Grow your traffic and revenue with the Long-term Revenue Framework

We hear from publishers around the world that they are looking to grow their site traffic and increase revenue. To help you accomplish these goals, we'd like to share the Long-term Revenue Framework�a tool often used by our AdSense optimization experts.

The Long-term Revenue Framework below is a simple, but powerful framework to help you understand the four levers that can help you to grow your site. With this framework, consider your site optimization efforts in terms of the four levers outlined below.

At the highest level, to help grow your site's revenue, try focusing on attracting more unique users and/or increasing the value of the users already visiting your site. To earn more from your existing users, you can maximize the value of each page view, get visitors to look at more pages and visit your site more often. Let�s look at each of these levers in more detail.

1. Number of users

Growing the number of unique users starts with understanding your site�s traffic. Check your Google Analytics reports to see where your visitors are coming from and what content on your site drives the most traffic. You can use these insights to create compelling content that users can find and share.

2. Revenue per page view (RPM)

To help maximize the value of each page view, try focusing on two areas.  First, make sure your ads get seen by placing them near the content users are paying attention to. Next, increase competition for the ads on your website by following these best practices:

• Allow both text and image ads.
• Implement the top performing ad sizes on your site.
• Allow as many ad categories as possible.
• Enable AdSense to compete against other ad networks if you're also using DoubleClick for Publishers (DFP)

3. Page views per visit (Depth of visit)

To encourage visitors to look at more pages and spend more time on your site, clearly demonstrate the value of your content. Create a great first impression by making sure the information your visitors are looking for is the first thing they see.

You can further increase your site�s page views per visit by showing your visitors that you have more great content they�d be interested in. You can achieve this by showcasing related or popular content near the end of the main content of the page.

4. Visits per user (Loyalty)

Creating a loyal user base is all about conveying to users that your site is regularly updated with new and interesting content. You can build loyalty by asking your visitors to subscribe to your email newsletter or social media channels.

We hope this framework is useful when thinking about how to grow your website�s traffic and revenue. Let us know what you plan to do using the Long-term Revenue Framework in the comments section below.

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Posted by Adam Coelho - User Experience Strategist
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Our AdMob Support Team is Here for You!

We get it - it�s not easy being an app developer. From being inspired to create an app to the final moment of pushing it live to the app store, there are already plenty of challenges for you to overcome. That�s why our global AdMob support team is here to make monetizing your apps with AdMob as breezy as possible.

Over the past year, we�ve worked tirelessly to create and improve content on the AdMob Help Center so that you can easily find answers to your questions. However, we also understand that sometimes you just want to communicate with a real person.

That�s why beginning of this year we launched a new Contact Us flow. Anyone with an AdMob account that�s making more than $25 a week can reach us for assistance via the Help Center. Simply click on the �Contact Us� button (upper right hand corner). This applies to AdSense too. If you don�t qualify and can�t find that �Contact Us� button, don�t worry! You can still reach us via the issue-based troubleshooters found throughout our Help Center.

To give you a better idea of what we do, here are a few common questions we get:

• When am I getting paid?
• What happens to my AdMob account if I�m moving to another country?
• Why was there a difference between my estimated earnings and my finalized earnings last month?

Of course, that�s not all. We support up to 650k apps across 35 different languages via our email support, and we make it our top priority to answer your questions as quickly as we can. Our average response time is less than 1 business day, and last month, we achieved an 80% survey satisfaction rate through our support interactions with developers!

Here are a few more resources to help make your life easier!
AdMob Quick Guide
Help Center troubleshooters
Help Center �Contact Us� button
Google Mobile Ads SDK Developers
AdMob website
AdMob blog
Admob Google+
AdMob twitter

Don�t be shy in reaching out to us- we�re excited to hear more from you and see how we can improve your experience with AdMob!

Posted by Pauline Wang

Partner Support Specialist

Why do users stop using your app and how do you keep them from leaving?

