Apple Search Ads overview

Apple Search Ads is an invaluable tool for app developers and mobile game companies looking to maximize their presence on the App Store. Maximizing the visibility potential by using search ads, which will expand the audience reach while increasing download rates.

Apple Search Ads presents powerful audience targeting capabilities, allowing advertisers to reach their desired segment with pretty nice precision. Targeting options such as age, gender, location and specific keywords can be leveraged to finely hone campaigns for maximum effectiveness in reaching the right people at the right time.

Apple Search Ads also includes granular dashboard which provides in-depth insights into campaign performance. There is also an option of API which makes it easy to integrate with other platforms. Campaign management resources are also readily available for taking full advantage of Apple’s thoughtful, data-driven solutions.

Overall Apple Search Ads is pretty powerful tool that helps boost visibility on the App Store to drive more downloads. But for maximum ROI, it’s essential to have an awareness of limitations and use these ads effectively.

ASA Placements

All placements and their details can be found here.

Apple Search Ads optimal campaign structure

To set up an effective Apple Search Ads campaign, it is recommended to have every GEO separated. There are four main keyword types. Exact, Broad, Search which we will base our campaign structure on. Each type has specific function and will require different bidding and keyword set up.

• The first campaign is the “exact match” campaign, which includes the most relevant keywords for our app set to exact match. We set it up in the following format [KEYWORD] This campaign is likely to have the highest conversion rate. We always recommend adding branded keywords to this campaign as well. These will depend on our company’s specific needs. If we have competitors targeting our brand terms, it may be beneficial to protect our brand by ensuring that we are the first listing that appears when someone searches for our brand. To do this, we can create a brand campaign and use exact match for all variations and spellings of our brand name. This will ensure that our brand is protected in search ads and organic search. We should experiment around with specific branded campaigns.

• The next two campaigns are known as “discovery campaigns.” They allow Apple to find keywords that are broadly associated with our main keywords or keywords that are relevant to our app.

  The first discovery campaign is the “broad match” campaign, which is set up within its own ad group and set to broad match. Broad match is a keyword match type in Apple Search Ads that allows our ad to show when a user’s search query includes any word in our keyword, regardless of the order or proximity of the words. This match type allows for the greatest reach, as it enables our ad to show for a wide variety of related searches. With this campaign, we’re going to target keywords from our exact match setup, but now we’re setting them as Broad match. The main keywords from exact match are set as negative exact matches within this campaign.

  The second discovery campaign is the “search match” campaign, which is set up in the same way as the broad match campaign. The “search match” campaign is a discovery campaign where Apple finds keywords that are relevant to our app. To set up this campaign, we will add the main keywords from the exact match campaign as negative exact matches under this search match campaign. Within this campaign, we will turn on the search match setting and let Apple figure out the keywords to target. This allows us to find keywords that are associated with our app without bidding on our main keywords in the exact match campaign.

The “broad match” and “search match” campaigns are the two campaigns that can be used to scale your ad campaigns. They work quite well for finding new audiences while keeping the costs down. I would not expect these campaigns to bring huge value in terms of ROAS, but they are a necessary part of the campaign mix in order to boost the volume of traffic. The “brand match” campaign is optional and is used to protect your brand by setting exact match keywords for all variations and spellings of your brand name. This is particularly useful if you have competitors going after your terms and want to ensure that your brand is protected in search results.

On average, the exact match campaign has a conversion rate of 30-40%, while the broad match campaign has a lower conversion rate of 20-35%. The brand match campaign has the highest conversion rate. These averages can be used as a starting point to help you determine the ideal cost per tap for your keywords.

Quick tip: To get the best bang for your buck, do some simple math to figure out what you should be paying per tap. Take whatever cost-per-instance amount you’re aiming f or ($2 in our example) and multiply that by 30%. That will give you an ideal starting point of $0.60 per tap! When setting up campaigns, make sure search match is only enabled on your Search Match campaign — not exact matches—then add plenty of relevant keywords (think creative titles and subtitles). Apple may even have great suggestions if needed!

here are the examples of the keywords from Apple.

Pros & Cons of Apple Search Ads

Apple Search Ads

PROS

1. Integration with the app store.
   1. As app developers look to maximize visibility and engage their users, our integration with the App Store offers an attractive solution. By streamlining ad creation and enabling targeted reach of those already searching for apps within the store – this provides a powerful opportunity for increased installs & engagement.
2. Ability to target specific keywords and phrases
   1. With focused keyword searches and themes, we can find the right users to help promote our app more effectively. By connecting with people interested in similar games or genres, we have a great chance of success.
3. Presize measurement.
   1. ASA provides detailed analytics and reporting, allowing you to track the performance of ads.

CONS

1. Limited reach
   1. Apple Search Ads is a powerful tool for App Store developers to engage with Apple users searching the store. However, it’s important to note that its reach is limited as this platform only caters towards Apple device owners – potentially constraining marketing efforts of those who want extended visibility and broad user outreach.
2. Lack of advanced targeting options.
   1. Apple Search Ads offers app developers limited targeting options to reach their desired audience, including search queries and location-based ads. Unfortunately, this may hinder their ability to optimize campaigns as more advanced demographic or behavioral targeting is not available.