App Masters · Sep 8Do This Before Running ANY Paid Social Media Marketing
Has far fewer levers than paid social, so it is the easier place to start. It gets only a small share of Cal AI's spend.
Tips
A
Company · Marketing & growth tools
Apple Search Ads
Apple's ad platform for promoting apps in the App Store.
In short
Apple Search Ads is the easiest first paid channel: it needs only keywords and no SDK, and it converts high-intent searchers. Exact keywords convert 30 to 40% and brand 70 to 90%. One indie app went from $1,000 to $3,000 a month at about 2x ROAS, then stalled. Fix paywall conversion first, set bids as CPA times conversion rate, and use custom product pages.
What was said about Apple Search Ads
Paid acquisition84
- Budget for months of patience before paid social turns profitable▶ 3:00Ivy spent $20,000 a day with positive ROAS, but it took a couple of months, with two to three months of things looking bleak.App Masters · Do This Before Running ANY Paid Social Media Marketing
- Launch a new app with ASO plus Apple Search Ads▶ 0:19Past podcast guests sold apps for seven figures using only ASO and Apple Ads.App Masters · App Marketing 101: How to Grow in a Crowded App Market
- Make paid ads pay for themselves with a payback period▶ 34:15Paid ads self-funded growth for the first two to four years, and the company has been cash flow positive its whole life.
Subversive · How Fitbod Uses AI to Hyperpersonalize Strength Workouts - Use LTV to CAC, budget and payback to allocate ad spend▶ 39:07Host notes a typical target of at least 3x LTV over CAC.Subversive · How Fitbod Uses AI to Hyperpersonalize Strength Workouts
- Filter benchmarks by media type to match where you actually spend▶ 5:00Social and search take over 62% of total ad spend versus ad networks.App Masters · Bookmark This Tool To See How Are Ads & Apps Compare
- Use Apple Search Ads with the search results campaign and keywords only▶ 15:33About $2,000 spend in July gave roughly a $1.56 cost per install across the whole app portfolio; search results ads convert over 60% per Apple, and in his data have among the highest trial activation of any channel.App Masters · App Marketing On A Budget: My Proven $0 To $10k Strategy (2025)
- Pair a niche keyword with light ad spend and paywall tests▶ 18:06The app earns about $2 to $3,000 a month, and revenue rose 3x after switching to a 3-day trial on weekly versus a 7-day trial on yearly.App Masters · The Greatest App Growth Hack in the World 🚀
- Expect only about ten profitable keywords in Apple Search Ads▶ 11:55On $500,000 spent in 2024 at about $5 cost per install, the client said no other agency had made their non-branded campaigns ROI positive.App Masters · 7 Favorite App Growth Case Studies of 2024 (And What You Can Learn From Them)
- Start with ASO and Apple Search Ads, not social ads▶ 3:09App Masters · How to Get Your First Subscribers: Advice for Indie Developers
- Move to social ads once you reach about $1,000 MRR▶ 7:25His own apps reached $1,000 organically, then about $3,000 with Apple Search Ads at roughly 2X ROAS (spending about $1,000). They stayed stuck around $2,000 to $3,000 for six months.App Masters · How to Get Your First Subscribers: Advice for Indie Developers
- Use Apple Search Ads as the easiest first paid channel▶ 4:09App Masters · Breaking the Money Taboo: Real Talk on App Store Revenue
- Try Apple Search Ads Basic if your budget is small▶ 2:28Conversions were only a bit lower than Advanced, while cost per install and scale were a lot better.App Masters · (Part 2/3 - 6 Figure App Exit) Little Known App Growth Strategies for Indie Developers
- Do not start with Apple Search Ads before knowing your paywall performance▶ 1:01App Masters · (Part 2/3 - 6 Figure App Exit) Little Known App Growth Strategies for Indie Developers
- Run Google search campaigns that send people to a landing page then the App Store▶ 12:58Martin from Podcast App named ASO, SEO and SEM as what works for them, and Steve has seen decent success for some clients.App Masters · Advanced App Store Optimization Strategies for 2024
- Get a handful of ratings first so Apple Search Ads can run▶ 15:12After the friend ratings, the app got 118 five-star ratings.App Masters · All Your ASO Questions Answered
- Change Apple Search Ads defaults before spending a dollar▶ 13:07App Masters · Cracking the Code: App Store Optimization for Apps Struggling with Downloads
