Joshua Dreller
Sr. Director, Content Marketing @ Skai
Joshua Dreller
Sr. Director, Content Marketing @ Skai
70% of App Store visitors use search to discover apps which is why Apple Search Ads are essential for developers marketing them. People spend more than 85% of their time on smartphones using apps, and the average person has at least 80 apps on their phone.
Apps are a primary focus of consumers’ attention, which is why Apple Search Ads are critical. However, there is limited space for search results, and it’s not as simple to use as other ad platforms, but it can be extremely successful when used correctly.
We have created this ultimate guide so you can learn all about Apple Search Ads, how to use them, why they are essential, the valuable benefits of using them, and how to develop a strategy for success. You can use the links below to jump to any section.
Apple Search Ads are search results on the App Store that come from paid advertising. They show up at the top when someone searches for an app, and what sets them apart is a blue background and the word “Ad.” Apple started its search ads in 2016 to help developers market their applications.
Apple Search Ads aim to match customers with the most appropriate app for their search criteria. Apple says more than 600 million people access the App Store weekly. Conversion rates on Apple Search Ads are typically much higher than with traditional advertising. The platform uses an auction-style system of bids, and the keywords with the highest number of bids show up on top. Relevancy also plays a significant role in how ads are ranked.
Marketers have two options. With Apple Search Ads Basics, you can spend up to $10,000 per app per month and advertise up to 50 apps — with intelligent automation doing most of the work. With Apple Search Ads Advanced, there is no budget limit, and you can promote as many apps as you want. You can also manage your bids, and target audiences, regions, and keywords. To be successful, you need to understand consumer behaviors on the App Store.
Apple Search Ads are different from other types of advertising, and it’s essential to know how it works and how people use them. Unlike traditional search engines, keywords are shorter and more exact for better matches on Apple Search Ads. Users typically search using a single word.
Apple Search Ads are a crucial tool in a marketing professional’s toolbox and can be highly effective in getting apps noticed and downloaded.
The app marketplace is highly competitive, and to be successful, you must stand out and promote your apps effectively. Digital marketing itself is hard enough, but marketing apps in an ocean of similar products can be overwhelming and appear out of reach unless you know the ins and outs. Today’s saturated market makes it that much harder to compete, but if you know how to use Apple Search Ads to your advantage, it could be the thing that sets you apart.
Marketing professionals use various ad platforms to promote products and services, including paid search, paid social, and retail media. However, these other platforms work very differently than Apple Search Ads, which target particular audiences who are on the App Store looking for ways to solve their unique needs with apps. Generally, they aren’t just “browsing.” They are prepared to buy. Therefore, Apple Search Ads conversion rates are much higher than other ad platforms. According to Cision PR Newswire, conversion rates on Apple Search Ads since 2020 have increased from an average of 50% to 62.22%.
A high conversion rate is an excellent reason to use Apple Search Ads, but other benefits are also worth exploring.
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The benefits of Apple Search Ads include higher-than-average conversion rates, more engaged users, an affordable way to market your apps, and an easy-to-use platform. Let’s take a deeper dive into each one of these benefits.
On average, Apple Search Ads match your ad with people based on a direct signal of their intent — their search term —delivering an average conversion rate of over
60%!
Apple uses a very advanced Search Match algorithm to match apps with users. Apple cares deeply about relevance and uses keywords to help people find exactly what they are looking for on the App Store. These methods keep users engaged and build trust with the Apple brand that you can piggyback on by hosting your app on the App Store.
Although you need to understand how bidding works and how to use Basics or Advanced, the Apple Search Ads platform is very straightforward and pretty easy to use.
With more than 1.45 billion iPhone users worldwide, you can branch out into other markets and regions. The App Store reaches every user on their own device, making it easy for you to target specific audiences and inspire them to try your app.
When using Apple Search Ads, you can choose between two solutions: Basic and Advanced.
Apple Search Ads Basic gives you a budget of $10,000/month per app. You can promote up to 50 apps at a time. Apple Search Ads Basic works best for advertisers who want a simple setup and affordable pricing. With Apple Search Ads Basic, you don’t have to define your audience or keywords; Apple Search Ads will take care of everything for you based on your app pages. It serves up the most relevant apps with users looking for specific functionality.
Apple Search Ads Basic does all the work for you, but it also limits your ability to customize your ads. When setting up Basic, all you have to do is set your campaign goal and your budget. You can choose which countries to run your ads.
Apple Search Ads Advanced offers more choices and complete control over your ads. You can target your audience on a granular level and use keywords that work for you. You can also control your ad groups, targeting, budgets, schedules, creative sets, and custom reports. You can promote your ads on the Search tab.
