Search Ads Have Come to the App Store

Google Play, And Now The Apple App Store, Get Search Ads

For more than a year, Google has had search ads in the Play store. Now, it appears, Apple is ready to join in the fun. After a beta period that began in June, Apple is now opening up Search Ads for the App Store to all publishers and developers. It’s currently only available for the iPhone and iPad in the US.

Search ads will have a soft, blue background, differentiating them from other content. Apple will generate ad images and copy from the app metadata supplied by the publisher or developer. Developers set a max daily budget and an overall campaign budget. Apple’s Search Ads use second price auction to set winning bid prices. Relevance and bid price will determine which ads show, according to Apple.

You can bid on the iPhone or iPad individually. There’s a keyword suggestion tool that features popularity indicators and negative keyword capabilities. There are also audience targeting features, including customer type, gender, age and location.

Understanding The Mind And Intent Of The Average App Searcher

People use Apple search differently than they do Google search, making relevance an enormous factor for advertisers looking to use Apple Search Ads. Someone on Google might be more inquisitive in how they pose their search query. They might be looking for general answers, and will compare and contrast each response. Apple searchers, however, tend to be more succinct in their searches. In fact, most likely, they’re searching for a specific brand name.

You’ll likely not find a sponsored listing for Chase Bank at the top of a search for “Coca-Cola”, because these brands are in different categories. You will, however, see that Chase ad searches containing bank-related words. The key, then, is to ensure your app is optimized with the right set of keywords and metadata, and is housed in the most appropriate category.

App Store optimization has always been a challenge for developers and marketers. Apple’s search parameters are not as robust as Google’s, so it’s not uncommon to struggle to find your own app despite conducting a rather extensive search.

That’s where Search Ads can make a huge play. They give publishers another way to increase visibility of their apps to an audience that’s highly motivated. But getting users to actually click on your ad means ensuring that the content and images appearing that ad are optimized for conversion.

That’s where OperationROI can help. Our App Store specialists can help you develop the proper imagery and metadata that will increase the performance of your app in both organic and paid search results. We’ll constantly monitor the performance of your ads and make changes, as needed, to ensure that you’re getting the best possible return on investment.

Isn’t it time that your app gets noticed by a wider, motivated audience? Contact the OperationROI team today at 1-888-277-5429, or by filling out our contact form, to learn more.