Introducing our AdMob Student App Challenge judges

Now that we�re two months away from the deadline of June 28, 2016 to submit your app and business report for the AdMob Student App Challenge, we�d like to introduce our judges via a three-part blog post. They�re a panel of six industry experts who will judge the final round of the judging process and decide the Grand Prize winner.

The Grand Prize winner will score a week-long trip to San Francisco, including a visit to Google�s headquarters in Mountain View, as well as have their app featured on the Google Play store. To help you better prepare, we�d like to share some of the insights we gained from getting to know them as well as what, in their view, makes a great app!

Chris Akhavan
President of Publishing @Glu Mobile, a leading global developer in gaming

What is your background and experience working with apps?

I'm currently the President of Publishing at Glu Mobile (we make mobile games like Kim Kardashian: Hollywood, Racing Rivals, and Cooking Dash), and prior to that I was the SVP of Partnerships at Tapjoy (a mobile ad network I joined in the early days and helped grow from 10 people to 300+ and $120MM+ [revenue?]/year).

What is the most important thing you look for when reviewing an app?

A simple and clean user experience. Great mobile apps immediately delight users within the first 30 seconds and deliver value with ease.

What tip(s) would you would give to a new app developer building their first app?

The biggest mistake I see new developers make is forgetting that they are designing for a very small device. I often see new developers using tiny fonts that are hard to read on a phone, and placing too many intricate buttons in the UI. Look at apps like Instagram and Clash Royale for inspiration on clear and simple mobile design.

Anything else you want student developers to know?

I'm excited to check out your apps!

Purnima Kochikar
Director of Business Development for Google Play, Google

What is your background and experience working with apps?

I lead the team that works with all the apps and games developers on Android/Google Play globally. I was also a software engineer in my past life and wrote apps - but that was a LONG time ago.

What is the most important thing you look for when reviewing an app?

• Utility (does it have a clear purpose - and that could be fun)
• Beauty (is it well designed?)
• Creativity (is it an innovative solution for the problem being tackled?)

What are some golden rules of good app design? 

The rule I like best is the 1-minute value - the user should get the full sense of your app within a minute.  Uber is a great example - within a minute you get all the information you need about finding a ride. To be able to do that Uber has reduced input required from the user by using the sensors on the device - such as GPS.

Anything else you want student developers to know?

Follow your heart - build something to solve a problem or create an fun experience that truly matters to you. The best apps are those that come from a deep-rooted interest in the topic.

Well folks, there you have it! We hope that these tips and advice can help guide you as you continue to build your app! Stay tuned for two more posts about our judges in the coming weeks.

If you�d like to learn more about the judging process please visit our AdMob Challenge judges page for more details. Lastly, remember to continue to follow us on AdMob G+ and Twitter, and keep an eye on #AdMobSAC16 too, for regular updates on the challenge.

Posted by Andres Calzada, AdMob Student App Challenge Team

The Mobile Ads Garage: Episode 2 - Implementing AdMob Banner Ads

The Mobile Ads Garage has returned with its second episode. In this video, you'll see screencasts and detailed breakdowns of how to implement banner ads for both iOS and Android. Plus, you'll get links to guides, samples, and other great resources.

If you like the video, save the Mobile Ads Garage playlist to your YouTube Playlist collection and you'll never miss an episode.

We�d love to hear which AdMob features you�d like to learn more about. The comment sections for the videos are open, and you're welcome to toss out ideas for new episodes and examples you'd like to see. If you have a technical question relating to something discussed in one of the episodes, you can bring it to our support forum.

For more tips on app monetization, be sure to stay connected on all things AdMob by following our Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ pages.

 - Andrew Brogdon, Mobile Ads Developer Relations

Meet AdSenses next generation ads: Page-level ads

Today, were excited to introduce AdSenses next generation ads. Page-level ads is a family of ad formats that offer a new and innovative way to help you earn money from your mobile content.

With Page-level ads, you place the same ad code once on each page that you want to show ads. Theyre designed to show automatically at the right time and in the right format -  potentially increasing your earnings without interfering with your users mobile experience.

