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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 t

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

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 comprehen

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 co

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.

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 discus

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, São 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 significant

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 mar

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.