App Store Optimization (ASO)
February 28, 2023
Apple Search Ads (ASA) were introduced in 2016 to thousands of developers on the App Store. The brand new UA Channel directly in one of the two main App Stores. ASA has grown with the times and is now a systematic UA channel that can increase your conversions and your visibility on the store.
What are Apple Search Ads?
An Apple search advertising campaign is an App Store specific type of user acquisition campaign where developers can place ads for their apps or mobile games at the top of search results. The ad will look like a regular search result (with the difference being a slightly darker background and an ad banner), and will be placed above the first organic result.
A few months ago, Apple introduced new placements for Apple Search ads in the Today tab, as well as at the bottom of individual app pages within apps. maybe you will like section.
You can either bid on specific keywords or let Apple handle it. There are two solutions available in ASA: Apple Search Ads Basic and Apple Search Ads Advanced.
- ASA Basic Budget up to $10k per month per app, allows up to 50 apps, and simplified set up. You don’t need to set audience refinement or relevant keywords as Apple will match you with potential customers
- ASA Advanced Allows developers to choose specific keywords, control when ads are shown and define audiences, as well as set maximum cost per click. Performance reporting is also more detailed and there’s no limit to either the monthly budget or the number of apps being promoted
You can use both solutions if you want but according to Apple, there is no advantage to run both Basic and Advanced at the same time.
Are Apple Search Ads So Effective?
with more than 30 million registered iOS developers And with 1.8 billion active iOS devices, the App Store is filled with fierce competition. Apple Search Ads are designed to increase findability in the App Store, placing your app or game where people are already searching for something.
70% of App Store users Use search to find apps, 65% of downloads come directly from App Store search and in Apple search ads a Conversion Average 50%Which already makes it an efficient acquisition channel.
Although ASA is not considered to have an effect on organic search results appradar And MobileActionA successful ASA campaign will tell Apple the relevance of those keywords in relation to your app or game. The more you drive conversions through ASA, the more Apple notices that these keywords are really meaningful to your product and effective as well as increase your organic traffic.
Furthermore, following the introduction of App Tracking Transparency (ATT) by Apple, Apple Search Ads is an acquisition channel that still has access to massive amounts of personal data to ensure proper targeting. Not only does it rely on relevant clues (such as keywords) to reach users, but it also has access to first-party data from Apple that ensures efficient targeting.
ATT’s arrival was a breath of fresh air for Apple Search Ads, giving it greater efficiency and power than other marketing channels with the sudden loss of precise targeting.
Overall, Apple Search Ads will put you right where people are looking. This gives you a unique position at the top of search results, or in the Today tab with less organic effort. And this position, if done thoughtfully, can enhance your true biological presence.
take advantage of cpp
Custom product pages have now officially replaced creative sets, which means that if you want to set up an Apple Search Ads campaign that doesn’t rely on your default creative assets, you’ll need to create a custom product page. will be needed.
Custom Product Pages (CPPs) will allow you to target different segments of your audience individually. Thanks to them, you’ll be able to build unique custom pages that rely on optimized visual assets to reach and convert audiences with a more personalized approach.
For example, you can use them to take advantage of gamer inspirations or user personas while showing specific sides of your product to a relevant audience. They will allow you to gain efficiency and provide a personalized approach that fits seamlessly with the targeted keywords.
It also means that you can use the ASA and CPP as a testing ground to find out which keywords might work for you, connect with unsuspecting audiences, and that shine a light on potential users that you might not even think of. You can also try out different visual assets, see if they convert well with certain keywords or specific fields.
The juxtaposition of CPPs and ASA gives you a certain freedom (remember that everything has to go through an Apple review) to figure out what information and what visuals work best. Thanks to a custom product page for trying out new screenshots or previewing videos can open doors to new opportunities and help you grow your app’s reach through paid channels first and then organically .
To learn how you can take advantage of custom product pages, visit this article on the topic.
Some ASA Tips for Creating a Great Campaign
- Optimize your bids and keywords over time, don’t be satisfied with your initial campaign, analyze results and optimize accordingly
- Leverage CPPs for a more effective targeting strategy, so you can build on the different features of your app or game
- Pay attention to your metadata and make sure it fits your campaign needs, your ASA campaign will depend on your ASO
- Use targeted keywords to position your app to your audience’s needs
- Monitor your competition and their rankings on relevant keywords
- Don’t forget to use negative keywords to define where you don’t want it to appear
Hi, I’m Marine (he/she), I’m a Content Manager in Aptamin. Aptamin is a creative agency specializing in App Videos (Video Ads, App Store Videos, etc.).