The benefits of Page-level ads include:

• Optimized ads that show when theyre likely to perform well and provide a good user experience.

• One-time set-up that only requires you to place the Page-level ad code once on each page youd like the ads shown. 

• Ability to adjust the settings in your account and to enable new ad formats without having to change the code on your site.

• Additional ads on your site that dont count towards your AdSense per page ad limit.

Watch the video below for a quick view of Page-level ads:


Currently, the Page-level ads family includes the anchor/overlay and vignette ad formats. More ad formats will be available soon.

Learn more about the Page-level ads in the AdSense Help Center. Get started with Page-level ads today and let us know what you think in the comments below.


Posted by Matthew Conroy, AdSense Product Manager

[New eBook] Download The No-Nonsense Guide to In-App Ads

A clear trend is emerging in the world of smartphones � people want free apps. According to a study by Juniper Research, barely 1% of apps are now paid for at the point of download.1

While demand for free apps continues to increase, app developers are answering a very important question, �what�s the best way to publish my app for free while sustainably funding my business?�

In-app ads are a reliable solution that is set to grow 3.2X between 2014-18. 2

Many of the world�s most popular apps rely heavily on in-app advertising to earn income. Apps like PicsArts and Trivia Crack each have hundreds of millions of downloads and use advertising as a revenue source. In-app ads are evolving and there are many options for developers to utilize which provide great experiences for users.

So, how do you get started with ads?

To answer this, we�re launching a new ebook called �The No-Nonsense Guide to In-App Ads�, the latest in our No-nonsense series. This guide is designed to provide a comprehensive overview of in-app advertising for those new to the opportunity. We�ll walk you through how digital ads can be included into your app strategy and what�s the best way for you to get started.

In the eBook, you�ll learn:

• Foundational advertising concepts like eCPM, Fill Rate, Demand, and Inventory.
• A simple overview of how businesses make money from advertising. 
• How Pay Per Click advertising works.
• A basic explanation of ad networks and how they can help you monetize your app.
• How to choose the right ad network for your app.

Download a free copy here.

For more tips on app monetization, be sure to stay connected on all things AdMob by following our Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ pages.

Posted by Joe Salisbury, Product Specialist, AdMob

1 - Juniper, April 2015 and Juniper website, The App Landscape Today, Feb 2015

2 - App Annie/IDC, April 2015, Mobile App Advertising and Monetization Trends 2013-2018

Tips for writing a successful invalid traffic appeal

In a previous publisher blog post, we discussed tips for writing a successful policy appeal. In today's topic, we�re exploring what happens when publisher accounts are disabled due to invalid traffic, when to submit an appeal, and tips for making those appeals successful.

Invalid traffic includes any clicks or impressions that may artificially inflate an advertiser's costs or a publisher's earnings. Invalid traffic covers intentionally fraudulent traffic as well as accidental clicks.

In the ads ecosystem, advertisers rely on the relevance of our ad placement and the quality of the interaction their ads receive. Publishers in turn count on advertiser participation that contributes to the success of their apps and business. Without this trust, the Google advertising network could not exist. Google treats invalid traffic very seriously, analyzing all clicks and impressions to determine whether they fit a pattern of use that might artificially drive up an advertiser's costs or a publisher's earnings. If we determine that an account might pose a risk to our advertisers, we may take actions against the account, such as suspending or disabling it, in order to protect our advertisers' interests.

Before we continue, let's clarify the difference between an account suspension and an account disablement.

If your account was suspended due to invalid traffic, ad-serving has been turned off for a fixed period (typically 30 days). While suspensions are not currently appealable, if you would like to provide additional feedback to help us improve our processes and communications, you may do so using our suspended publisher feedback form. If there are no further compliance issues with your account, it will be automatically unsuspended after the fixed period. For more information about account suspensions, please visit our AdMob Help Center.

If your account was disabled due to invalid traffic, your account is no longer serving ads, and you will be unable to monetize with any Google ad solutions. You're eligible to file an invalid activity appeal, but please be aware that that filing an appeal does not guarantee reinstatement. For more information about account disablements, please visit our Help Center.

