one billion people on Android devices in over 190 countries, and last year Google paid more than $7 billion to Google Play developers for sakes through the store, Google says app discovery still plays a critical role in driving the success of app developers.
“We are always looking for new ways to help you get your apps in front of potential new users,” said Siliski. “That’s why, in the next few weeks, we will begin piloting sponsored search results on Google Play, bringing our unique expertise in search ads to the store.”
Much like someone searching on Google for something will see a few paid sponsored results before the organic search results, an Android user searching for a specific sort of app will see sponsored results along with their organic results. And presumably developers will be able to bid on and purchase specific search terms that relate to their apps.
“Search ads on Google Play will enable developers to drive more awareness of their apps and provide consumers new ways to discover apps that they otherwise might have missed,” said Siliski.
Google Play won’t blow up with ads right away. For now, a limited group of users will see ads from a pilot group of advertisers that are already purchasing ads for their apps with Google search. The program will be revised based on this experience and feedback before it goes to wider release.