Lowdown is a weekly series that brings you tips and tricks on how to best use AdMob to grow your app business, directly from members of the Google AdMob team.

Keeping users on your app is just as difficult as getting downloads. What kind of users abandon you? Why do they stop? What needs to change to keep them engaged? These are all critical questions that are hard to find clear answers to. Fortunately, Google Analytics for mobile apps and a methodical, metrics-driven approach can help. We�d like to introduce you to two key reports within Google Analytics that will help guide you towards increased retention.

Finding Design Flaws: Behavior Flow Report

Users might have stopped using your app because of design flaws. Behavior Flow report, a type of report within Google Analytics, can help you identify sticking points and take targeted action.

The Behavior Flow report measures the various screens or events that users visit within your app and provides you with the percentage of people who go on to engage other screens or drop off altogether. This makes clear:

• What screens users are seeing
• Which ones are most popular
• How long users stay on each screen
• How they navigate from one screen to the next

This information can help you in a number of ways. For example, if you had a game app and each of your game�s levels used a different screen, you could track what percentage of people pass through each level. If there�s a level that has massive user drop-off, that may indicate that the level is too hard. Further, you may find that the exit rate on the �Game Over� screen is particularly high. This could mean that the image or text isn�t incentivizing users to play the game again. You can learn more about this report in the �Know your Flows� section here. 

Finding Technical Flaws: Crash and Exceptions Report

Aside from design flaws, technical flaws could be causing your users to give up on your app. This where the Crashes and Exceptions reports comes in handy. In this report, data can be broken out by app version, operating system, and device brand, so you can evaluate your app�s technical performance in different environments. To take it one step further, you may want to consider how much crashes are costing you. You can do this by creating two segments: one for sessions with crashes and another without. Then compare the eCommerce conversion rate and average order value of the segments to see if these metrics are lower in sessions with a crash. More information about Crashes and Exceptions can be found here.

A metrics-driven approach can help you prioritize your team�s next steps. With our integration of Google Analytics for mobile apps in AdMob, we are making it easier to discover trends and take action that will tie directly to your most important goals. Visit our website to learn more about how AdMob can help you understand your users. Until next time, be sure to stay connected on all things AdMob by following our Google+ page.

Posted by Sarah Xie

Mobile Strategic Partner Manager

AdMob App Spotlight Video Series: Freaking Math

Vietnamese developer, Bang Nguyen, built the addictive math game, Freaking Math while he was still at Vietnam's University of IT. Passionate about games and building a global audience, Bang wanted a way to easily monetize his app while keeping it free for users. Taking full advantage of our global advertising inventory and the variety of ad formats available, he found a successful solution with the AdMob platform. Watch us dive deeply into Bang�s app, highlighting the things he does especially well, like how he visually onboards new users, intelligently placed ads, and uses competition to make his app more engaging. Stay tuned for more App Spotlight videos by subscribing to our YouTube channel and following us on Google+.

Posted by Raj Ajrawat,

Product Specialist

How do you find your most active users and keep them engaged?

Lowdown is a weekly series that brings you tips and tricks on how to best use AdMob to grow your app business, directly from members of the Google AdMob team.

Paul Buchheit, the Googler behind Gmail and now partner at Y Combinator, is famous for emphasizing that, �It�s better to make something a small number of people love, than something a large number of people don�t care about.� This is absolutely true for your app business. Scaling something mediocre isn�t going to fare well for your business in the long run. Its crucial not to settle for exclusively measuring fluffy metrics like overall downloads or general traffic. You�ve got to dig deeper to find out who�s using your app the most, what they love about it, and eventually double down on what�s working well. We�d like to introduce you to two key reports from Google Mobile App Analytics that will help you to do just that.

Loyalty Report within Google Analytics

The Loyalty Report within Google Analytics shows you the number of sessions for the nth occurrence in your app. You�ll see the number of �1st interactions� with your app, then the number of �2nd interactions�, then the number of �3rd interactions�, and so on.

