Did you know that approximately 65% of app downloads originate from search queries on the App Store? This statistic underscores the immense value of securing a prominent position in search results. With the introduction of Apple Search Ads in 2016, app marketers gained a powerful tool to place their apps directly in front of users actively searching for relevant solutions.
Today, Apple Search Ads are more than just a paid placement—they offer a wealth of data and insights that can fuel your App Store Optimization (ASO) strategy. By bridging paid and organic tactics, you can unlock new opportunities to boost your app’s visibility, attract high-quality users, and sustain long-term growth.
This article explores how Apple Search Ads can complement your App Store Optimization (ASO) efforts, driving long-term organic growth and visibility.
Apple Search Ads and ASO are two sides of the same coin. While ASO is the process of optimizing your app’s metadata to improve its organic visibility, ASA involves bidding on relevant keywords to get your app noticed in the search results. The true power lies in the intersection of these two strategies—leveraging ASA data to optimize your ASO efforts and vice versa. By combining these approaches, you can enhance your app’s ranking for both paid and organic keywords, boosting overall visibility and growth.
One of the most immediate benefits of using Apple Search Ads is the ability to identify new, relevant keywords for your app. Through discovery campaigns, particularly using the “Search Match” feature, Apple automatically matches your app with a variety of keywords that are relevant but may not have been on your radar. These are keywords that users are already searching for, and they may open up new opportunities for both paid and organic ranking.
By running discovery campaigns, you gain insights into keywords you may not have thought of targeting before, offering a chance to broaden your ASO strategy. Furthermore, if you already have a set of target keywords in mind, you can use ASA to ensure that you’re not missing any valuable variants or closely related terms. This allows you to fine-tune your keyword selection and expand your reach.
Once you’ve discovered new keywords or identified existing ones with potential, running exact match campaigns becomes essential. These campaigns allow you to bid on very specific keywords, increasing the chances of driving highly targeted installs. The value of these installs is multifold—they not only generate revenue but also improve the conversion rate of those keywords, which can have a direct impact on your organic ranking.
When users find your app relevant for specific keywords, this positive signal is taken into account by the App Store’s algorithm. As a result, your app is more likely to rank higher for those keywords in organic search results. Additionally, by increasing the download velocity for your app through targeted campaigns, you boost the app’s overall visibility, which could lead to organic growth across a broader set of keywords.
There are two primary ways ASA can impact your organic keyword rankings: improving conversion rates and driving download velocity. Let’s break them down:
● Conversion Rate: Running Apple Search Ads on keywords already targeted through your ASO efforts helps improve your app’s conversion rate. When ads are shown for relevant keywords, users are more likely to download the app, signaling to Apple’s algorithm that these keywords are highly relevant for your app.
● Download Velocity: The frequency of downloads for your app can directly affect your organic rankings. A higher download velocity signals to Apple that your app is in demand, which might prompt the algorithm to give your app more weight when determining its organic ranking for relevant keywords. Increased downloads can therefore lead to higher rankings, even without further paid support.
To leverage these benefits, identify keywords that could benefit from a higher conversion rate and increased download velocity, and run targeted campaigns. In doing so, you’ll trigger a positive feedback loop where paid ads improve both your paid and organic performance.
Apple Search Ads provide valuable data that can help optimize your ASO efforts. By analyzing the performance of your ASA campaigns, you can gather insights into keyword-level conversion rates, user behavior, and overall keyword relevance. This data is essential for refining your app’s ASO strategy.
For example, if you notice a certain keyword such as “fast shipping” is generating a high conversion rate in your ASA campaigns, it may be worth adding that keyword to your app’s metadata—such as the app’s title, description, or keyword field. Doing so strengthens your organic strategy and maximizes the chances of ranking for that term in the App Store search results.
Furthermore, you can identify underperforming keywords through ASA data and decide whether to adjust your keyword targeting in your ASO strategy or pause the paid campaign entirely. This iterative process ensures your ASO efforts are continually informed by real-time performance data, enabling you to optimize for the best-performing keywords.
The true value of Apple Search Ads lies in its ability to complement and amplify your ASO strategy. By using ASA insights to refine your ASO approach, you ensure that both strategies work in tandem to maximize your app’s organic visibility. Here are some ways to optimize the synergy between ASA and ASO:
● Custom Product Pages (CPPs): Use CPPs to create landing pages that specifically match the intent behind high-performing keywords. For instance, if a keyword like “on-time delivery” is performing well in your ASA campaigns, create a custom product page that highlights your app’s delivery features. This not only improves the relevance of your ASA campaign but also enhances organic conversion rates for that keyword.
● Refining Metadata: Regularly update your app’s metadata based on the keyword insights gathered from ASA campaigns. By aligning your metadata with keywords that have shown high conversion rates, you can improve your app’s organic search visibility.
● Avoid Cannibalization: Be mindful of keyword cannibalization. If your app ranks well for certain keywords organically, bidding on those keywords through ASA might not provide a high return on investment. Instead, focus on keywords that you’re not ranking for organically but show potential through paid ads.
🗺️ Read more about How to Identify and Fix Keyword Cannibalization.
In the competitive world of app marketing, leveraging both paid and organic strategies is crucial for sustainable growth. Apple Search Ads provides a unique opportunity to boost your app’s organic keyword rankings by driving targeted downloads and improving conversion rates. By carefully combining ASA campaigns with your ASO efforts, you can maximize your app’s visibility, increase downloads, and ensure long-term success in the App Store.
At FoxAdvert, we specialize in helping brands navigate the complexities of digital marketing, including strategies for Apple Search Ads and ASO. Our data-driven approach ensures that your app not only ranks higher in paid search results but also improves its organic standing over time. Whether you’re new to ASA or looking to refine your current strategy, we’re here to guide you every step of the way.
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