There are also other placements besides search results ads that you can use to reach users throughout the App Store user journey. Here’s more information about each placement option:
Although you get much more with Advanced, you also need to know what you are doing and have an excellent strategy to get the most out of your ads. If you are new to Apple Search Ads, you might want help from experts who fully understand the platform.
Apple Search Ads Advanced gives marketers the option of using Search Match or controlling their audience and campaigns themselves. It’s priced according to a cost-per-click (CPC) model.
Although you can use both Basics and Advanced, most marketing professionals choose one or the other. There is no advantage to using them simultaneously.
Although not overly complicated, Apple Search Ads will be easier to use if you understand the basic fundamentals of how they work. Let’s dive into each element and discuss how to use them to your advantage.
Keywords. Apple Search Ads allow marketers to bid on keywords the same way they would using PPC ads. Apple offers a default “broad match” search technique to reach the widest audience. The broad match system also employs foreign language tools to match keywords. You can also use the “exact match” option, which gives you more control over your keywords and how Apple will match search terms with your product. Advertisers can also use negative keywords to limit search results for their apps.
Creative Sets. Unlike other platforms, marketers cannot upload images or text for their ads. Instead, Apple offers creative sets where you can customize your Apple Search Ads. Creative Sets gives you a way to craft ads based on specific audiences or keywords you are targeting. You can choose up to 10 Creative Sets for each ad group. Apple Search Ads groups screenshots and previews of your app pulled from your product pages. It’s essential to manage your product pages closely to ensure that your ads accurately reflect what you want your customers to see, such as specific app functions. However, you are limited to 35 custom pages on the App Store.
Targeting Groups/Customer Types. Search results ads enable you to target groups of users based on types or their interaction with your app. For example, you can target new users who haven’t yet tried your app, returning users, or those who use some of your other apps. This feature is convenient for segmenting the right audience for your ads.
Bidding. Bidding works like other auction-based platforms; you choose an amount based on the highest you are willing to pay for a click. Typically, the highest bid (and most relevant) wins the auction and appears at the top of search results on the App Store. It’s essential to plan your bidding process strategically, and you can find dozens of resources online to help you do this.
Device Segmentation. Another handy setting is the ability to target users of specific devices, such as tablets. You can adjust your bids based on device type, and Apple Search Ads will automatically serve your ads to users of the correct device.
Location Segmentation. Often, advertisers want to promote a specific region. Using Apple Search Ads, you can target users in a certain country or region where you set the parameters.
Ad Tracking. Apple Search Ads only keeps track of downloads, not any in-app events. You will need to use a third-party metrics system for that.
Ad Scheduling. You have complete control over when your ad appears in Apple Search Ads using the scheduling feature. You can refine your schedule to include months, days, and the time of day.
Although Apple Search Ads is an effective marketing tool, you must plan ahead and develop a solid Apple Search Ads strategy to get the most out of your investment.
Some tips for creating an effective marketing strategy include:
The App Store ads appear at the top of search results with a blue background. If you use Apple Search Ads Advanced, you can also see your ads appearing in the suggested apps search tab.
An ad group is a targeted group of users you want for your ad. It might be a demographic group (males aged 18-25) or a specific country or region. Once you set up your ad group, those users who fit the profile will be shown your ads.
It works like other auction platforms or PPC tools. You set a maximum bid amount for how much you are willing to pay per click or download, and if yours is the most relevant, Apple Search Ads will choose and display your ad in search results.
Search Match is the default feature in Apple Search Ads Advanced. The feature automatically matches your ads with the most relevant users. It takes all the guesswork out of coming up with effective keywords and targeted audience groups. Search Match uses metadata from the App Store listing, competitors’ ads, and other search criteria to make it work.
Your dashboard will allow you to see how your ads perform and check things like:
The chart displays the last seven days of activity, but you can change the time period to see more data.
Today’s marketers are as busy as ever! It’s important to have the right tech foundation in place to help you quickly scale your campaigns, leverage automation to take on repetitive tasks so your team can focus on more strategic functions, and generally make it much easier to manage big programs.
As part of Skai’s omnichannel marketing platform, our App Marketing solution helps your app stand out among millions in the top stores with Apple Search Ads, Google Universal App Campaigns, and more. Skai leverages an advanced algorithm based on AI and machine learning to ensure your ads reach your target users. Increase installs and user acquisition with streamlined automation, optimization, and reporting.
Client results include:
To learn more, please schedule a quick demo with our helpful team.
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