Scale 2024 Fast: App Guide Jackpot for Google Play Console

Why are some apps successful in the Play Store while others fall behind? The difference is mastering one crucial tool for all Android apps: the Google Play Console.

With over 3 billion active Android devices worldwide, Google Play Console represents an incredibly high potential tool for all app developers.

Wondering how to leverage the Google Play Console to stand out? Keep reading.

This guide will provide you with the knowledge to optimize your app’s visibility, engage your target audience more effectively, and streamline your development process.

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1. What Is the Google Play Console?

Let’s start from the basics by defining the Google Play Console and highlighting its key benefits and features for developers.

The Google Play Console is the management and reporting platform for Android apps listed in the Google Play Store. It provides reliable and trustworthy data directly from Google.

The Google Play Console primarily serves two types of users:

App Developers: focused on developing, publishing, and monitoring the technical performance of their apps.
App Marketers: dedicated to optimizing their presence in the Google Play Store, improving conversion rates, and monitoring the store performance of their apps.

Key Features and Benefits for Developers

Google Play Developer Console enables developers to publish and oversee their app’s performance within the Google Play store.

Some key features of this tool include:

App Release Management: enables developers to release apps on the Google Play Store and manage their distribution across various regions and devices.
App Performance Metrics: offers metrics for developers to analyze their app’s performance, including app downloads, user ratings, and reviews.
User Acquisition Reports: provide insights into user acquisition sources, helping developers understand how users discover and install their apps.
Revenue Analytics: allows developers to track their app’s revenue, including in-app purchases and subscriptions, and analyze their revenue streams.
Monetization Options: offers various monetization methods, such as in-app ads, in-app purchases, and subscriptions, to help developers generate revenue from their apps.
App Quality Analysis: assists developers in analyzing their app’s quality and identifying potential issues, such as crashes or ANRs (Application Not Responding).
Developer Console APIs: allows developers to automate tasks and integrate their workflows with third-party services using Google Play Console APIs.
Test and Debugging Tools: tools for testing and debugging, such as alpha and beta testing, to help developers test their apps before public release.
Store Listing Experiments: developers can test different app icons, screenshots, and descriptions to determine which perform best.
Localization Tools: help developers translate their apps into different languages and reach a global audience.

NB: To achieve 100% accurate measurement and tracking, the best solutions are MMPs and ASO-specific tools such as AppTweak, AppRadar, SplitMetrics, and more.

Check out our guide on ASO tools for 2024 and get yourself started.

2. How To Get Started with Google Play Console

After a brief overview, let’s explore Google Play Console’s setups and how you can navigate its dashboard.

Setting Up Your Developer Account

To use the Google Play Console, developers must sign up for a developer account with Google, which involves a $25 one-time registration fee. Once registered, developers can create or manage new apps by adding them to the console.

Developers can use the console to analyze user behavior and engagement, including app usage metrics and crash reports, to optimize an app’s performance in the Google Play Store.

The console also allows developers to manage the app’s store listing, including updating the app’s description, screenshots, and pricing information.

Navigating the Dashboard: A Beginner’s Guide

You’ll see the main dashboard when you log into your Google Play Console account and select your app. This dashboard includes inbox messages, an overview of statistics, and a left sidebar with additional options.

The main dashboard provides an overview of your app’s performance, state of health, and technical stability. Here, you can check:

Selected KPIs include new users acquired, revenue, lost users, app crashes, and daily ratings.
Store listing performance, including traffic sources, conversion rates, and top countries.
Android vitals data.
Ratings and Reviews Overview.
Pre-launch services.
App size.
Other relevant elements to your app.

Overview of the Google Play Console’s dashboard. Source JMango360

3. How To Publish Your App on Google Play Console

Now, let’s examine the process for publishing your Android app on the Google Play Console.

Preparing Your App for Submission

Before publishing your app on the Google Play Store, consider a few preliminary things.

First of all, make sure you have high-quality app screenshots, app descriptions, and the compiled APK (Android Application Package) ready as you proceed with uploading your app to Google Play.

Read our article about Google Play screenshots and sizes to learn more about this topic.

Experts recommend enrolling in Play App Signing if you plan to submit an Android App Bundle. This service securely stores your app signing key on Google’s infrastructure and offers various security enhancements.

Be aware of the compressed download size limit. Google Play supports compressed app downloads of up to 150 MB or less. If your app exceeds this limit, you must eliminate unused code and resources and apply other app-minimizing techniques to reduce its size.

