About Web to App Connect

For subtitles in your language, turn on YouTube captions. Select the settings icon Image of YouTube settings icon at the bottom of the video player, then select "Subtitles/CC" and choose your language.


 

Create a seamless web-to-app journey and improve campaign performance for your customers by making use of the integrated Web to App Connect central hub. Web to App Connect can help you deep link, so that clicks to your ads lead directly to the right page on your mobile app. There, your customers can easily complete their intended actions. Web to App Connect will also enable you to measure their subsequent in-app conversion actions, such as purchases, sign ups, and add to cart, to track and optimize your campaign performance and get recommendations, all from within Web to App Connect.

 


Why is it important to provide the best possible web-to-app experience?

  • 83% of U.S. retailers agree that app customers tend to make more purchases compared to non-app customers.*
  • 73% of consumers say it is important for them to see brands prioritize a great app experience for their service.**
  • 62% of consumers say convenience is the biggest benefit of using apps over websites.**

*Source: Google/Ipsos, U.S., March 2023
**Source: Google/Storyline Strategies, U.S., Feb 2022 vs. Feb 2022

 


Benefits of using the Web to App Connect interface

  • Drives better experiences for your users through seamless web-to-app integration
    • For mobile users who have your app installed, drive them directly to the relevant page on your mobile app through deep links.
    • For mobile users who don't have your app, continue to direct them to your mobile website as usual.
  • Delivers, on average, two times higher conversion rates for ad clicks* landing in your app compared to your mobile website
    • It powers better user experiences using native app features (for example, saved user info or push notifications).
    • It optimizes campaign performance to keep your valuable app users engaged, and drive more conversions.

*Source: Google Data, Global divisions, Feb. 2022.
 


Key features

  • Deep linking: Use deep links to send mobile device users directly to relevant pages in your app rather than your website. People who click on your ads can go directly to the app pages you specify.
  • Conversion tracking: Measure what happens after a user clicks on your ads and lands in your app, like whether they purchased a product, signed up for an account, called your business, or subscribed to your newsletter. When a user completes an action that you've defined as valuable, these user actions are called conversions.
  • Bidding: Select the in-app conversion actions that you want to optimize for using your web campaigns. You may improve your ad campaign performance by using Smart Bidding, which automatically drives higher performance for your business goals, like maximizing conversions or conversion value.

An infographic that explains the uses of Web to App Connect.

 


Get started

To help you get started on your Web to App Connect implementation, use the dedicated Web to App Connect interface in Google Ads.

Access Web to App Connect

  1. In your Google Ads account, click the Tools icon Tools Icon.
  2. Click the Planning drop down in the section menu.
  3. Click App advertising hub. This will take you to the Web to App Connect interface.

Connect Web to App

  1. Within Web to App Connect, set up conversion tracking by following each prompt in the conversion tracking menu (including setting up Smart Bidding, which is required for Web to App connect).
  2. Within the Web to App Connect advertising hub, set up deep linking by following each prompt in the deep linking menu.

 


Performance overview

The performance overview will include the following data:

  • In-app conversion rate: It shows how often, on average, an ad click directed to your app leads to a conversion. It’s “in-app conversions” divided by the interactions with your ad landing in your app.
    • Note: App installs and first open conversion actions aren’t included as “in-app conversions”.
  • Web conversion rate: It shows how often, on average, an ad click directed to your website leads to a conversion. It’s “web conversions” divided by the interactions with your ad landing on your website.
  • All missed conversions: These indicate the aggregate potential performance uplift you'll get in terms of additional in-app conversions by implementing your non-deep linked URLs as App Links and Universal Links. Use these as a measure of your missed opportunity. Implement deep links to better capture these conversions.
  • Deep link coverage: This measures the proportion of your current mobile spend flows through deep links and into your apps. The higher the deep link coverage, the larger the number of users who are directed to your mobile app, which provides a much better user experience and ROI compared to relying only on your mobile website.
  • App bidding coverage: This measures the proportion of your current mobile spend that is associated with campaigns bidding on in-app conversions. The higher your app bidding coverage, the greater the opportunity to convert with valuable in-app conversion actions, so you can optimize campaign performance to maximize conversions or conversion value.

Use the drop-down menu at the left to indicate the selected duration for the data.


Conversion tracking and bidding setup

Get guidance on how to import your in-app conversions into Google Ads and how to set up Smart Bidding so that your campaign maximizes conversions and conversion value. Setting up conversion tracking and Smart Bidding is key to ensuring effective performance tracking. It also helps you optimize your campaign to capture the most valuable in-app conversion actions.

Deep linking setup

This setup helps you identify deep link opportunities, fix broken deep links, and cross use your deep links for both Android and iOS for greatest coverage.

Watch the video below on conversion tracking, bidding, and deep linking setup.

For subtitles in your language, turn on YouTube captions. Select the settings icon Image of YouTube settings icon at the bottom of the video player, then select "Subtitles/CC" and choose your language.


Note: "In-app conversions" and "web conversions" include valuable customer activity occurring within your app or website, respectively. For example, purchases, newsletter sign-ups, subscriptions, and more.

 


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