- Split Apple Search Ads into brand, exact, and separate discovery campaigns▶ 0:57In a big client account, the Discovery and Broad campaigns performed better than the exact match campaign, so he could raise their daily budget to 75 or 100.App Masters · Apple Search Ads 2023 Workshop
- Set max bids as ideal cost per acquisition times keyword conversion rate▶ 6:26Steve uses this formula first when working with clients, replacing arbitrary bids of five to seven dollars.App Masters · Apple Search Ads 2023 Workshop
- Use typical conversion rates by keyword type to set starting bids▶ 5:50These are the averages Steve normally sees across accounts.App Masters · Apple Search Ads 2023 Workshop
- Start bids higher than feels comfortable, then pull back once data arrives▶ 7:05In the live demo he set the Broad campaign at 68 cents with a 50 dollar daily budget.App Masters · Apple Search Ads 2023 Workshop
- Bid on competitor keywords and monitor daily, but skip generic terms with high suggested bids▶ 9:17On a client with a four to five dollar ideal CPA, competitor keywords had actual costs well below the max bid, though some bids still needed adjusting when CPA ran too high.App Masters · Apple Search Ads 2023 Workshop
- Pick keywords with a search popularity score of at least 30▶ 17:57App Masters · Apple Search Ads 2023 Workshop
- Mine competitors' keywords starting from the lowest-rated similar apps▶ 16:51App Masters · Apple Search Ads 2023 Workshop
- Add your exact keywords as negatives on the Broad campaign▶ 19:40App Masters · Apple Search Ads 2023 Workshop
- Use new users only for cheaper, slower starts but expect lower volume▶ 20:24App Masters · Apple Search Ads 2023 Workshop
- Time brand campaign bids to match TV or other brand ad bursts▶ 23:25App Masters · Apple Search Ads 2023 Workshop
- Skip Today tab ads unless you have a big brand budget▶ 25:08App Masters · Apple Search Ads 2023 Workshop
- Calculate revenue per download to set a maximum cost per install▶ 10:00App Masters · $250 to $1,000 a Month with Just 15 Downloads
- Include offline and brand channels like TV and podcasts in measurement▶ 9:54Steve cited running TV and podcast ads at Walmart.com, where tracking was hard because people just searched afterwards.App Masters · What is Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM)
- Avoid Apple Search Ads basic campaigns and check granular ad group results▶ 10:17App Masters · Mobile User Acquisition: How to Get Started and What You Need
- Bid on seasonal keywords in Apple Search Ads instead of rewriting metadata▶ 17:55Halloween alone had many searchable variations, such as ghost games, Hocus Pocus, Halloween games for adults and Halloween games free.App Masters · How to Maximize App Store Optimization Seasonality
- Use Apple Search Ads Today tab placements to build brand awareness▶ 33:45The Today tab brought impressions at multiples of what regular campaigns delivered.App Masters · How to Maximize App Store Optimization Seasonality
- Lower CPA by raising conversion rate on the same traffic▶ 3:07Emre says that in the cases his team did it right, results always improved.App Masters · How to Use Custom Product Pages to Lower Apple Search Ads Costs
- Match the page to the search intent of the ad group's keywords▶ 9:20App Masters · How to Use Custom Product Pages to Lower Apple Search Ads Costs
- Do not pause and restart campaigns to add custom product pages▶ 8:28Steve's test of custom product pages in a restarted campaign showed no huge improvement.App Masters · How to Use Custom Product Pages to Lower Apple Search Ads Costs
- Separate branded, generic, competitor and discovery campaigns▶ 10:00Example given: a campaign shows a CPA of only a dollar, but 75 percent of its spend is on the branded term.App Masters · How to Use Custom Product Pages to Lower Apple Search Ads Costs
- Split exact match keywords into intent-based ad groups▶ 13:57App Masters · How to Use Custom Product Pages to Lower Apple Search Ads Costs
- Start Apple Search Ads with keywords you already rank 1 to 50 for▶ 8:13Terms with existing organic rank gave a ready list of keywords expected to perform well in Apple Search Ads.App Masters · How Apple Search Ads Impacts App Store Optimization
- Run custom product pages in Apple Search Ads to lift tap-through and conversion▶ 12:36A major crypto finance app saw tap-through and conversion rates rise, CPAs fall significantly, and the number of keywords it ranked for jump right after launching custom product pages.App Masters · How Apple Search Ads Impacts App Store Optimization
