If your App campaign brings installs but nobody signs up or uses the app, check what the campaign is bidding for. Set to Install volume, Google Ads is doing what you asked: finding installs. Move the focus to In-app actions and pick one event that marks a real user, such as finishing onboarding.
Google gives App campaigns for installs three focus options. Install volume bids for installs. In-app actions bids for people likely to install and then complete an event you choose. In-app action value bids for the revenue those events bring in.
Installs from the cheapest people available
On a mentoring call, a technical founder new to marketing had just launched a consumer AI image app on Google Play, available in one country, and was spending $5 to $10 a day. Installs were coming in. Sign-ups and usage weren't. That's the most common problem we see with app install ads: lots of downloads, then nobody opens the app.
The settings explained most of it. The focus was Install volume for all users, with a target cost per install of $0.06, about ₹5. Location options were set to presence or interest, so ads could reach people outside the country, where the app couldn't even be installed. Change history showed the campaign paused within 24 hours of launch.
Put together, that's an instruction to find the cheapest installs anywhere it can. A target that low draws a line under the market, the same problem as a low target CPA, and Install volume never asked for anyone who would use the app.
The three focus options
- Install volume. Set a target cost per install, or leave it unset and Google uses Maximize conversions for installs. You can also choose Users likely to perform an in-app action. The bid is still per install, and Google suggests bidding about 20% above a baseline target.
- In-app actions. A target cost per action for people likely to view your ad, install the app and then complete the event you select. The event must be set up as a conversion in Google Ads or through Firebase first.
- In-app action value. Target ROAS, which needs the Google Analytics for Firebase SDK and events that pass a dynamic revenue value, such as a purchase.
The versions without a target, Maximize conversions for in-app actions and Maximize conversion value, are in beta for a limited number of advertisers.
Pick one action that marks a real user
On the call we mapped the app's journey from install to first payment: sign up, take the tour, generate a first image, open the payment page, pay. We sketched a ladder of values, from 1 for a sign-up to 50 for a payment, as a way to tell Google which steps mattered most.
Google's documentation points somewhere simpler for an app at this stage. Value bidding in App campaigns needs the Firebase SDK and events that pass a dynamic revenue value, not a ladder you assign. And for In-app actions, Google doesn't recommend selecting more than one event, because your target becomes a blended target for actions worth different amounts. It also warns that frequent events like session start inflate conversion counts. So we'd choose one event that's deeper than a sign-up but still happens often enough to learn from, such as generating the first image. This is the app version of optimizing to the right conversion.
Then give it time. Google says changes before an App campaign reaches 100 conversions can disrupt learning, including changing the focus, the events or major location targeting. A campaign paused after one day hasn't learned anything yet.
The takeaways
- Install volume buys installs. If installed users never open the app, the campaign is doing what you asked.
- Switch the focus to In-app actions and pick one event that marks a real user.
- Avoid frequent events like session start, and don't blend several actions into one target.
- In-app action value needs Firebase and real revenue values, so it fits apps that already take payments.
- Set location to people in the country, and avoid changes before 100 conversions.
Common questions
What are the bidding options for Google App campaigns for installs?
When you set up the campaign, Google asks what you want to focus on: Install volume, In-app actions or In-app action value. Install volume uses a target cost per install, or Maximize conversions if you leave the target unset. In-app actions uses a target cost per action, and In-app action value uses Target ROAS.
Why does my App campaign get installs but no sign-ups?
Often because it's optimizing for installs. With Install volume and All users, Google aims for the highest install volume, not for people who use the app. Switching the focus to In-app actions tells Google to look for users likely to install and then complete the event you select, such as finishing onboarding.
Can I optimize an App campaign for more than one in-app action?
You can select several, but Google doesn't recommend it for target cost per action, because it turns your target into a blended target for actions with potentially different values. Google also notes that optimizing for frequent actions, like session start, results in more conversions than usual.
What do I need to bid on in-app action value?
Google says Target ROAS for App campaigns requires the Google Analytics for Firebase SDK, and the in-app events it optimizes must pass a dynamic revenue value. Maximize conversion value for App campaigns is in beta for a limited number of advertisers.
How long should I wait before changing an App campaign?
Google says making changes to an active App campaign before it reaches 100 conversions can disrupt learning and reduce performance. During that time it advises against changing the campaign focus, the targeted install or in-app events, conversion settings, major location targeting, or cycling bids up and down.