The Publishing Process

We will now see all the most important steps in publishing an Android app via Google Play Console.

Note: If your app involves in-app purchases, connect your Google Play Console developer’s account to a Google Merchant Account and follow Google’s advice for its setup.

Step 1 – Create the Application

For creating an application, there are a few essential steps that you need to follow:

Click on – Menu > All applications.
Select the “Create Application” option.

Next, the Google Play Console will ask you to enter basic app details, such as:

App Name
Default language
App or game (to differentiate if your app is a game or not)
Free or paid

Here’s how your screen would look like:

Step 2 – Google Play Store Listing

The next step in uploading your app to the Google Play Console is to fill in the essential information for the application listing.

After clicking ‘Create App,’ the Play Console will guide you to a consolidated dashboard where you’ll need to enter the necessary details to set up your app.

Google Play Console will then ask you to specify your app’s name, provide a short description, and add a full description (up to 4000 characters). Here, you can start adding relevant keywords so that your app reaches the right audiences.

In the next stage, some further details will be required. Here’s a list of them:

Screenshots (2 to 8 in number, JPG, or PNG. The ratio shouldn’t exceed 2:)
Icon (512 X 512, PNG, maximum file size: 1024KB)
Localization
Application type and categorization
Contact details
Privacy Policy

Need help with keyword research or optimizing your app’s profile? Discover our App Store Optimization services.

Step 3 – Content Rating

The next critical step is completing the content rating questionnaire. Without a content rating, Google will classify your app as Underrated and may remove it from the Google Play Store.

After clicking on the content rating option, you’ll need to go to “Start Questionnaire” and fill in the pieces of information regarding the category of your app (game, social media, etc.) and other app specifics, such as the following ones:

Step 4 – Upload Your App

Uploading the APK to the Google Play Console is the first step in publishing your app and submitting it for Google’s review.

Before uploading, decide on the release type. You can choose between:

Internal Test (up to 100 testers).
Closed Test (specific group).
Production Release (all Play Store users in chosen countries.
Open Test (Google Play App Testers and users who join from your listing).

After deciding, go to the dashboard and select “Create a new release.”

After selecting “Create a new release,” you’ll be redirected to a dashboard where you can upload the app bundles and the release details.

After entering all details, confirm everything is correct. Navigate to the ‘App Releases’ tab, select ‘Manage Production,’ then ‘Edit Release.’ Click ‘Review,’ then ‘Start rollout to production,’ and finally, ‘Confirm.’

Your app is now successfully uploaded to the Google Play Store.

Wait for Google to review and approve your app, which can take from a few hours to up to 7 days. Be prepared for both successful publishing and necessary revisions.

Common Areas to Avoid in App Submission

While publishing your app, you want to ensure it complies with Google Play Console’s guidelines.

That’s why you should avoid anything related to deceptive behavior (false or misleading information or claims to describe your app), impersonation, or restricted content (such as sexually explicit content, hate speech, etc.).

For more information about best practices on Play Console, visit this Google Support page.

4. Monetize Your App through the Google Play Console

Now that you have published your app let’s see how you can monetize it.

Overview of Monetization Options

In the Google Play Console monetization section, you can find three main options: Products, Promo Codes, and Financial reports.

First and foremost, there’s the Products section, which involves three main subtabs:

App Pricing is useful for setting your app’s price if it’s not free.
In-App Products, where you can create products for sale, such as premium content or extra benefits.
Subscriptions that offer recurring or prepaid content or services, like a news app with gated content.

Setting Up In-App Purchases and Subscriptions

You’ll need to use the Promo Codes section to manage promotional codes and encourage in-app purchases.

This tab is pretty straightforward; if your app supports in-app purchases, you can give customers promo codes to motivate them to use one of your offers.

Analyzing Revenue Data

Finally, you’ll need to use the Financial Reports tab to analyze revenues and your financial performance in general.

Here you’ll be able to see:

Total revenue, revenue per user, and the number of buyers.
Strategic guidance on in-app product monetization and new opportunities.
Subscription details, including retention and cancellations.
In-depth revenue and buyer analysis.
Conversion rates by cohort.

5. Understanding Advanced Features and Tools

This section will explore some advanced features that will allow you to master the Google Play Console.

