Google to show ads on its mobile app store

Google will soon be showing ads on its mobile app store, called Google Play, in an effort to generate more revenue in the smartphone and tablet markets.

Advertisements shown will be similar to the marketing links that Google displays next to its search results.

The tech giant announced the advertising expansion on Thursday. On its official Android Developers Blog the company said that it “will begin piloting sponsored search results on Google Play, bringing our unique expertise in search ads to the store.”

“In the coming weeks, a limited set of users will begin to see ads from a pilot group of advertisers who are already running Google search ads for their apps. We’ll have more to share in the coming months about the expansion of this program as we look at the results and feedback. We believe search ads will be a useful addition to Google Play for users and developers alike, and we hope this will bring even more success to our developer community.”

Google’s ad revenue could surge now that it is entering app advertising. In 2014 it posted ad revenue of $59 billion – 17 percent higher than the year before.

It is going to allow the company to profit from its Android software, which is currently the world’s most most used operating system for smartphones – there are over one billion people with Android devices.

It gives developers the ability to promote their apps and increase exposure

Google also noted that developers will benefit from promoting their content.

“Search ads on Google Play will enable developers to drive more awareness of their apps and provide consumers new ways to discover apps that they otherwise might have missed.”

Allowing developers to promote their apps in the Play store will give Google a chance to compete directly with Facebook.

Facebook has experienced huge success in letting app developers promote their apps in its mobile advertising space.