If you would like to file an invalid traffic appeal for account reinstatement, please first review the AdSense program policies and top reasons for account closure. These policies and reasons apply to all Google ad solution products, including but not limited to AdMob, AdSense and YouTube.

Here are some tips that you may find useful in writing your appeal:

1. Review the top reasons for account closure. Think about if any of these reasons applied to you and your content. Did your friends click on your ads too many times? Did you purchase traffic that led to a surge of invalid activity? Can you make content and/or behavioral changes to prevent the activity from happening again?
2. Review ad implementations on your desktop site, mobile site, and/or mobile app. Think about what your typical user workflow would be, and see if the ad implementations may cause users to accidentally click on your ads.
3. In the appeal form, provide the e-mail address that is associated with your disabled AdSense/AdMob account. This will help locate your account and reduce delays in appeal processing time.
4. Tell us what changes you�ll make for the future. Once again, carefully consider the top reasons for account closure. What systems or behaviors have you put in place to ensure this won't happen again? For example, tell us how you've adjusted your ad implementations, evaluated your traffic sources, hired testers to properly test your content, etc. We will appreciate your honesty in the appeal.

Publishers are a vital part of the online ads ecosystem, and we want to see you succeed while keeping your users happy and engaged. Everyone in the digital ecosystem benefits when publishers provide engaging content and useful resources, which in turn incentivizes advertisers to bid for space on your content. We hope that these resources can provide some guidance.

Posted by Danielle Chang, AdMob Ad Traffic Quality Team

Tips for writing a successful invalid traffic appeal

In a previous publisher blog post, we discussed tips for writing a successful policy appeal. In today's topic, we�re exploring what happens when publisher accounts are disabled due to invalid traffic, when to submit an appeal, and tips for making those appeals successful.

Invalid traffic includes any clicks or impressions that may artificially inflate an advertiser's costs or a publisher's earnings. Invalid traffic covers intentionally fraudulent traffic as well as accidental clicks.

In the ads ecosystem, advertisers rely on the relevance of our ad placement and the quality of the interaction their ads receive. Publishers in turn count on advertiser participation that contributes to the success of their apps and business. Without this trust, the Google advertising network could not exist. Google treats invalid traffic very seriously, analyzing all clicks and impressions to determine whether they fit a pattern of use that might artificially drive up an advertiser's costs or a publisher's earnings. If we determine that an account might pose a risk to our advertisers, we may take actions against the account, such as suspending or disabling it, in order to protect our advertisers' interests.

Before we continue, let's clarify the difference between an account suspension and an account disablement.

If your account was suspended due to invalid traffic, ad-serving has been turned off for a fixed period (typically 30 days). While suspensions are not currently appealable, if you would like to provide additional feedback to help us improve our processes and communications, you may do so using our suspended publisher feedback form. If there are no further compliance issues with your account, it will be automatically unsuspended after the fixed period. For more information about account suspensions, please visit our AdSense Help Center (or AdMob Help Center).

If your account was disabled due to invalid traffic, your account is no longer serving ads, and you will be unable to monetize with any Google ad solutions. You're eligible to file an invalid activity appeal, but please be aware that that filing an appeal does not guarantee reinstatement. For more information about account disablements, please visit our Help Center.

If you would like to file an invalid traffic appeal for account reinstatement, please first review the AdSense program policies and top reasons for account closure. These policies and reasons apply to all Google ad solution products, including but not limited to AdMob and YouTube.

Here are some tips that you may find useful in writing your appeal:

1. Review the top reasons for account closure. Think about if any of these reasons applied to you and your content. Did your friends click on your ads too many times? Did you purchase traffic that led to a surge of invalid activity? Can you make content and/or behavioral changes to prevent the activity from happening again?
2. Review ad implementations on your desktop site, mobile site, and/or mobile app. Think about what your typical user journey would be, and see if the ad implementations may cause users to accidentally click on your ads.
3. In the appeal form, provide the e-mail address that is associated with your disabled AdSense account. This will help locate your account and reduce delays in appeal processing time.
4. Tell us what changes you�ll make for the future. Once again, carefully consider the top reasons for account closure. What systems or behaviors have you put in place to ensure this won't happen again? For example, tell us how you've adjusted your ad implementations, evaluated your traffic sources, hired testers to properly test your content, etc. We will appreciate your honesty in the appeal.