- Build organic rank so you can bid less and still win impressions▶ 16:50The competitor was willing to spend about 50% more on the keyword and still struggled to get impressions.App Masters · How Apple Search Ads Impacts App Store Optimization
- Make Apple Search Ads your first paid channel for high-intent users▶ 3:05Steve says Apple Search Ads shows higher retention and higher subscription rates than Facebook or Google ads. Apple says 65% of iOS downloads come from search.App Masters · How Apple Search Ads Impacts App Store Optimization
- Monitor impression share to see who bids on your branded terms▶ 18:59App Masters · How Apple Search Ads Impacts App Store Optimization
- Without an attribution tool, stick to Apple Search Ads and Google App Campaigns▶ 11:16App Masters · How User-Generated Content Ads Increase Installs by 30%
- Run Apple Search Ads Advanced to scale a paid app▶ 8:37A client's roughly $4 paid app got a two to one ROAS on Apple Search Ads.App Masters · Should You Make a Wordle Clone? (And How One Wordle App is Making $50K a Month)
- Use Advanced with Search Match on instead of Apple Search Ads Basic▶ 6:58One client campaign surfaced a well-performing keyword the team had never thought of, which was then added as exact match and used for ASO.App Masters · The Simplest Apple Search Ads Advanced Campaign to Manage and Scale
- Use this campaign when your main keyword has low search volume▶ 9:27Used to finally scale Apple Search Ads for a client after exact, broad and search match campaigns were getting no impressions.App Masters · The Simplest Apple Search Ads Advanced Campaign to Manage and Scale
- Leave Search Match on even when you add broad match keywords▶ 5:22App Masters · The Simplest Apple Search Ads Advanced Campaign to Manage and Scale
- Set max cost per tap as your CPA goal times conversion rate▶ 4:25A $2.35 CPA goal at a 40% conversion rate gives a max cost per tap of about $1.94.App Masters · The Simplest Apple Search Ads Advanced Campaign to Manage and Scale
- Leave the cost per acquisition goal blank to keep campaigns scalable▶ 4:45App Masters · The Simplest Apple Search Ads Advanced Campaign to Manage and Scale
- Start with a $1,000 budget capped at about $30 a day▶ 2:41App Masters · The Simplest Apple Search Ads Advanced Campaign to Manage and Scale
- Avoid the Basic campaign because its parameters are too limited▶ 1:17App Masters · The Simplest Apple Search Ads Advanced Campaign to Manage and Scale
- Build custom product pages for each ad audience▶ 7:31Apple Search Ads supports custom product pages, and other ad networks are starting to.App Masters · App Store Optimization in 2022: Key iOS Changes
- Set max cost per tap as target CPA times conversion rate▶ 4:15A $2 CPA goal at a 40% conversion rate gives an 80 cent cost per tap.App Masters · Simple Formula to Decrease Cost-Per-Acquisition on Apple Search Ads (Part 3/3)
- Start with a $2 to $3 cost per acquisition goal if you have no data▶ 1:54App Masters · Simple Formula to Decrease Cost-Per-Acquisition on Apple Search Ads (Part 3/3)
- Review the last seven days and update bids per keyword▶ 3:54A keyword converting at 67% against a $2 goal could afford about $1.37 per tap, so the bid was raised to $1.34.App Masters · Simple Formula to Decrease Cost-Per-Acquisition on Apple Search Ads (Part 3/3)
- Raise your CPA goal by increasing revenue per download▶ 5:11App Masters · Simple Formula to Decrease Cost-Per-Acquisition on Apple Search Ads (Part 3/3)
- Raise cost per tap to win more visibility on low-impression keywords▶ 7:27This pattern showed up for one client in an exact match campaign.App Masters · Simple Formula to Decrease Cost-Per-Acquisition on Apple Search Ads (Part 3/3)
- Run one campaign per geo for your top 10 countries▶ 7:47Some countries are already showing lower conversion rates than the US.App Masters · Simple Formula to Decrease Cost-Per-Acquisition on Apple Search Ads (Part 3/3)
- Duplicate exact match and target returning users for retargeting▶ 9:24One client saw pretty good success with a retargeting campaign.App Masters · Simple Formula to Decrease Cost-Per-Acquisition on Apple Search Ads (Part 3/3)
- Skip the Search Tab campaign until Apple adds targeting▶ 11:59Very limited success and really high cost per acquisition with this campaign.App Masters · Simple Formula to Decrease Cost-Per-Acquisition on Apple Search Ads (Part 3/3)
- Lean on Apple Search Ads for search-intent subscribers▶ 4:28App Masters · Simple Formula to Decrease Cost-Per-Acquisition on Apple Search Ads (Part 3/3)
