ARAFAT AMAN ALIM

Posted on Aug 14

🚀 Google AdMob Guide – How to Monetize Your Mobile App Like a Pro

#mobileads #reactnative #appmonetization #googleadmob

Google AdMob is a mobile advertising platform that helps app developers earn revenue by displaying ads inside their apps.
Think of it as renting out a small piece of your app’s interface to advertisers — and getting paid for it.

🔗 Official Website: admob.google.com
🔗 Help Center: support.google.com/admob

🚀 Why Use Google AdMob?

Global Reach: Access millions of advertisers via Google’s ad network.
Multiple Ad Formats: From small banners to immersive videos.
Cross-Platform: Works for Android, iOS, Unity, and more.
Powerful Targeting: Show ads that fit your audience’s interests.
Easy Integration: SDKs and libraries for popular frameworks like React Native.

📊 Types of Ads in AdMob

AdMob offers five main ad formats. Choosing the right type depends on your app’s design and user flow.

1️⃣ Banner Ads – Steady & Non-Intrusive

What are they? Small rectangular ads that stick to the top or bottom of the screen.
Best for: Continuous low-impact revenue while users browse content.
Example: A weather app shows a banner at the bottom while users check forecasts.

🔗 Banner Ads Guide

2️⃣ Interstitial Ads – Full-Screen Impact

What are they? Large image or video ads that cover the whole screen at natural breaks.
Best for: Games between levels, news apps between articles, or after key user actions.
Example: After a user finishes reading an article, an interstitial ad appears before loading the next one.

🔗 Interstitial Ads Guide

3️⃣ Rewarded Ads – User-Opt-In Engagement

What are they? Ads users watch voluntarily in exchange for a reward.
Best for: In-game bonuses, unlocking premium features, or offering extra content.
Example: A user watches a 30-second video to unlock a bonus feature in a productivity app.

🔗 Rewarded Ads Guide

4️⃣ Native Ads – Blend Seamlessly with Your UI

What are they? Ads styled to match your app’s look and feel, labeled as “Ad” or “Sponsored.”
Best for: News feeds, social media-style timelines, or discovery sections.
Example: A travel app’s article list includes a sponsored post for a flight booking service.

🔗 Native Ads Guide

5️⃣ App Open Ads – Instant Attention Grabbers

What are they? Full-screen ads shown when launching or returning to an app.
Best for: High-traffic apps that are opened frequently.
Example: A quick ad appears when opening a fitness tracking app before showing the dashboard.

🔗 App Open Ads Guide

🛠 How to Add AdMob to Your React Native App

We’ll use the react-native-google-mobile-ads library for integration.

Step 1: Create an AdMob Account

Go to admob.google.com and sign in with your Google account.
Add your app for Android and/or iOS.
Create Ad Units (e.g., banner, interstitial).
Save your App ID and Ad Unit IDs.

🔗 Create Ad Units

Step 2: Install the AdMob Library

npm install react-native-google-mobile-ads
# or
yarn add react-native-google-mobile-ads

Step 3: Configure Your App

Android: Update AndroidManifest.xml with your App ID.
iOS: Update Info.plist.
Expo: Add it to app.json.

Initialize the SDK early:

import mobileAds from 'react-native-google-mobile-ads';

mobileAds()
  .initialize()
  .then(() => console.log('AdMob is ready!'));

Step 4: Display an Ad (Example – Banner)

import { BannerAd, BannerAdSize, TestIds } from 'react-native-google-mobile-ads';

const adUnitId = __DEV__ ? TestIds.BANNER : 'YOUR_REAL_AD_UNIT_ID';

<BannerAd
  unitId={adUnitId}
  size={BannerAdSize.FULL_BANNER}
  onAdLoaded={() => console.log('Banner loaded')}
  onAdFailedToLoad={(err) => console.log('Failed to load ad', err)}
/>

💡 Pro Tip: Always use TestIds during development to avoid account issues.

Step 5: Test & Go Live

✅ Check ads load without breaking your layout.
✅ Ensure ads don’t block important UI.
✅ Replace test IDs with real IDs before release.

🎯 Controlling Ad Relevance

While you can’t pick specific advertisers, you can manage categories:

Allow relevant topics (e.g., “Technology,” “Education”).
Block sensitive ones (e.g., “Gambling,” “Politics”).

🔗 Blocking Controls

🔒 Privacy & Compliance

If your app serves users in regions with strict privacy laws (like GDPR in Europe or CCPA in California):

Get user consent for personalized ads.
Offer a non-personalized ad option.

🔗 User Consent Guide

✅ Key Takeaways

Pick ad formats that match your app’s flow.
Use category filters to keep ads relevant.
Test ads in staging with Google’s test IDs.
Respect user experience — don’t overload with ads.

With the right setup, Google AdMob can turn your app into a steady revenue generator without sacrificing usability.

DEV Community