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 specialist does
What an Apple Search Ads specialist does: agency work without the 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
App Store ads: what the scope 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 depends on how many countries and languages you run in, whether custom product pages already exist or still need planning with your design team, which attribution setup you use, and whether Search Ads runs alongside 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 the listing and the campaign have to be worked on 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.
The mistakes that keep showing up: one campaign mixing brand and generic keywords so cheap brand installs hide the expensive ones, broad match switched on in every ad group, no negatives, and bids set by cost per install without checking 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.
How we work
How Apple Search Ads management begins
Step 1
Free analysis
Order the free marketing analysis and you'll get a PDF within 24 hours on your App Store listing, your brand keyword and where competitors already show up.
Step 2
Call and scope
Your senior project manager walks you through the PDF, asks what a paying user is worth and how you track in-app events, and settles on the countries and campaigns to start with.
Step 3
Matching
You meet a vetted Apple Search Ads specialist who has run App Store campaigns for apps like yours. After that conversation, you decide whether to go ahead.
Step 4
Work and reporting
Attribution and structure come first. Campaigns launch once you approve them, and the monthly report ties cost per install to in-app value by keyword group.
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 expanded placements across the App Store, but the search results placement is still the core of most accounts and many 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
Order the free marketing analysis and you'll have a PDF within 24 hours covering your App Store listing, your brand keyword and which search campaigns make sense to run first.
- Analysis within 24 h
- No obligation
- PDF covering 5 competitors
- Team picked by your PM