- Set up four campaigns for every country you target▶ 0:45Targeting the US and Canada results in eight different campaigns.App Masters · The Best Way to Structure Your Apple Search Ads Campaign (Part 1/3)
- Put your most relevant keywords in an exact match campaign▶ 1:02Exact match is described as the highest converting of the non-brand campaigns.App Masters · The Best Way to Structure Your Apple Search Ads Campaign (Part 1/3)
- Run broad match as a discovery campaign with exact keywords as negatives▶ 1:47App Masters · The Best Way to Structure Your Apple Search Ads Campaign (Part 1/3)
- Use a search match campaign with no keywords to let Apple find terms▶ 2:33App Masters · The Best Way to Structure Your Apple Search Ads Campaign (Part 1/3)
- Turn search match off in every campaign except the search match campaign▶ 9:00App Masters · The Best Way to Structure Your Apple Search Ads Campaign (Part 1/3)
- Derive your starting cost per tap by multiplying target cost per install by conversion rate▶ 8:27A $2 target cost per install times 0.3 gives a 60 cent cost per tap.App Masters · The Best Way to Structure Your Apple Search Ads Campaign (Part 1/3)
- Use these tap-to-install conversion averages to set starting bids▶ 4:04Exact match converts around 30 to 40 percent, broad match 20 to 35 percent, and brand converts highest.App Masters · The Best Way to Structure Your Apple Search Ads Campaign (Part 1/3)
- Give big countries their own campaign and bundle small ones▶ 7:07App Masters · The Best Way to Structure Your Apple Search Ads Campaign (Part 1/3)
- Link your App Store account before creating campaigns▶ 5:53App Masters · The Best Way to Structure Your Apple Search Ads Campaign (Part 1/3)
- Target only new users on a campaign built to grow downloads▶ 8:39App Masters · The Best Way to Structure Your Apple Search Ads Campaign (Part 1/3)
- Use Apple Search Ads to jumpstart a new app▶ 4:48App Masters · The Best Way to Structure Your Apple Search Ads Campaign (Part 1/3)
- Spend 50 to 250 dollars on Apple Search Ads to get testable users▶ 8:57Murphy budgets roughly $50 to $250 per app for this.App Masters · Side Hustle App Marketing Strategies
- Only scale paid spend on apps that show organic growth▶ 9:17App Masters · Side Hustle App Marketing Strategies
- Run an exact match Apple Search Ads campaign for targeted downloads▶ 4:24App Masters · 5 Deadly App Marketing Mistakes
- Target one generic keyword per test campaign with exact match▶ 4:17App Masters · How to A/B Test Screenshots on iOS
- Turn off search match so Apple does not pick other keywords▶ 4:01App Masters · How to A/B Test Screenshots on iOS
- Set a high bid and no daily cap to get fast test data▶ 2:50App Masters · How to A/B Test Screenshots on iOS
- Use different creative sets for different keyword ad groups▶ 9:08Calm may lead with sleep stories as its third screenshot because sleep stories convert better than meditation.App Masters · How to A/B Test Screenshots on iOS
- Reuse keywords found through ASO research as paid Search Ads bids▶ 3:59A client running Search Ads saw some of the newly found keywords converting really well.App Masters · How to Use Apple Search Ads for Keyword Research (ASO)
- Run Apple Search Ads on a paid app and cap bids by margin▶ 10:36A friend's paid app went from $1,000 to $2,000 a month to five figures a month with this approach, which Steve says gave him roughly 10x revenue.App Masters · How to Market a Paid Niche App & 10X Revenues
- Raise a paid app's price to make Apple Search Ads viable▶ 15:30App Masters · Coaching Call About Outside the Box ASO Tips
- Use promotional text to lift conversion on Apple Search Ads traffic▶ 6:22App Masters · The Biggest App Store Optimization Changes in iOS 11
- Target Apple Search Ads and Google AdWords keywords carefully to control cost▶ 11:31Rated about three stars for download potential.App Masters · App Marketing Strategies: The Most Effective Campaigns
App Store and ASO34
- Bid on competitor keywords with custom product pages in Apple Search Ads▶ 0:01Opera sees pretty good success running custom product pages on competitor keywords.App Masters · How the Gaming Ecosystem is Approaching Growth in 2023
- Bid on commonly mispronounced brand names in Apple Search Ads▶ 21:11He drove ridiculously low CPI from Apple Search Ads.App Masters · How the Gaming Ecosystem is Approaching Growth in 2023
