Google is aiming to make it easier for marketers to promote applications via mobile advertising with a new round of tools, including bidding tools and ad formats.

Although mobile advertising can be effective at getting users to notice and download an app, discovery continues to be one of the biggest issues for marketers. In addition to the new advertising tools, Google has also released its YouTube app for iPhone and iPod touch devices.

"Our goal is to help advertisers with apps drive valuable installs at scale and promote their apps in a way that makes them stand out from the crowd,? said Chrix Finne, product manager of mobile ads at Google, Mountain View, CA.

Promote on mobile
Google has extended its Conversion Optimizer, which was previously only available for search and display, to mobile app campaigns.

Marketers can now set a target cost per acquisition goal versus a cost per click bid. The tool then uses conversion data to place bids that hit the CPA as close as possible with a high volume of ads.

Depending on the campaign, Google claims that campaigns using Conversion Optimizer can see up to a 20 percent decrease in the cost per install.

Google has also updated its text ad formats for iOS and Android devices to include more information about apps advertised. These are aimed at driving more downloads as well.

Text scrolls across the ad with information such as app reviews, ratings when a user now taps on an app download ad. From there, consumers can click through to download the app from the app store that supports their device?s operating system.

Again, Google claims that by including this type of information, the cost per conversion for a campaign can decrease by 25 percent.

App downloads continue to be a top goal of marketers using mobile advertising. By including more information in an ad unit, consumers may be more inclined to tap on a mobile ad without leaving an app or mobile site to learn more about it.

The new app download ad formats

Mobile views
In addition to the new advertising tools, Google has also launched its YouTube app for iPhone and iPod touch devices.

Earlier this year, Apple announced that it would remove Google?s YouTube app in its iOS 6 operating software, showing a deeper divide between the two competitors. Up until Apple?s new release, the YouTube app had been built into all iOS devices (see story).

Mobile makes up 25 percent of YouTube?s traffic or one billion views per day, showing the healthy appetite from consumers to watch content from their devices.

Consumers can download the app from Apple?s App Store for free.

New features on the app include more music videos from musicians and lets users share videos via SMS, Facebook and Google +.

In the coming months, Google plans to roll out the app for iPads.

?The new app brings more videos, easier ways to find channels and videos and more ways to share videos. For now, we're excited to see where this goes,? said Matt McLernon, spokesman for Google.

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is associate reporter on Mobile Marketer, New York