Apple Search Ads Ads Library

Analyze competitor Apple Search Ads ads targeting European audiences. Filter by country, language, and industry to uncover the strategies driving results in your market.

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650 million

App Store Weekly Visitors

7.45%

Average Tap-Through Rate

64.3%

Average Conversion Rate

$1.50 - $3.00

Average CPA (US)

What is the Apple Search Ads Ads Library?

Apple Search Ads is the only advertising platform inside the App Store, reaching 650 million weekly visitors at the exact moment of app download intent. With a 64% average conversion rate, it delivers the highest install rates of any app marketing channel. The platform requires no creative assets — ads are auto-generated from your App Store listing — making it the fastest ad channel to set up and optimize.

How to Use the Apple Search Ads Ads Library

Connect Your App

Link your App Store Connect account to Apple Search Ads. Your app metadata, screenshots, and reviews become your ad creative automatically.

Choose Campaign Type

Select Search Results (highest intent), Search Tab (discovery), Today Tab (awareness), or Product Page (conquesting) placement.

Add Keywords

Research and add exact and broad match keywords. Use Search Match to let Apple auto-discover relevant terms.

Set Bids & Optimize

Set a max CPT (cost-per-tap) bid, monitor conversion rates by keyword, and shift budget to top-performing terms.

Apple Search Ads Ad Formats

Search Results Ads

Keyword-targeted ads appearing at the top of App Store search results with a blue background highlight.

Search Tab Ads

Ads shown on the Search tab before users type a query, reaching users in browse/discovery mode.

Today Tab Ads

Premium full-screen card ads on the App Store homepage, driving brand awareness and app discovery.

Product Page Ads

Ads shown in the 'You Might Also Like' section at the bottom of other apps' product pages.

Custom Product Pages

Tailored App Store landing pages aligned with specific ad groups and keywords for higher relevance.

Search Results (Basic)

Simplified version with no keywords — Apple auto-matches your app to relevant searches with minimal setup.

What You Can Do

1Capturing high-intent users searching for apps in your category
2Defending your brand keywords from competitor conquesting
3Conquesting competitor brand terms in App Store search
4Launching new apps with immediate visibility in search results
5Re-engaging lapsed users with Today tab placements

Apple Search Ads Advertising Best Practices

Always bid on your own brand terms to prevent competitors from conquesting your app's name.
Use exact match for proven high-converting keywords and broad match for discovery.
Create separate campaigns for brand, competitor, category, and discovery keywords.
Leverage Custom Product Pages to align App Store screenshots with specific keyword themes.
Add negative keywords aggressively — irrelevant taps are expensive with Apple's premium CPTs.
Start with Search Match enabled in a discovery campaign to find keywords you haven't considered.

How Much Do Apple Search Ads Ads Cost?

Ad Type	Typical Cost Range
Search Results CPT (US)	$1.00 - $3.00
Search Tab CPM	$2.00 - $5.00
Today Tab CPM	$5.00 - $15.00
Product Page CPT	$0.50 - $2.00

Costs vary by industry, targeting, and seasonality. These are approximate ranges based on industry benchmarks.

Top Industries on Apple Search Ads

Mobile GamingFintech & Banking AppsHealth & Fitness AppsE-commerce & Shopping AppsProductivity & SaaS ToolsFood Delivery & Lifestyle Apps

Apple Search Ads Targeting Options

Keyword Targeting (exact match and broad match)

Search Match (Apple auto-matches to relevant queries)

Audience Refinement (age, gender, location)

Customer Type (new users, returning users, users of your other apps)

Device Type (iPhone, iPad)

Dayparting (schedule ads by hour and day of week)

Pro Tip

Run a dedicated 'Search Match' discovery campaign at low bids to continuously mine new keyword opportunities, then promote winning terms to exact-match campaigns at higher bids.

How Apple Search Ads Compares

Apple Search Ads is the highest-converting user acquisition channel available, with 64% average conversion rates vs. 1-3% on social platforms. It reaches users at the point of maximum intent but is limited to iOS and the App Store ecosystem. For Android, Google Ads app campaigns are the equivalent.

📦Amazon 📘Facebook 🔍Google 📸Instagram 💼LinkedIn 🪟Microsoft Ads

Frequently Asked Questions

How is Apple Search Ads different from Basic vs. Advanced?

Basic auto-manages everything for a max CPI you set — no keywords needed. Advanced gives full control over keywords, bids, audiences, and Creative Sets. Start with Advanced for meaningful optimization; Basic works for apps with minimal marketing resources.

What conversion rate should I expect?

The platform average is 64%, but this varies significantly by category. Utility apps see 70%+, while gaming apps average 45-55%. High conversion rates are driven by users already having download intent when they're in the App Store.

Should I bid on competitor keywords?

Yes, competitor conquesting is a core Apple Search Ads strategy. When users search for a competitor, your ad can appear above their organic result. Expect lower conversion rates (30-40%) but often acceptable CPAs for acquiring competitor users.

How do I improve my Apple Search Ads performance?

Optimize your App Store listing first — title, subtitle, keywords, screenshots, and reviews directly impact ad performance since Apple uses your listing as the ad creative. Better listings = higher tap-through rates = lower CPAs.

What about privacy and attribution?

Apple Search Ads uses its own Apple Ads Attribution API and supports SKAdNetwork for conversion measurement. It doesn't rely on IDFA, making it fully compliant with App Tracking Transparency. Attribution is deterministic, not modeled.