Thu 3rd of June, filed under Mobile Marketing
New search feature will include links to app stores
Google mobile has added another string to its bow: the ability to find mobile apps directly from search engine results pages. When a user browses for an app, they will no longer have to exit Google and access the app store to download it. Instead, listings will feature direct links to the relevant application alongside normal search results.
The new feature will be available on both the iPhone and the Android device, with users being taken directly to iPhone App Store or Android Market respectively. Once the customer finds an app they like, they can then download or purchase it immediately. The links will also provide users with information on the app such as its maker, price, rating and number of reviews.
The introduction of the new app is thought to be aimed towards improving Google mobile by limiting the amount of time it takes a customer to find an app and download it. Previously, customers were required to exit Google, open the relevant store, and navigate between the two while searching for apps. The new feature streamlines the process by making the app store immediately accessible.
"They aren’t using search, they’re using apps"
Google’s mobile marketing improvements could be coming as a result of recent comments made by Apple CEO Steve Jobs who claimed people don’t use search on mobile devices like the iPhone.
"We discovered something — people are going into apps. They’re not just going onto to websites. And people love apps," Jobs said at the recent D8 conference.
"This is an entirely new thing — they aren’t using search, they’re using apps like Yelp."
Meanwhile, Google has been expanding its display media resources by purchasing Invite Media, a demand-side platform which aids users in efficiently utilising high-volume ad exchanges. Though the selling price has yet to be confirmed, the figure is thought to be around £50m. Google is apparently not making any changes to Invite at the present but reportedly has plans to integrate it into DoubleClick for Advertisers, Google’s own ad-serving technology, in the future.
Posted by Carli Harris
