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Case study : Google Ads app campaigns
From launch to 119,000+ installs. In under five months.
A mobile app client wanted downloads, real ones, at a cost that made scaling sensible. Between January and mid May 2026 our Google Ads app install campaign delivered over 119,000 installs at a cost per install of just five cents. This page shows the numbers and the exact playbook.
at a $0.05 cost per install, on a total spend of $6.71K
app installs generated in under 5 months
cost per install, held steady while scaling
clicks driven across Search, Play and YouTube
total spend. Most brands pay this for 2,000 installs
01 : The growth curve
January to May. Watch it compound.
App install campaigns reward patience in week one and punish it never again. Once Google’s system had clean install data and enough creative assets to test, volume climbed month after month while the cost per install stayed at five cents.
(711K clicks, $0.05 cost/conv, 119K installs, $6.71K cost)
02 : The playbook
How we kept CPI at five cents while scaling.
App campaigns are automated, but automation only amplifies what you feed it. This is what we fed it, step by step.
Wired install tracking properly
Firebase connected, install conversions verified, and in-app events mapped from day one. Google App Campaigns optimize toward whatever conversion data you give them. Clean data in January is the reason May looks the way it does.
Fed the machine creative variety
Multiple headlines, descriptions, image sizes and short videos, all uploaded at launch. The campaign runs across Search, Google Play, YouTube and Display, and each placement pulls different assets. Starving it of creatives is the most common reason app campaigns stall.
Started with install volume bidding
No shortcuts to in-app action bidding on an account with zero history. We optimized for install volume first so the system could learn fast, then reviewed cost per install daily through the learning phase instead of panicking at day three numbers.
Cut losers, doubled winners
Asset reports told us which images and videos drove cheap installs. Underperformers were swapped out on a schedule and winning creative angles were rebuilt into fresh variations so performance never decayed from ad fatigue.
Scaled budget without breaking CPI
Budget increases came in measured steps, never more than the campaign could absorb while holding its cost per install. The result: volume grew month over month and CPI never left five cents. That is what disciplined scaling looks like on the chart.
03 : Steal this
Running app install ads? Check these three things first.
Is every install actually tracked?
If Firebase or your MMP is misconfigured, Google optimizes toward noise and your cost per install inflates. Verify install conversions before spending a dollar.
Do you have enough creatives?
One image and two headlines is not a campaign, it is a bottleneck. Give the system text, images and video in every ratio it asks for, and refresh them monthly.
Are you bidding for the right goal?
New accounts should bid for install volume first and graduate to in-app actions after conversion data builds up. Skipping that order is the fastest way to a high CPI.
04 : Questions people ask us (and ask AI)
App install campaigns, answered properly.
It depends on your app category, country and platform. Global averages usually sit between $1 and $4 per install, and competitive markets like the US run higher. With tight targeting, strong creatives and correct install tracking, CPI can go far lower. This campaign reached a $0.05 cost per install across 119,000+ installs.
Use Google App Campaigns: connect Firebase or your MMP so installs and in-app events track correctly, upload a wide set of text, image and video assets, start with install volume bidding to build data, target countries and languages where your app solves a real problem, and refresh creatives regularly. Scale budget only after CPI stabilizes.
Google App Campaigns usually need 1 to 2 weeks of learning before performance stabilizes, and meaningful scale typically shows within the first month. Here, installs began compounding within weeks of the January launch and crossed 119,000 by mid May.
The usual causes: broken or missing install tracking, weak or repetitive creatives, targeting expensive countries without segmenting, bidding for in-app actions before the account has install data, and an app store listing that loses users at the final step. Fix tracking and creatives first, they produce the biggest drop.
Yes. Google App Campaigns automate placements across Search, YouTube, Google Play and Display, which makes them one of the most accessible user acquisition channels for new apps. The keys are accurate tracking, enough creative variety for the system to test, and a realistic starting budget so the algorithm can learn.
Start with installs to build conversion volume and let the campaign learn, then graduate to in-app action bidding (signups, purchases) once you have steady daily conversions. Jumping straight to in-app actions with no data usually inflates costs. This campaign used install volume bidding to reach scale at a $0.05 CPI.
Your turn
Want installs like these for your app?
Tell us about your app and we will audit your current campaigns (or plan your launch) the same way we ran this one: tracking first, creatives second, scale third. You will get a straight answer within one business day. See our Google Ads management services for how we work, or explore our lead generation case study next.