A/B Testing

To run an A/B test, log in to your Google Play Console account, select your app, and go to the “Store listing experiments” tab under “Store presence.”

First, name your experiment with a descriptive title to easily identify it later.

Next, choose the store listing type to test. If you don’t use Custom store listing pages, your only option will be the Main store listing.

Finally, select the experiment type, targeting your default language or opting for a localized experiment.

Set Your A/B Testing Goals

You must fine-tune your settings to let your A/B test work properly. Here’s a list of things you should keep in mind:

Target Metric: choose between Retained first-time installers and First-time installers. Retained first-time installers should focus on users who keep your app for at least a day.
Variants: select the number of variants to test against the current store listing. Testing a single variant finishes faster. Start with one variant until you’re comfortable with the tool.
Experiment Audience: decide what percentage of store visitors will see the experimental variant versus the current listing. Traffic is split equally among variants in multi-variant tests.
Minimum Detectable Effect (MDE): choose a preset percentage to determine the number of installs needed for a successful test. Google Play provides estimates based on your selection.
Confidence Level: select from four confidence intervals. A higher confidence level means more accurate results but requires more installs. A 95% confidence level is recommended.
Completion Conditions: review when your experiment will likely finish in days and the number of first-time installers needed. Adjust estimates by clicking “Edit estimates”.

Variant Configuration

Next, choose the attribute to test and design your test variants.

One attribute at a time for each localization should be tested.

Depending on the number of variants selected earlier, you’ll have one or more variants to customize. Each variant should have a unique name and the text or image to be tested against the current store listing.

Your variant configuration panel will look like this:

Beta Testing and Pre-Launch Reports

By running beta tests on the Google Play Console, developers can gather feedback from real users and ensure the app performs well across different devices and conditions.

Pre-launch reports provide detailed insights into crashes, performance, and security vulnerabilities, helping to optimize the app’s stability and user experience.

This approach enhances the likelihood of a successful launch and positive reception on the Google Play Store.

Looking for ways to make your user app onboarding process smoother? Download our ebook about this topic and become an onboarding master.

Using the Play Console to Enhance App Security

Google Play provides its users with the App Security Improvement program.

The program offers tips and recommendations for building more secure apps and identifies potential security enhancements when your apps are uploaded to Google Play.

So far, it has helped developers fix over 1,000,000 apps on Google Play.

Localization and Global Expansion Tips

You can add translations for your app’s store listing page, APK files, strings, or in-app products to offer a localized experience for users worldwide.

These translations can be added manually, purchased through Google Play Console, or generated using Play Console’s free machine translation service for select languages.

6. Keeping Up With Google Play Console Policies

It’s almost mandatory for your app to stay updated with Google Play Console’s policies if you want it to succeed.

At the end of our guide, we will learn how to navigate the Play Console’s policies in 2024 and some tips for keeping your app always available.

Navigating the Latest Google Play Policies in 2024

Before releasing your app, you need to provide Google with the following information on the content of your app:

Data safety is where you must share your app’s privacy and security practices.
Privacy policy submission.
If your app contains ads.
App access instructions, if you use login and authentication forms.
A content rating that you receive from official rating authorities.
Who is your target audience.
If you have a news app.

Submitting all this information promptly will enable you to launch your app without limitations.

Compliance Tips to Keep Your App Always Available

To ensure your app remains available on Google Play, regularly review its policies and update it to meet new requirements.

Include accurate app descriptions, avoid misleading content, and ensure user privacy by implementing robust data protection practices.

Address flagged issues promptly and maintain transparency about app permissions and data usage. By staying compliant, you can prevent your app from being removed and maintain a trustworthy presence on the platform.

Conclusion: Maximizing Your Success with Google Play Console

Google Play Console is an essential tool for all developers and marketers who want to succeed in the app market, specifically on Google Play.

Throughout this guide, we discussed Google Play Console’s essentials, how to publish your app via the Play Console, how to monetize it, and how to comply with its policies.

If you want to improve your Play Store optimization or need help boosting your app, contact us today!

FAQ

1. How to Delete Google Play Console Account?

Google Play Console does not offer a direct option to delete your account from the interface. You will need to contact Google Play Console support for assistance.

2. How to Change Google Play Console Language?

To change the language in the Admin console, you need to update your preferred language for Google services.

3. What is Google Play Console Used For?

The Google Play Console allows app developers and marketers to understand better their apps’ growth, technical performance, such as crashes or display issues, and financials.