If you are an app developer or marketer, your creation must be published on the Google play store through the Google play console. But did you know that the play console is more than just a platform to publish apps on the Google play store? It is a tool that can also be used to check organic rankings and audience acquisition through first-party data.
Google play console is a data management and analysis platform for all android apps that are to be published on the Google play store. If you are wondering whether the reports you get are reliable, the data is directly from Google itself. The dashboard displays important performance indicators like the number of downloads, daily users, region-wise downloads, and so on. For all app developers and marketers, Google play console can be a great tool to plan and optimize apps for the Google play store. So, if you are in for learning more about the Google play console, tag along as we share more about the tool!
What Is Google Play Console?
Google play developer console, aka Google play console, is a tool used by android app developers and marketers to publish, update and market their apps on Google play store. But what many people need to learn about this platform is that it is not just for promoting the final draft on Google play store app. Google play console is a management tool that provides data on key performance indicators. The data comes directly from Google and is displayed on the app’s dashboard.
Now, there are two sorts of people who can benefit from all this data; app developers and app marketers. Developers can use the KPIs’ help to make changes in the code and update the app according to what the users like. The app marketers can optimize the app’s description and the marketing tactics used for the app. Each user can select various KPIs based on their requirements for updates.
Moreover, there are filters for the statistics tab based on region, ratings, devices, and so on. For the developers, there is a reviews section, a production tab (which portrays the release performance indicators, regions where the app is live, and other information), a testing tab (for all the testing and reviews reports), an app bundle explorer, and various other options. In short, the Google play console developer tool is a highly useful platform for developers and app marketers.
How to use Google Play Console?
If you have an app, you must be searching for ways to correctly use the Google play developer console to get the maximum audience for the app. Using this tool is pretty simple once you get your hands on it. There are various sections and tabs on the dashboard that you can choose to see or not. Let’s look at all of them and learn how to use them.
Main Dashboard
As you log in to your account and select the app you wish to get all the management data for, you will have the main dashboard on the screen along with inbox messages overview of the KPIs, and on the left, there is a sidebar with many other options. The main dashboard has comprehensive information regarding your app. It consists of the KPIs (you get to select all indicators you wish to see), listing performances (conversion rates, traffic sources, highest performing regions, etc.), android vitals, ratings, app size, and so on. As a developer or marketer, you must know how to utilize all this information.
Statistics
Next, as a developer, you will wish to compare the performance alongside getting data-driven statistics points. That is why the statistics tab contains multiple data points you can go through to get all the necessary information. Some data points you select for the statistics tab are; user data, install and uninstall events, engagement, ratings, quality, monetization, pre-launch ratings, and the Google play store listing performance. Now as you have your data points, you can also add the filters related to the region, language, device type, android version, app version, carrier, and so on. In short, the Google play console developer tool allows easy reporting and analysis of the app.
How to Publish Apps through Google Play Developer Console?
As a developer, the most important task is getting the app published and getting engagement. The first step to achieving that is publishing the android app on the Google play store.
Now, as you have learned the answer to ‘how do I open my Google play console dashboard,’ you should also know how to publish apps. You will see this dashboard only when you successfully publish the apps. The simple steps to publish your app and manage the KPIs are:
1. Create an account and use the Google play console login to get the dashboard. Now, as you must have finished the draft for the app, prepare for the pre-release.
2. Set up the app on the dashboard through prompted options.
3. You will have the option to inspect the app version. Do it using app bundle explorer, and roll out a pre-release for the app.
4. After these steps, the dashboard turns active as you complete the Google play console signing for the app.
5. Keep checking the dashboard and statistics and decide if you wish to make changes to the app or release it as it is.
6. After completing the changes, if any, declare all the required app permissions from the users.
7. Now, the beta testers will publish the reviews about your app, and after going through them, you are ready to release the final version on Google play store.
Now there are three releases you can set up through your Google play console login. One is app publishing, where you get to see the status of the app’s availability and who gets to use the app. The updated publishing status is in play when the developers update the app and roll it out to the audience. The third part is item update, related to the addition or omission of a specific item or part in the update.
Can I Download An APK from Google Play Console?
As a developer, you can download the generated APK of the application through a Google play console developer login. Downloading the generated APK is a part of the update publication part. The developer must first create a new edit (use edits: insert) and then specify the app you wish to update. Select the uploaded bundle you wish to publish and make the input edits.bundles : upload.
Now, you should be careful about not directly releasing the updated version to the public. Use the command edits.track : update to assign the update bundle to a track. Then make the edits on the draft and download the generated APK from the bundle you uploaded. The steps are prompted in the API for the same.
Now process the APK, and if you wish any changes, repeat step one. After you are done, roll out the final release using edits.tracks: an update.
With us so far? If reading all this seems boring, you can also watch this very helpful video for a brief guide to Google play console for an app marketer!
Conclusion
Now that you have learned about the various steps involved in releasing, updating, and optimizing an app through the Google play console, what are your thoughts about the tool? It is an easy-to-use and highly intuitive tool that can help developers and app marketers improve an app’s performance on the Google play store app. Multiple KPIs and statistics are useful in understanding the app’s performance. You can easily roll out updates through easy commands and ensure that your app is up to date with what the audience requires.
All of this can be done on a regional basis to satisfy audiences from different regions with the app and dwell more with it. So, for all the app developers and marketers, the Google play developer console is a very important tool.