- Judge keyword changes after two to three weeks▶ 32:05App Masters · How to Maximize App Store Optimization Seasonality
- Build a custom product page for each keyword intent group▶ 5:10A finance app saw almost a 300 percent uplift in install to impression ratio, an 18 percent increase in conversion rate, a 235 percent increase in tap-through rate and a 26 percent decrease in CPA.App Masters · How to Use Custom Product Pages to Lower Apple Search Ads Costs
- Optimize tap-through and conversion rates, which most teams neglect▶ 3:25App Masters · How to Use Custom Product Pages to Lower Apple Search Ads Costs
- Optimize tap-through and conversion rates, not just keyword rankings and download velocity▶ 4:59For keywords ranking around 20 to 50, strong tap-through and conversion rates lifted organic rankings and downloads, which in turn improved the ad side.App Masters · How Apple Search Ads Impacts App Store Optimization
- Use paid installs to feed the organic download velocity loop▶ 7:07With a bid unchanged at three dollars, clients whose organic rank rose got more ad impressions right away.App Masters · How Apple Search Ads Impacts App Store Optimization
- Mine discovery, broad match and search match terms, then check their organic rank▶ 14:31App Masters · How Apple Search Ads Impacts App Store Optimization
- Combine ASO metadata work with Apple Search Ads and custom product pages▶ 14:05The client went from ranking for 200 keywords to 2,200 keywords in a few months.App Masters · How Apple Search Ads Impacts App Store Optimization
- Seed ads with the terms in your title, subtitle and keyword field▶ 7:50App Masters · How Apple Search Ads Impacts App Store Optimization
- Treat relevance as the shared rule behind organic rank and ad performance▶ 14:53App Masters · How Apple Search Ads Impacts App Store Optimization
- Mine the Search Terms report for new keywords and ASO ideas▶ 8:39Basic gives no visibility into search terms, while this structure shows the real queries.App Masters · The Simplest Apple Search Ads Advanced Campaign to Manage and Scale
- Write a strong event title and short description for ASO▶ 2:23A developer friend ranked for terms like Thanksgiving stickers because of his event.App Masters · App Store Optimization in 2022: Key iOS Changes
- Test keywords with the lowest Apple Search Ads popularity score▶ 4:29The lowest Apple Search Ads popularity score is 5.App Masters · Keyword Prioritization for App Store Optimization (Part 2/4)
- Start keyword picks from your app title and subtitle▶ 9:22A sleep sounds app was seeded with background noise, relax melodies, sound machine and rain sounds.App Masters · The Best Way to Structure Your Apple Search Ads Campaign (Part 1/3)
- Mine a standout competitor's keywords through the Apple Search Ads suggestions in AppFollow▶ 9:41In the sleep sounds example, one app ranked in the top 20 with under 1,000 reviews, and its list surfaced keywords like 'soothing sleep sounds' and 'fall asleep fast' that autofill missed.App Masters · App Store Optimization in 2021 - Keyword Research (Part 3/6)
- Run Apple Search Ads suggestions on three to five competitors▶ 14:31A different app surfaced new terms like sleep better, insomnia and anxiety that the first app did not.App Masters · App Store Optimization in 2021 - Keyword Research (Part 3/6)
- Pair ASO with paid acquisition to scale▶ 12:50Million-dollar and ten-million-dollar apps all have some paid marketing, a fixed funnel and a paid model that works.App Masters · 5 Deadly App Marketing Mistakes
- Use Search Ads creative sets to A/B test iOS screenshots▶ 8:53A friend found the three screenshots he was using underperformed and the three he was not using overperformed.App Masters · How to A/B Test Screenshots on iOS
- Mine Apple's keyword suggestions for a competitor app to surface misspellings▶ 7:27Entering Entrepreneur Magazine surfaced a misspelling scoring 8 and a Fiverr typo scoring 19.App Masters · Do Keyword Misspellings Help Grow Downloads for ASO?
- Pick a competitor app people are likely to misspell as your seed▶ 5:40Apple's auto-suggest in Search Ads for Entrepreneur Magazine returned no misspellings, but the AppFollow tool did.App Masters · Do Keyword Misspellings Help Grow Downloads for ASO?
- Use spellchecker.net and test only the top seven misspellings▶ 3:40The top seven misspellings of 'entrepreneur' were checked in Apple Search Ads and showed low traffic compared with the correct spelling.App Masters · Do Keyword Misspellings Help Grow Downloads for ASO?
