The Advanced Guide to Apple Search Ads
Apple Search Ads is a highly competitive auction. By using the right strategies for match types, keyword targeting, and bidding, you can outmaneuver competitors and maximize results. This guide will explore advanced tactics to help maintain a strategic edge.
Mastering Match Types
Move 100% of keywords to Exact Match over time.
Each search query has a unique conversion rate, making precise keyword control essential to prevent overbidding or underbidding on terms. While Broad Match can be a helpful tool for uncovering new keyword opportunities, it’s too inconsistent and volatile for long-term keyword management. Exact Match, on the other hand, offers the high level of precision and control required to fine-tune bids.
Get Rid of Redundant Keyword Variation
Overloading campaigns with excessive exact keywords is a mistake. It dilutes budget and conversion data that should be consolidated for faster and accurate bid optimization.
Exact Match already accounts for similar query combinations, including plurals, common misspellings, and variations in spacing. See example below.
Limit Targeted Keyword Count
Most advertisers don’t need more than 100 Exact Match keywords per geographic region. At most, you’ll need a few brand keywords, a handful of generic terms, and dozens of competitor terms.
Apple Search queries are much more limited in variety vs Google Search since users mostly search for app names. It's fairly easy and straightforward to identify any worthwhile keywords worth targeting.
Low-volume keywords that fail to generate at least one purchase within a reasonable timeframe create more challenges than benefits. It’s best to exclude these keywords and focus on terms with meaningful impact.
Advanced Bidding Tactics
Maximize Worthwhile Keyword Coverage
The more high-quality biddable inventory you manage, the greater your ability to lower overall bids, allowing you to drive more traffic without increasing your budget. For instance, distributing $1,000 across 1,000 high-value keywords is significantly more effective than concentrating it on just 10 high-value keywords. To maximize performance, expand your campaigns to encompass every viable keyword and geographic market available.
Barbell Bidding Strategy: High Volume vs Long Tail
High-volume keywords produce enough data to set precise bids, but long-tail keywords don’t. So what do you do about them?
Long-tail keywords can still be valuable as long as they generate 1-3 purchases within a reasonable timeframe. By grouping the conversion data from these keywords, you can apply an average bid across the group. Collectively, they will still meet your CAC targets while contributing to your overall spend.
Managing long-tail keywords can increase ad spend by ~20%, enabling you to lower overall bids across your account and drive more traffic within the same budget.
On a practical note, the sheer volume of long-tail keywords makes bulk upload tools indispensable for efficiently managing Apple Search Ads campaigns.
Never Stay Budget Capped
Budget-capped campaigns are signals that your bids are too high. Exiting the ad auction early in the day not only leaves money on the table but also hands your competitors the advantage of lower advertising costs.
By optimally lowering your bids, you can spend the same amount while acquiring significantly more traffic. I’ve helped a client achieve a 169% increase in taps and down-funnel events by simply optimizing existing keyword bids.
Brand Keywords: Driving Incremental Lift
Bidding on brand keywords can be a double-edged sword. It can protect your traffic by capturing installs that competitors might otherwise steal. However, branded traffic often has a high non-incremental rate and a deceptively higher CAC than initially appears.
As a rule of thumb, if you’re in a competitive space and notice that competitor terms convert well for you (this works in reverse too), protecting your brand terms may be a wise strategy.
To estimate the incremental lift rate and adjust branded bids using data, consider running geo lift tests. By launching and pausing brand campaigns in specific regions, you can analyze how overall install volumes are impacted, allowing for more informed bidding decisions.
Conclusion
Success in Apple Search Ads requires precision, adaptability, and a data-driven approach. By implementing these advanced strategies, you can unlock the full potential of Apple Search Ads, driving more traffic at high ROI for your app.
Hope you enjoyed the read! If you’re a B2C business looking to achieve higher ROI on your ad spend, I’m currently taking on a limited number of new clients. The best way to get in contact is to click the button down below—I’d love to help drive meaningful growth for your business.