This report can help you determine at what point in your app users drop off. For example, your Loyalty Report may show you that users with fewer than three sessions have lower conversion rates.

With this information, there are many tests that you can run. You could go through the app yourself to see if there�s anything within the user experience that hinders engagement past 3 sessions. You could segment the users that drop off before 3 sessions and investigate whether they share any common attributes�maybe they came from a marketing campaign that�s bringing in the wrong audience or there could be a language difference. You could even try to use advertising to motivate users early with incentives.

By clearly recognizing the engagement drop off point in your app, you can begin to take methodical action towards increasing engagement. Check out the help desk for more detailed information.

Recency Report within Google Analytics

The Recency Report within Google Analytics shows how much time passed between app sessions. This provides a great way to segment users based on frequency of engagement, and enables you to know who uses your app once a month, or once a week, or even once a day. With this information you can begin to target new customers that are similar to your most engaged segment. You could also try using notifications or advertising to bring less engaged users back more frequently.

It's critical for your app's growth to have a disciplined and metrics driven approach to understand who uses your app. AdMob has Google Mobile App Analytics built right in, making it easier to discover trends and take action that will directly tie to revenue. Visit our website to learn more about how AdMob can help you understand your users. Until next time, be sure to stay connected on all things AdMob by following our Google+ page.

Posted by Sarah Xie

Mobile Strategic Partner Manager

Google Search results just became more mobile-friendly

(Originally posted on the Webmaster Central Blog)

As more people use mobile devices to access the Internet, Google Search has adapted its algorithms to help users find mobile-friendly web pages and apps. Recently, Google Search has made it even easier for users to discover multi-screen content with two important changes:

1. More mobile-friendly websites in search results

Starting April 21, Google Search will be expanding its use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal. This change will affect mobile searches in all languages worldwide and will have a significant impact in Google Search results. Users will find it easier to get relevant, high quality search results optimized for their devices.

To make sure your website is ready for this change, check out the guide to mobile-friendly sites and start building your multi-screen website today. You can test out how your site is performing with the following tools:

• To test a few pages of your site, you can use the Mobile-Friendly Test.
• To get a full list of mobile usability issues across your sites, log in to your Webmaster Tools account and use the Mobile Usability Report.

If you already have a multi-screen website, check out our Multi-Screen Implementation Guide to optimize your website for the best user experience and monetization. You can use the Mobile Search Engine Optimization guide to help your site show up in search results.

2. More relevant app content in search results

Recently, Google Search began to use information from indexed apps as a factor in ranking search results displayed to signed-in users who have the app installed. As a result, Google Search may now show content from indexed apps more prominently in search. If you have a mobile app, learn more about App Indexing, and allow Google Search to show this information in search results.

Posted by Inside AdSense Team

(Original post by Takaki Makino, Chaesang Jung, and Doantam Phan)

Why we try, buy and say goodbye to mobile games

Today, everyone is a gamer. With smartphones as a constant companion, consumers have easy access to all kinds of mobile apps � and they love to play games. From puzzles, casino, arcade and adventure games, they play whenever they have a free moment. According to AppFigures, in 2014, games was the fastest-growing category in the Google Play Store.

As a developer, understanding why people choose to interact with certain games is the key to success. Understanding this behavior can be the difference between a hit game or a download dud. Let�s take a look at some of the latest industry trends we�re seeing.

How users discover new apps
According to a recent survey with Google/Ipsos, Consumer Mobile Apps Study in 2014, 27% of smartphone app users rely on search engines to find a new app. Search advertising is a key way for you to get your apps discovered and grow your audience.

Why users download games
There are various reasons why someone might download a new game. But according to the same survey, 60% of gaming app users downloaded a gaming app simply because it sounded interesting and fun. Engaging app listings and positive reviews will help you capture their attention.

