Apple Search Ads and App Store Optimization

Apple Search Ads (ASA) captures high-intent users already searching for solutions like yours in the App Store, making it ideal for early-stage B2C apps seeking traction validation. Unlike social media ads, ASA targets users with immediate purchase intent, offering low volume but high conversion rates. The guide emphasizes app store optimization as a prerequisite—improving titles, screenshots, and ratings to 4.5+ stars with 100+ reviews before heavy ad spending, since poor conversion rates make even perfect targeting unprofitable.

The core strategy uses a 4-campaign structure: Brand ($50/week) for your app name searches, Generic ($100/week) for core functionality terms, Competitor ($100/week) for rival app names, and Discovery ($50/week) combining Search Match and broad match keywords to find new opportunities. Critical setup includes using exact match keywords in focused campaigns, adding negative keywords to prevent campaign overlap, and setting intent-based bids ($3-4 for brand, $2-3 for generic, $1-2 for discovery). Success benchmarks include 5%+ tap-through rates for generic terms, 15%+ app store conversion rates, and cost-per-install below 3x lifetime value. The systematic approach provides clear data within 2-4 weeks to determine ASA viability, with specific troubleshooting steps for common issues like zero impressions or poor conversion rates.

This lesson was peer-reviewed for accuracy and clarity by experts from Galactic Fed.