Apple Search Ads Agency for iOS Apps
Last updated: 25 September 2026
Apple Search Ads management is the planning, keyword structure, bidding and reporting behind your App Store ads, the sponsored result people see at the top of the App Store when they search for an app like yours. Apple now calls the platform Apple Ads. As an Apple Search Ads agency, Paid Media Guys splits your account into Brand, Generic, Competitor and Discovery campaigns, moves proven search terms into exact match, and tracks installs through to trials and paid subscriptions. For an AI video app, that cut the cost of an exact-match install by 44% in three weeks.
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What's Included in Apple Search Ads Management
Most App Store ad accounts run on one broad campaign and a handful of keywords. We manage the whole program, built so you control what you pay for each type of search:
A four-campaign account structure
Brand, Generic, Competitor and Discovery, each with its own budget and bids, so every kind of App Store search is bought on purpose instead of by accident
Exact-match keyword harvesting
Search terms that convert in Discovery get promoted to exact-match keywords, and the ones that waste spend become negatives
Competitor conquesting
A dedicated campaign on rival app names with its own budget. In our last account it was the cheapest non-brand source of installs
Bid-order control
Exact keywords always bid above broad ones on the same words, with exact negatives in Discovery, so Apple serves the precise, cheaper keyword first
Install-to-subscription tracking
Apple Ads attribution plus an MMP such as AppsFlyer or Adjust, so we optimize for trials and paying users, not just cheap installs
A weekly optimization cadence
Search-term reviews, bid changes and negatives every week, with a Tuesday-to-Monday report that shows what changed and why
Apple Search Ads Case Study: 44% Cheaper Exact-Match Installs
An AI video generator app was running Apple Search Ads through two catch-all campaigns plus a non-US test. We rebuilt it into four US campaigns on September 3. Here is the weekly cost of an install from exact-match keywords, before and after:
Real client data, US App Store, weeks running Tuesday to Monday. The Sep 1 week is the handover; Sep 22 is a partial week. Account-wide cost per install held flat over the same period, and the full Apple Search Ads case study explains why and what we changed next.
Common Apple Search Ads Mistakes
The accounts we audit usually weren't built badly on purpose. They grew by accident: one campaign, a few keywords, and Apple's defaults left on. The same problems come up again and again:
No brand keyword. If you don't bid on your own app name, a competitor can. Brand installs usually cost cents, so leaving them unprotected is the cheapest mistake to fix.
Broad and exact keywords competing for the same search. When a broad keyword bids more than the exact one on the same term, Apple serves the broad ad. Your precise, cheaper keyword never runs and your exact campaigns underspend.
Optimizing for installs on a subscription app. Apple's bidding only sees installs by default. Without trial and subscription events flowing back, automated bidding happily buys installs that never pay.
Competitor names running by accident. Broad match and Search Match pick up rival app names on their own. Some convert well and some burn money, and you can't tell which without a separate campaign.
Apple Search Ads vs. Meta and Google App Campaigns
Apple Search Ads catches people who are already looking. Meta and Google create demand among people who aren't yet. Most apps that grow past their first few thousand users run more than one:
| Channel | Best for | Intent | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Search Ads | iOS installs from people already searching the App Store for an app like yours | Highest: the ad shows at the moment of search | iOS only, and volume is capped by how many people search your keywords |
| Meta app install ads | Creating demand among people who don't know your app yet, on iOS and Android | Lower: people are scrolling, not searching | Needs the Meta SDK install event firing correctly before it can optimize |
| Google App campaigns | Android installs across Google Play, Search, YouTube and Display | Mixed, depending on placement | Little control over where ads run; weaker for iOS |
We run the other side of the mix too: see our Meta Ads management and Google Ads management pages.
Our Process
1. Audit
Go through the existing account keyword by keyword: what converts, what wastes spend, what's missing (brand, competitors, exact coverage), and how bids overlap
2. Rebuild
Launch the four-campaign structure, move proven terms to exact match, add negatives, and set exact bids above broad
3. Tune
Weekly search-term reviews and bid changes while the new campaigns settle; harvest winners from Discovery into exact
4. Scale
Once installs are tied to trials and subscriptions, shift budget toward the campaigns producing paying users, and test automated bidding
How We Price Apple Search Ads Management
A flat monthly fee or a percentage of ad spend, agreed before any work starts. Apple Search Ads is often run alongside Meta or Google app campaigns, and we price the whole install budget together so every channel is judged against the same cost per paying user. Get in touch for a quote based on your spend and the countries you advertise in.
Real Outcomes
$3.30 to $1.85 in three weeks for an AI video app.
The cheapest non-brand source in the same account.
On exact-match keywords, up from 60.
FAQ
What does an Apple Search Ads agency do?
An Apple Search Ads agency plans, builds and runs your App Store ad campaigns: choosing keywords, structuring campaigns, setting bids, adding negatives, and reporting on installs and cost per install. A good one also connects those installs to trials and subscriptions, so you pay for users who become customers, not just downloads.
Is it Apple Search Ads or Apple Ads?
Both. Apple renamed Apple Search Ads to Apple Ads in 2025, but most people still search for the old name. It's the same platform: ads at the top of App Store search results, plus placements on the Today tab, Search tab and product pages.
How much does Apple Search Ads cost per install?
It depends heavily on category, country and keyword. In the US account in our case study, installs from exact-match keywords cost $3.30 before the rebuild and $1.85 after, competitor keywords came in at $1.70, and brand installs cost a few cents each. Competitive categories like finance or sports can cost many times more.
How much does Apple Search Ads management cost?
Usually a flat monthly fee or a percentage of ad spend, agreed before any work starts. It's often bundled with Meta or Google app campaigns so the whole install budget is managed against one cost-per-user target. Get in touch for a quote based on your spend and markets.
Do you run Apple Search Ads in the UAE and Saudi Arabia?
Yes. Apple Ads is available in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and the rest of the GCC, as well as the US and most major markets. We run campaigns per country, since keyword costs and search volume vary a lot between storefronts, including Arabic keywords where it makes sense.
Should we turn on Search Match?
Only in a Discovery campaign, and only with your exact keywords added as negatives. Search Match lets Apple pick keywords for you, which is useful for finding new terms but expensive if it runs everywhere. We use it to discover terms, then move the winners into exact match.
Do we need an MMP like AppsFlyer or Adjust?
If you're a subscription or in-app-purchase app, yes, before you scale. Apple Ads reports installs, but it won't tell you which installs started a trial or paid. An MMP (or App Store Connect data) closes that gap, so budget goes to keywords that bring paying users.
Want to know what your App Store ads are really costing you?
and we'll go through your Apple Ads account keyword by keyword: what's converting, what's wasting spend, and what to fix first.
Want proof first? Read our Apple Search Ads case study or head back to the Paid Media Guys homepage.