Why users try games
Consumers love getting things for free. We found that 67% of gaming app users prefer free games supported by ads, rather than paying to download the app. They also love their snack-sized entertainment, with 78% playing games simply to kill time.

Why users stop playing
On the flip side, 61% of game app users say that the reason they quit an app is because they�ve lost interest in it, with 58% of game app users going so far as to uninstall the app after it fails to hold their attention.

Use analytics to help you understand the consumer�s experience in your app � are they experiencing crashes, getting stuck at a certain level, or is something interrupting the flow of the game � so you can give them a better experience and keep them coming back.

We�ve compiled these stats and insights in this easy-to-share infographic below. Also, you can visit www.google.com/admob to learn more about our integration with Google Analytics in AdMob to monetize intelligently.

Posted by Desiree Motamedi
Product Marketing, AdMob

Research Methodology - Google/Ipsos, Consumer Mobile Apps Study, 2014
Google partnered with Ipsos MediaCT on the Mobile Apps Consumer Research to uncover consumer smartphone app acquisition and usage behaviors. Online survey was conducted Sep. 12-22, 2014 among 8,470 smartphone users aged 18-64 who have used any smartphone apps in the past 7 days and have used Entertainment, Finance, Gaming, Local, Retail, Social, Tech, or Travel apps in the past 30 days.

New AdMob features to help you monetize your app the smart way

Today, at the Game Developers Conference (GDC), we�re announcing three important updates to AdMob that will help developers build a smart monetization experience, and to help marketers reach the right users. We believe the best kind of in-app monetization experiences are the ones customized to individual app users, not a one-size-fits-all approach. Our vision for AdMob is to build a smart platform that makes such a tailored approach possible, or as we like to say, one that�s �audience aware�.

• AdMob In-App Purchase House Ads are a free, new format that can completely change how you think about your in-app purchase monetization strategy. You can use this format to create a customized ad to promote items to sell to your users, then AdMob�s audience-aware platform will predict those users who are likely to buy, and show them the ad. For all your other users - the ones unlikely to spend - AdMob can show them a regular ad. This approach means you can keep your high-value users engaged in your app, and for everyone else you�re making each impression count towards monetization. Currently in beta, this feature will be coming to all AdMob accounts in the next few weeks.

• Audience Builder is a powerful tool in AdMob that enables you to create lists of audiences based on how people use your app and then create customized experiences for users, ultimately growing your app revenue. For example, you could create an Audience List that defines those users who have not used your app in 14 days. Import that list into Google AdWords, and you can show ads to this list to re-engage users while they�re in other apps, or across the web. Audience Builder is available in all AdMob accounts now, and you can find out how to get started here.

• AdMob Native Ads are now in limited beta on the AdMob platform. Participating developers will be able to show native ads in their app from Google advertisers, and customize them to match both the form and function of their app. We pay close attention to user experience, so our native ads are designed to be clearly identifiable as ads to users. We�re thrilled to be working closely with Atari to bring native ads to RollerCoaster Tycoon� 4 Mobile; check out the screenshot below with an app install ad for Zagat:

• The user-friendly focus of native ads was an important consideration for Atari�s Chief Operating Officer, Todd Shallbetter: �Atari creates great game experiences for our broad audience. We're happy to be partnering with Google and be the first games company to take part in the native ads beta and help monetize games in a way that enhances our users' experience.'

• We�re testing native ads on non-gaming apps, too, partnering with developers globally, including CocoPPa in Japan.
  

These new features in AdMob can provide you with many new ways to supercharge your monetization. You can find out more about them on the AdMob website.

If you�re going to be at GDC, don�t miss my talk on Thursday, �Smart Strategies to Acquire, Retain and Monetize Gamers,� where I�ll be discussing these new features. And if you can�t attend, check out our live sharing on Google+ and Twitter to stay in the loop with what�s happening with #MeetAdMob.

Posted by Jonathan Alferness
Director of Product Management and Global Lead 

for Mobile Display Ads and AdMob