Google has announced its intention to make Universal App Campaigns (UAC) automatic for all its mobile-focused AdWords customers. Beginning Oct. 16, all new app installation campaigns must work through UAC.

Today’s blog post will focus on what UAC is, how it can help the promotion of your mobile apps, and what you need to know before UAC becomes the sole choice for your app install campaigns.

What is Universal App Campaigns?

As a small business, you may have a mobile app that helps your customers better use your services. You also probably know how hard it is for mobile apps to gain traction in the global marketplace. Promotion of a mobile app can drain your spirit and your budget.

The problem here is that the marketplace is crowded. Everyone wants a piece of customers’ attention on mobile.

Google launched its UAC machine learning platform in 2015 to help your business connect with users who would want to install your mobile app. That launch has been successful enough to push AdWords users’ dollars 140 percent further than Google’s other promotion efforts, so Google has decided to make UAC the only method accessible for new mobile campaigns.

Google isn’t trying to tie your hands. Instead, the machine learning servers that UAC utilizes will create multiple ads based on the basic information you provide to the AdWords system. From a single description, location, and budget, UAC can display and test multiple versions of ads that best represent your mobile app on the Google search network, YouTube, and other Google digital properties.

How Do You Benefit?

The most salient benefit users of UAC should see is a jump in their conversion ratings. This is where the ‘140 percent’ figure comes into play.

Google’s internal data from July 2017 shows that UAC performed 140 percent better than other Google mobile app promotion products. Therefore, if you have been manually controlling your mobile app-focused campaigns, it is likely that unless you’re a superstar marketer, the machine learning algorithms can improve your conversions.

Even if you are a superstar marketer, this is good news. When machine learning can handle the mobile app portion of your marketing efforts, you can move your talents, for example, to desktop ads or video marketing. Google has shown that its automated system can be a positive asset to your business; this is an opportunity you can use to embrace manual bidding and other AdWords capabilities that are best left in human hands.

How Can You Prepare?

On Oct. 16, all new mobile-focused ads in AdWords will use the machine learning system. Then on Nov. 15, all existing mobile-focused ads that don’t currently use UAC will stop working in the Google search network and on YouTube.

You can easily transfer information from your existing mobile app installation campaigns.

First, click on your Ads tab in AdWords and export your campaign performance to view existing statistics such as your current bidding levels.

Next, open a new Universal App Campaign by navigating to the Campaigns tab and clicking the +Campaign drop-down menu before selecting Universal App.

This is where you can copy and paste information from your old apps into the new system. You will want to move your videos and images that already perform well, as shown in your campaign performance export. You can then input any text that accompanies your ads, including any phrases or keywords. UAC will then combine all the text and assets (images, videos) to create ads that work from a starting bid and budget you also provide.

AdWords will then create multiple ads based on that single set of information. Those ads will be shown to various Google users based on their searches and preferences, and the responses to those ads will be recorded for future use. The cream will rise to the top, so UAC’s best ads will be shown more often to provide you with the best return on investment.

If you need any help with this transition, Atria is only a phone call away.