To find new users who are valuable to your app, Google Ads looks for patterns in the conversion data of your app’s existing valuable users.
That’s why it’s important to track a variety of interactions that users have with your app. This will give App campaigns more data to create a model that will categorize users who can meet your goal from those who won’t.
Important
Track more than just your primary goal, like when a user makes a purchase. Include everything that leads up to that conversion, even events that have been attributed to other channels. This will give Google Ads more data to identify patterns among valuable users.
Get started with a list of recommended events to track by picking a category from this list.
How to set up conversion tracking
You must track conversions for your Android and iOS apps using one of these options:
- Google Analytics 4
- Server-to-server tracking
- Third-party app analytics
- Codeless conversion tracking with Google Play (Android Only)
Choose an appropriate conversion window
A conversion window is the time it takes for someone to complete a conversion action once they’ve clicked on an ad. Any conversion action that happens within a conversion window can be attributed to your ad. Set a conversion window that accounts for the typical time it takes for someone to convert. If you don't customize your conversion window, a 30-day default window will be used.
Counting new users: app installs vs. first opens
You can measure new app users by tracking either app installs or first opens. An “install” is when someone downloads your app onto her device. “First open” is the first time someone opens your app after installing it. Remember to count only one of these events as a conversion when measuring new users.
If you’re using codeless conversion tracking with Google Play, you’ll track new users as installs for an Android app. You’ll track new users through first opens for an iOS app.
Keep in mind that any changes to how you track conversions, like adjusting your conversion window, can affect App campaigns that are already running. Google Ads uses conversion tracking settings to learn what kinds of users convert. Google Ads would have to relearn this information under any new settings.