Publishers are a vital part of the online ads ecosystem, and we want to see you succeed while keeping your users happy and engaged. Everyone in the digital ecosystem benefits when publishers provide engaging content and useful resources, which in turn incentivizes advertisers to bid for space on your content. We hope that these resources can provide some guidance.

Posted by Danielle Chang of the AdSense Ad Traffic Quality Team

[New Resource] Download the AdSense Guide to Audience Engagement

Research shows that �29% of smartphone users will immediately switch to another site or app if it doesn�t satisfy their needs.�

In a world where people are making split decisions about what to consume, it�s increasingly challenging but critical for publishers to figure out how to effectively engage their audiences on their sites. To help lay the foundation to a winning engagement strategy, we�ve created the AdSense Guide to Audience Engagement.

This guide help you drive toward your goals for growing your site � from defining your brand voice to tips to make your site�s content easy to consume. Don�t waste another moment developing web pages that leave you with little opportunity to engage with your audience. Download the AdSense Guide to Audience Engagement here.

In this guide, you�ll learn:

• How to help your audience become familiar with your brand
• Best practices to design delightful user journeys
• How to develop content that resonates with your audience
• Ways to make your content easy to consume
• Why you should share the love with other sites by referring to good sources

Check out the guide and share your feedback with us on Google+ and Twitter using #AdSenseGuide. We�d love to hear what you think. 

Posted by Jay Castro

from the AdSense team

@jayciro

What you need to know to install AdMob on your app

Two weeks ago, we shared a video in which some of the industry�s most prominent app developers shared. In the coming weeks, we will continue to have tips on app design, but let�s now look at installing AdMob. Monetizing your app with AdMob is a requirement for the contest, so it�s important that you install the program correctly. Check out our AdMob Developers site for both Android and iOS to learn about the entire process for installing AdMob to your app.

Here�s a video that you can reference as well, as your team configures AdMob in your app for the first time.

If you run into issues with installation or need help with any troubleshooting, be sure to head to the Google Developers forum, where any questions or troubleshooting can be addressed. Continue to follow us on AdMob G+ and Twitter, and keep an eye on #AdMobSAC16 too, for regular updates on the challenge.

The Mobile Ads Garage: A new video series about using the Google Mobile Ads SDK

Cross-posted from the Google Ads Developer blog.

Today, the first episode of the Mobile Ads Garage hits YouTube! The Mobile Ads Garage is a new series that covers how to use the Mobile Ads SDK to display ads from AdMob and Doubleclick For Publishers. Each episode will cover one aspect of the SDK, break down a feature, and show screencasts of real implementations on both Android and iOS � all in a friendly format.

The series will make its home on YouTube's Google Developer Channel, where you'll find the first episode in the Mobile Ads Garage playlist along with a sneak peek of the next four.

In addition to being a new way that people can find out about the SDK and how to use it, the series is a way for publishers to let us know what features they'd like to learn more about. The comment sections for the videos are open, and you're welcome to toss out ideas for new episodes and examples you'd like to see. If you have a technical question relating to something discussed in one of the episodes, you can bring it to our support forum.

 - Andrew Brogdon, Mobile Ads Developer Relations

Tips for Monetizing Your App in the Two Largest Markets in the Americas

There�s lots of opportunity to expand your app outside of your home country. This is part two of our series exploring markets around the world, providing quick tips on how you can grow your business.

The Americas is a massive market for your app with nearly one billion people across major cities including New York, Los Angeles, Mexico City, S�o Paulo and Buenos Aires. 1 The small number of languages spoken by the majority of the population - English, Spanish, and Portuguese - can help you scale fast. Check out these app monetization tips in the region�s two largest countries; Brazil and the US.