- Use the Apple Search Ads keyword tool as a free ASO research source▶ 3:22It surfaced keywords with decent traffic and low competition for several ASO clients.App Masters · How to Use Apple Search Ads for Keyword Research (ASO)
- Keep clicking add on suggested keywords to widen the suggestion list▶ 4:39Clicking through surfaced ideas like shake camera, analog camera, candid photos and slide shake for a camera app.App Masters · How to Use Apple Search Ads for Keyword Research (ASO)
- Install a Chrome extension to see numeric popularity scores in Search Ads▶ 4:22App Masters · How to Use Apple Search Ads for Keyword Research (ASO)
- Check competition for shortlisted keywords in a dedicated ASO tool▶ 5:54App Masters · How to Use Apple Search Ads for Keyword Research (ASO)
- Shortlist a few promising keywords instead of pooling every suggestion▶ 7:04App Masters · How to Use Apple Search Ads for Keyword Research (ASO)
- Look for misspelled keywords that have traffic but little competition▶ 7:21Steve found misspellings with much more traffic than he expected and very little competition.App Masters · How to Use Apple Search Ads for Keyword Research (ASO)
- Enter competitor app names to see keywords they likely target▶ 6:20App Masters · How to Use Apple Search Ads for Keyword Research (ASO)
- Use traffic and competition score thresholds to filter keyword candidates▶ 2:02App Masters · How App Downloads Impact Keyword Rankings for ASO
- Choose keywords by difficulty score, then confirm volume is high enough▶ 8:20On one app, sorting by Mobile Action's chance score gave 19 low difficulty keywords, and the team ranked well for about six of them.App Masters · Best App Store Optimization Tools 2017: Case Study Part 1
- Verify disputed search volumes in Apple Search Ads instead of trusting one tool▶ 2:39App Masters · Best App Store Optimization Tools 2017: Case Study Part 1
- Cross-check keyword data with two ASO tools and Apple Search Ads▶ 7:01On a client's real keywords, Sensor Tower, AppTweak and Mobile Action gave conflicting scores for the same terms.App Masters · 4 Dirty Little Secrets of App Store Optimization (ASO)
- Validate any keyword where tools disagree by checking Apple Search Ads▶ 8:40For one keyword Mobile Action said 41, AppTweak 11 and Sensor Tower 0.5, while Apple Search Ads showed about 10, so the tools were off in both directions.App Masters · 4 Dirty Little Secrets of App Store Optimization (ASO)
Experimentation and analytics8
- Credit connected TV for installs that last-touch gives to Apple Search Ads or organic▶ 10:05Connected TV attribution was close to zero before, and unified journeys showed it did drive results.App Masters · If You’re Running Paid App Ads, You NEED to Watch This
- Migrate to a new campaign structure one group at a time▶ 12:27App Masters · How to Use Custom Product Pages to Lower Apple Search Ads Costs
- Track per-keyword tap-through and conversion against organic rank to find what to scale▶ 11:00Several client keywords showed organic rank climbing as tap-through rate or conversion rate climbed.App Masters · How Apple Search Ads Impacts App Store Optimization
- Run one country and one ad group per campaign▶ 2:58App Masters · The Simplest Apple Search Ads Advanced Campaign to Manage and Scale
- Cap test spend with a total budget or a daily cap▶ 7:55A $1,000 test via a $30 daily cap, or a $1,000 budget with no daily cap to get data fast.App Masters · The Best Way to Structure Your Apple Search Ads Campaign (Part 1/3)
- Use Apple Search Ads to test which three screenshots go first▶ 9:20App Masters · App Store Optimization in 2021 - Optimize These 7 Things (Part 6/6)
- Test one variable per creative set against the default▶ 7:11App Masters · How to A/B Test Screenshots on iOS
- Test screenshot order on iOS using Apple Search Ads creatives▶ 7:16A friend found his expected best first three screenshots were not the best, reordered them and saw more downloads.App Masters · How to Increase Organic Downloads Without Changing Keywords
Founder lessons2
- Reinvest early revenue into growth instead of your savings▶ 6:40He told the client he could make $1,000 from the campaign, then run Apple Search Ads with it.App Masters · How to Get Your First Subscribers: Advice for Indie Developers
- Don't wait to monetize, because revenue funds growth▶ 8:03Geometry Solver can now reinvest its revenue in Apple Search Ads.App Masters · 5 Deadly App Marketing Mistakes
Product strategy and PMF2
- Fix post-install conversion before buying more installs▶ 10:50Revenue grew from about $250 to $1,000 a month with only 15 downloads a day.App Masters · $250 to $1,000 a Month with Just 15 Downloads
- Exhaust the primary channels before adding a new advertising channel▶ 12:56App Masters · How User-Generated Content Ads Increase Installs by 30%
Brand and positioning1
Teams and execution1
App Masters · Sep 8App Masters · Feb 24App Marketing 101: How to Grow in a Crowded App Market
Simplest paid channel, needing only keywords and bids, with no mobile measurement partner required. Guests sold apps for seven figures using only ASO and Apple Ads.
Tips
Subversive · Dec 26How Fitbod Uses AI to Hyperpersonalize Strength Workouts
Began around 2017 for Fitbod and performs well, but search queries are finite and it now mostly shows on terms Fitbod already ranks for.
