Apple Search Ads management that pays for installs you can keep
Many people find new apps by typing into the App Store search bar, and the ad sits above the organic results. Apple Search Ads management puts your app there for the right queries, with a vetted specialist on bids and a project manager watching user value.
Free, no obligation. A senior project manager walks you through the analysis.
What you get
You get App Store campaigns split by intent, bids set against what a new user is worth, and a clear view of which keywords bring paying users.
What the work includes
What an Apple Search Ads specialist does in place of an agency
One specialist runs your App Store campaigns, keywords and bids. Your project manager sets the target cost per install with you, approves any structural change and walks through the report with you each month.
At the start
Attribution and campaign structure
The specialist connects attribution through Apple's framework or your measurement partner, then splits campaigns into brand, category, competitor and discovery keywords so each one gets its own bids.
Every week
Keywords, bids and search terms
The specialist mines discovery search terms for new exact keywords, turns irrelevant queries into negatives and moves bids based on cost per install and what users do in the app later.
Every month
User value and the report
The report puts cost per install next to trial starts, purchases or retention for each keyword group, then says where to add budget and which keywords to cut.
Scope of work
What the scope of App Store ads includes
The service is for companies with an iOS app that earns money after the install: subscription apps, fintech and banking, fitness and health, dating, games, food ordering, travel and retail apps with a loyalty program. Brand campaigns alone protect your name from competitors bidding on it. If your app is still in beta or has no way to measure what users do after installing, the free analysis will flag that first.
Scope starts with how many countries and languages you run in and which attribution setup you use. Then come custom product pages: do they exist, or does your design team still need to plan them? Another question is whether Search Ads runs next to Google App campaigns or Meta. Your project manager settles it after the analysis and widens it as new markets or features go live.
Metrics this work is built to improve
- Cost per install
- Tap to install conversion rate
- Impression share on priority keywords
Typical scope
- Attribution through Apple or your partner
- Brand, category and competitor campaigns
- Discovery campaigns and search term mining
- Negative keyword lists
- Custom product pages per ad group
- Monthly report on install value
You agree on the scope with your senior project manager before work begins, and the same person oversees it from start to finish.
How we match
You don't pick the marketer. A senior project manager with 15+ years of experience does.
What to know
What to know about Apple Search Ads before you start
Apple Search Ads works a lot like paid search, with one difference that changes everything: the ad is built from your App Store listing. The screenshots, icon, subtitle and in-app events people see are your creative, so you have to work on the listing and the campaign together. Custom product pages let each ad group show its own set of screenshots, so a fitness app can show yoga screens to people searching for yoga.
We see the same mistakes in account after account. Brand and generic keywords share one campaign, so cheap brand installs hide the expensive ones. Broad match is on in every ad group and there are no negatives. Bids follow cost per install, and nobody checks what those users do next. Another is leaving your own brand name unprotected while a competitor bids on it and takes the spot above your listing.
The specialist handles structure, keywords, bids and search term mining. Your project manager approves structural changes and budget moves and works with whoever owns your App Store listing, so screenshots and campaigns stay in sync. Once a month you see cost per install next to trials, purchases or retention by keyword group and decide where budget goes next.
We match a specialist to your task
Request a free analysis, and a senior project manager will match a Apple Search Ads management specialist, remote included, within 24 hours.
In your city
Apple Search Ads management by city
Most of the work happens remotely. When a project calls for meetings, we match a Apple Search Ads management specialist from your city.
Related services
Alongside Apple Search Ads management, companies most often need
One project manager runs the whole engagement, so the next channel is added without changing who you deal with and without a new contract with a stranger.
Google Ads management Facebook and Instagram ads LinkedIn Ads management YouTube Ads management TikTok Ads management Microsoft Ads management Amazon Ads management Programmatic advertising All services
FAQ
Questions before you start
Don't see your question? Request the analysis, and the project manager will answer it on the first call.
01Is it Apple Search Ads or Apple Ads now?
Apple renamed the product Apple Ads and added placements across the App Store. The search results placement is still the core of most accounts, though, and plenty of people still call it Apple Search Ads. The work described here covers the search results, the Search tab, the Today tab and product page placements.
02What drives Apple Search Ads cost per tap?
It's an auction, so cost per tap depends on how many apps bid on the same keyword, how relevant Apple judges your app to be for the query and how many people tap your ad. Generic keywords in crowded categories cost the most. The specialist sets bids per keyword group based on what an install is worth to you.
03How do the ads relate to our organic App Store listing?
Closely. The ad is built from the same listing that ranks organically, so a stronger listing raises the tap to install rate of your ads too. Search term data from campaigns also shows which keywords convert, which helps the organic side. Your project manager can add a listing optimization specialist if the screenshots or copy need work.
04Should we bid on competitor app names?
Sometimes. Competitor keywords can bring users who are ready to try an alternative, but the tap to install rate is usually lower and Apple judges relevance strictly. The specialist tests them in a separate campaign with its own budget so they never drain money from brand or category keywords.
05Can you run Apple Search Ads for an app in several countries?
Yes. Campaigns are set up by country or region, each with its own keywords, bids and, where it helps, localized custom product pages. The specialist usually starts in markets where your app already has traction and adds more once the first ones hit a cost per install you're happy with.
Start with the analysis
See what Apple Search Ads management could do for your app
Tell us about your app and a free marketing analysis lands in your inbox as a PDF within 24 hours. It looks at your App Store listing, your brand keyword and the search campaigns worth running first.
- Analysis within 24 hours
- No obligation
- PDF covering 5 competitors
- Team picked by your PM
Free marketing analysis
- PDF analysis
- 5 competitors
- Prioritized action list
Your analysis is prepared by a senior project manager with 15+ years of experience in marketing.
Are you a marketer with experience in a specific industry? Join the team