Brazil

When expanding to Brazil, consider displaying video ads in your app. It�s becoming an increasingly popular media type across the country. Last year, online video views nearly doubled, rising from 17.5% to 30.6%. 2 Additionally, the number of mobile video impressions grew 529.8% in the 2nd quarter of 2015 from the year before. 3

Also, keep in mind that Brazilian Portuguese is significantly different from European Portuguese. It�s important to identify which region you are targeting when consulting with your translation service.

United States

You may be more successful if you offer a free version of your app when expanding to the US, rather than a paid version. According to App Annie, all of 2015�s top 10 grossing app companies in the US offered free apps. 4 54% of US app users said that they only download free apps, and only 7% of users �commonly� spend on apps that cost $6.99 or more. Additionally, 76% of US users said cost as a �very important� factor in deciding between several apps of the same type. 5

If you enjoyed these tips, check out these case studies featuring how developers have succeeded in the US, Brazil and Argentina.

If you�re not already an AdMob user, consider using AdMob to help maximize ad revenue and monetize globally. Also, stay connected on all things AdMob by following our Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ pages.

Posted by Paul Somers, AdMob Partner Development Executive & Paolo Fornasini, AdMob Partner Development Associate


[1] - List of countries by English-speaking population, Wikipedia

[2] - The Global Media Intelligence Report: Latin America, eMarketer, 2015

[3] - Video Ad Volume Amps Up in Brazil, eMarketer, 2015

[4] - App Annie 2015 Retrospective, App Annie, 2015

[5] -  Consumer Mobile Apps Study Google/Ipsos Media CT, 2014

More defenses roll out to thwart Clickjacking

At Google we defend our ad systems from fraud using technology in a variety of ways. Often our investment in these defenses goes beyond protecting against only known threats. Our engineering and operations teams are continually working to identify new and emerging threats.  Once a new ad fraud threat is found, we move quickly to defend our systems against it using a combination of technology, operations, and policy.

Recently we identified �Clickjacking� (aka UI Redress) as an emerging threat to cost-per-click display ads, and we�ve rolled out new defenses to protect advertisers against this threat. Clickjacking is a type of web attack where the appearance of a website is changed so that a victim does not realize they are taking an important action, in this case clicking on one or more ads. For example, a user may intend to click on a video play button or menu item, but instead clicks an invisible ad unit.

Figure 1: An example of a clickable ad hidden behind a video playback button.

Moving quickly to thwart Clickjacking attempts

Earlier this year when our operations team identified Clickjacking activity on our display network, they moved swiftly to terminate accounts, removing entities involved in or attempting to use this technique to trick users. Our engineering team worked in parallel to quickly release a filter to automatically exclude this type of invalid traffic across display ads.

This approach delivered a one-two punch to publishers who violated our policies: our operations team, which forms an early line of defense against invalid traffic, cleaned out publishers from our ad systems, while engineers built a new filter as a durable defense to protect against Clickjacking traffic.

Figure 2: An example of mouse-tracking, which leads to a page with lots of ads being opened regardless of where a user clicks.

Even as there are ongoing attempts to perpetrate this type of attack, our ongoing and proactive hunt for emerging types of invalid traffic has enabled us to move early and quickly to address Clickjacking threats on several occasions.

A combination of defenses

Our Clickjacking defenses operate at considerable scale, analyzing display ad placements across mobile and desktop platforms, evaluating a variety of characteristics. When our system detects a Clickjacking attempt, we zero-in on the traffic attributed to that placement, and remove it from upcoming payment reports to ensure that advertisers are not charged for those clicks.

This latest effort also is a great example of how our work against invalid traffic is at the intersection of technology, operations, and policy.  Each piece plays a key role in keeping our ad systems clean and defended against ad fraud.

Equally important, our efforts also promote a level playing field for good publishers on our ad systems.  And while our Ad Traffic Quality team works hard to keep our ad systems clean, we also rely on publishers to do their part in contributing to a healthy ads ecosystem.

Best practices for publishers

Publishers play a crucial role in delivering a good ads experience.  We�ve included some relevant best practices below to remind publishers of ways that they can improve the ads experience on their web properties.