Tips
App Masters · Dec 16If You’re Running Paid App Ads, You NEED to Watch This
Under last-touch attribution, a branded Apple Search Ads campaign takes credit for users who first saw a TV ad and then searched the brand. That makes connected TV look near zero.
Tips
App Masters · Oct 14Bookmark This Tool To See How Are Ads & Apps Compare
Named with Google Ads, Meta and TikTok as where most paid spend sits, as social and search take over 62% of spend.
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App Masters · Aug 19App Marketing On A Budget: My Proven $0 To $10k Strategy (2025)
About $2,000 in July gave a $1.56 cost per install across the portfolio. Search results campaigns convert over 60% per Apple and show the highest trial activation of any ad channel in his data, and need only keywords with no video assets.
Tips
App Masters · Jun 24The Greatest App Growth Hack in the World 🚀
A new app without ratings gets little impression share because tap-through rate stays low. One niche AI app spends only $100 to $200 a month on it and earns $2,000 to $3,000 a month.
Tips
App Masters · Jan 287 Favorite App Growth Case Studies of 2024 (And What You Can Learn From Them)
Usually ten or fewer keywords turn a profit, with brand and exact match campaigns doing best. On $500,000 of spend in 2024, one client's non-branded campaigns became ROI positive at about $5 per install.
Tips
App Masters · Nov 20How to Get Your First Subscribers: Advice for Indie Developers
It needs only keywords and no Meta SDK. It took one app from $1,000 to $3,000 a month at roughly 2x ROAS, then stalled for months because few people search the App Store.
Tips
- Start with ASO and Apple Search Ads, not social ads▶ 3:09
- Move to social ads once you reach about $1,000 MRR▶ 7:25His own apps reached $1,000 organically, then about $3,000 with Apple Search Ads at roughly 2X ROAS (spending about $1,000). They stayed stuck around $2,000 to $3,000 for six months.
- Reinvest early revenue into growth instead of your savings▶ 6:40He told the client he could make $1,000 from the campaign, then run Apple Search Ads with it.
App Masters · Aug 27Breaking the Money Taboo: Real Talk on App Store Revenue
It is an easy first paid channel to test because the app only has to be live. Facebook needs an SDK and extra setup by comparison.
Tips
App Masters · Apr 30(Part 2/3 - 6 Figure App Exit) Little Known App Growth Strategies for Indie Developers
Advanced is expensive before paywall performance is known. Basic suits small budgets: one client spent 4 to 5 thousand a month with slightly lower conversions than Advanced but much lower cost per install, and the guest pays about a dollar per install.
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App Masters · Jan 16Advanced App Store Optimization Strategies for 2024
Its cost per tap can run higher than the cost per click of Google search campaigns that send people through a website to the App Store.
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App Masters · Jan 2All Your ASO Questions Answered
It needs ratings to run, and ASO does not kick in without them. Even with ratings it did not scale well on newer apps, so a few friend ratings unlocked a campaign for a six-rating app.
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App Masters · Aug 15Cracking the Code: App Store Optimization for Apps Struggling with Downloads
Default settings for a first campaign give the fewest downloads for the most spend, so they must be changed. Apple exposes every setting needed, and ads work best alongside ratings optimization.
Tips
App Masters · Jun 20How the Gaming Ecosystem is Approaching Growth in 2023
A premium, pricier channel where brand keywords perform best and scaling beyond them is hard. Custom product pages on competitor keywords can work, and misspelled airline names gave a very low CPI.
Tips
App Masters · Apr 4Apple Search Ads 2023 Workshop
Charges per tap, so conversion rate decides the max bid (ideal CPA times keyword conversion rate). Steve calls it one of the best ROI channels he has seen, needing no mobile measurement partner, with brand terms converting 70 to 90 percent and exact keywords 30 to 40 percent.
Tips
- Split Apple Search Ads into brand, exact, and separate discovery campaigns▶ 0:57In a big client account, the Discovery and Broad campaigns performed better than the exact match campaign, so he could raise their daily budget to 75 or 100.
- Set max bids as ideal cost per acquisition times keyword conversion rate▶ 6:26Steve uses this formula first when working with clients, replacing arbitrary bids of five to seven dollars.
- Use typical conversion rates by keyword type to set starting bids▶ 5:50These are the averages Steve normally sees across accounts.
- Start bids higher than feels comfortable, then pull back once data arrives▶ 7:05In the live demo he set the Broad campaign at 68 cents with a 50 dollar daily budget.
