Google is driving more app downloads than Facebook

(Image credit: Future)

Adverts on Google are causing users to download more apps than those on Facebook for the first time. 

According to a new report from  marketing analytics firm Appsflyer, Google has increased its share of the app installation sector by eight fold during the last five years and the search giant is now the largest player in the app marketing space.

The company's mobile operating system Android, which now has over 2bn active devices, was largely responsible for its rapid growth when it comes to app marketing.

Appsflyer's report also broke down Google's ad growth by region and in Latin America the company grew by 18 percent while in Asia, it grew by eight percent during the first half of this year.

App store markets

As app store markets have become more competitive, marketers have begun to invest heavily in moving up the rankings on the Google Play Store and on Apple's App Store.

One example of this is the 82 percent growth experienced by Apple Search Ads which promotes apps at the top of the search rankings on its app store.

Appsflyer's report also highlighted a number of new players in the market such as the advertising arm of the hit Chinese video app Tiktok, Tiktok Ads and the news app Topbuzz.

Head of mobile insights at Appsflyer, Shani Rosenfelder provided further insight on the report's findings, saying:

“For most media sources, making the ranking is a one-time thing. That means maintaining growth in this hyper competitive space is very difficult, so companies must stay alert, recognise potential, and move fast to stay relevant. On a positive note, the fact that we see new companies with different types of products and qualities demonstrates that this industry has plenty of opportunities for those who can survive.”

Via City AM

Anthony Spadafora

After working with the TechRadar Pro team for the last several years, Anthony is now the security and networking editor at Tom’s Guide where he covers everything from data breaches and ransomware gangs to the best way to cover your whole home or business with Wi-Fi. When not writing, you can find him tinkering with PCs and game consoles, managing cables and upgrading his smart home.