• Double and triple-check implementations to verify that your sites contain no programming errors, conform to AdSense policies, and display correctly across different browsers and platforms.
• For mobile devices, plan your layout carefully to accommodate limited screen real estate.
• Avoid placing ads close to other clickable content to prevent accidental clicks. For more guidance on how to implement banner ads see our best practices video.
• Monitor analytics often to spot traffic anomalies. For example, setting up Analytics alerts can show if an unusual amount of traffic comes from a particular ad placement or site.
• Lastly, if you find suspicious activity, please report it via the Invalid Clicks Contact Form.

We�re proud of our work to protect our ad systems against emerging threats like Clickjacking, and we�ll continue to be vigilant as we fight the good fight against ad fraud. 

Posted by: Andres Ferrate, Chief Advocate, Ad Traffic Quality

AdSense now understands the Filipino language

Today, we�re excited to announce the addition of Filipino, a language spoken by millions in the Philippines and around the world, to the family of AdSense supported languages.

Publishers can now easily monetize the content they�re creating in Filipino with AdSense, and advertisers looking to connect with the growing online Filipino audience can now reach them with ads that are more relevant than ever before.

To start monetizing your Filipino content website with Google AdSense:

1. Check the AdSense program policies and make sure your website is compliant.
2. Sign up for an AdSense account
3. Add the AdSense code to start displaying relevant ads to your users.

Maligayang pagbati mula sa AdSense!

Welcome to AdSense!

Posted by:


Emanuele Brandi (AdSense Lead, PSI) on behalf of the AdSense Internationalization Team

Tips for Monetizing Your App in 3 Huge Markets in Asia

As the world becomes more connected, new monetization opportunities may begin to surface outside of your home country. This is part one of our series exploring markets around the world, providing practical tips on how you can grow your business.

1.4 billion smartphone users are estimated to be in Asia by 2019 � more than all users in other regions combined. 1 Its unique culture, large base of engaged app users, and growing monetization opportunities make Asia a key region to expand to. Here are tips for monetizing your app in some of Asia�s largest countries.

China

When expanding to China, consider investing in a quality translation and localization. 53% of users in China are likely to experience poor app localization. 2 You�ll be able to stand out by providing a polished translation. Be mindful that simplified Chinese is commonly used for users in mainland China, while Traditional Chinese is used more often in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Japan

When localizing your app for the Japanese market, consider polishing your user interface to account for the charming aesthetics popular in the market. Marked by well-illustrated stories, engaging goals, and Kawaii (cute) character themes, Japan�s creative preferences are often unique. Check out the �Big in Japan� category in Google Play to see Japan�s charming style in action.

India

When localizing your app for India, you may be able to successfully test your app in the region using your English version before investing in a thorough translation. While Hindi is the most popular language in India, 57% of the population in urban areas use English to browse the Internet, providing a significant base for you to see if your app resonates with the Indian market. 3

We hope you enjoyed these tips. If you�re not already an AdMob user, consider using AdMob to help maximize ad revenue and monetize globally. Also, stay connected on all things AdMob by following our Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ pages.

Posted by Aksara Sumethkul
Developer Monetization Specialist and the Go Asia team, AdMob

[1] Smartphone Sales in China, India, the US and Worldwide, eMarketer, 2014�2017
[2] AdMob Developer Business Kit, AdMob by Google, 2014
[3] How Non-English Speakers Are Taking Over the Internet, WSJ.com, Aug 2015

Building your app for the AdMob Student Challenge

Now that we�re past the team development and app brainstorming sections of the AdMob Student App Challenge, your team should now be organized with a clear app idea, ready to start the design process. To help you get started on building the app, six developers from studios such as Yetizen to Pixowl detail some of the most important things to consider when building an app:

While this is a just a short intro into app development best practices, starting with these as a framework will help ensure that you submit a quality app for the contest.

In the coming weeks, we�ll continue to post more updates with tips and best practices to help guide your team as you build, test and finalize your app. Continue to follow us on AdMob G+ and Twitter, and keep an eye on #AdMobSAC16 too, for regular updates on the challenge.