Apple Search Ads have launched

Since its anticipated announcement back in June at WWDC, Apple Search Ads has finally been launched. App developers and app marketers who have signed up and set their ad campaigns will now see them inside the US App Store.

For a limited time only Apple will also be giving advertisers a $100 credit for signing up to Search Ads.

Why use Search Ads

We all know that keeping your app at the top of search results takes work and that’s for those of you who can get your apps to the top to begin with. There are countless numbers of you struggling just to get your apps noticed full stop.  Currently 65% of iOS app downloads_come from organic searches on the App Store, which means those of you whose apps don’t feature near the top have a hard time competing. With the introduction of Search Ads you can now _buy visibility, increasing your chances of getting found in the App Store

How Search Ads Works

Once you have created an ad, Apple will automatically match it to relevant searches using its default feature, Search Match, so you won’t need to spend time looking for keyword possibilities. However you also get the option to input your own keywords, something we currently recommend for our clients as it gives you more control when it comes to targeting. We suggest you decide whether you want to use your ad to acquire new customers or target existing ones and then choose your keywords along with other targeting options such as age, gender, device type and location based on this. You can also choose specific times and days when you want your ad to be shown.

Required items:

  • Target app
  • Campaign name
  • Campaign budget
  • Ad Group Name
  • Default max bid

Customisation options:

  • People who have or have not downloaded your app
  • Negative keywords
  • Age & gender
  • Location – city or state
  • Bidding keywords
  • Big type (CPC or CPA)
  • Ad scheduling
  • Maximum daily spend

Investment

Regarding budget, there is no minimum spend and pricing is on an auction basis. You bid the maximum amount you are willing to pay for a customer to click on your ad and the final charge will be based on the amount your nearest competitor is willing to pay for their ad. It is important to know how much a new customer is worth and estimate a conversion rate, as this will help you work out your initial maximum cost.

The main take away is ensuring your Paid Search terms work together with Organic Search terms, as Apple states ‘metadata matters’. Optimized keywords, titles and visuals will help improve your apps relevancy and will be the overall deciding factor of being visible inside the App Store.

We have been predicting Search Ads in the app store for some time, which is why our ASO strategy is designed to work in harmony with Search Ads and maximise the efficiency of your ad spend

We are already seeing excellent results in Search Ads. For help managing your account contact us

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