- Bid on competitor keywords and monitor daily, but skip generic terms with high suggested bids▶ 9:17On a client with a four to five dollar ideal CPA, competitor keywords had actual costs well below the max bid, though some bids still needed adjusting when CPA ran too high.
- Pick keywords with a search popularity score of at least 30▶ 17:57
- Mine competitors' keywords starting from the lowest-rated similar apps▶ 16:51
- Add your exact keywords as negatives on the Broad campaign▶ 19:40
- Use new users only for cheaper, slower starts but expect lower volume▶ 20:24
- Time brand campaign bids to match TV or other brand ad bursts▶ 23:25
- Skip Today tab ads unless you have a big brand budget▶ 25:08
App Masters · Feb 21$250 to $1,000 a Month with Just 15 Downloads
An earlier test gave impressions but no results because the product was not ready. Knowing revenue per download after Apple's cut lets you set a target cost per install, for example up to $1.
Tips
App Masters · Feb 2What is Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM)
MMM can show whether expensive digital or offline campaigns lift Apple Search Ads downloads, even when last touch gives them no credit.
Tips
App Masters · Jan 5Mobile User Acquisition: How to Get Started and What You Need
A high-converting channel whose share of voice grew sharply after ATT. Basic campaigns show cheap installs but weak post-install events, so teams should check exact match and ad group results.
Tips
App Masters · Jan 3How to Maximize App Store Optimization Seasonality
It covers seasonal keyword variants that metadata has no room for, each with its own bid and custom product page. The Today tab placement brought impressions at multiples of regular campaigns.
Tips
- Bid on seasonal keywords in Apple Search Ads instead of rewriting metadata▶ 17:55Halloween alone had many searchable variations, such as ghost games, Hocus Pocus, Halloween games for adults and Halloween games free.
- Judge keyword changes after two to three weeks▶ 32:05
- Use Apple Search Ads Today tab placements to build brand awareness▶ 33:45The Today tab brought impressions at multiples of what regular campaigns delivered.
App Masters · Jul 28How to Use Custom Product Pages to Lower Apple Search Ads Costs
Advertisers pay per tap, so higher conversion rate lowers cost per install. Custom product pages (up to 35 variants) attach at the ad group level, and pausing a campaign does not resume performance where it left off, which can raise CPI and cut impressions.
Tips
- Build a custom product page for each keyword intent group▶ 5:10A finance app saw almost a 300 percent uplift in install to impression ratio, an 18 percent increase in conversion rate, a 235 percent increase in tap-through rate and a 26 percent decrease in CPA.
- Lower CPA by raising conversion rate on the same traffic▶ 3:07Emre says that in the cases his team did it right, results always improved.
- Match the page to the search intent of the ad group's keywords▶ 9:20
- Do not pause and restart campaigns to add custom product pages▶ 8:28Steve's test of custom product pages in a restarted campaign showed no huge improvement.
- Separate branded, generic, competitor and discovery campaigns▶ 10:00Example given: a campaign shows a CPA of only a dollar, but 75 percent of its spend is on the branded term.
- Split exact match keywords into intent-based ad groups▶ 13:57
- Migrate to a new campaign structure one group at a time▶ 12:27
- Optimize tap-through and conversion rates, which most teams neglect▶ 3:25
App Masters · Jul 20How Apple Search Ads Impacts App Store Optimization
Reaches high-intent users, with Apple saying 65% of iOS downloads come from search. Retention and subscription rates beat Facebook or Google ads in AppsFlyer and Adjust data, and organic rank cuts the cost of the same keyword: at an identical $3 bid, impressions rose after organic ranking improved.
Tips
- Start Apple Search Ads with keywords you already rank 1 to 50 for▶ 8:13Terms with existing organic rank gave a ready list of keywords expected to perform well in Apple Search Ads.
- Run custom product pages in Apple Search Ads to lift tap-through and conversion▶ 12:36A major crypto finance app saw tap-through and conversion rates rise, CPAs fall significantly, and the number of keywords it ranked for jump right after launching custom product pages.
- Optimize tap-through and conversion rates, not just keyword rankings and download velocity▶ 4:59For keywords ranking around 20 to 50, strong tap-through and conversion rates lifted organic rankings and downloads, which in turn improved the ad side.
- Build organic rank so you can bid less and still win impressions▶ 16:50The competitor was willing to spend about 50% more on the keyword and still struggled to get impressions.
- Use paid installs to feed the organic download velocity loop▶ 7:07With a bid unchanged at three dollars, clients whose organic rank rose got more ad impressions right away.
- Track per-keyword tap-through and conversion against organic rank to find what to scale▶ 11:00Several client keywords showed organic rank climbing as tap-through rate or conversion rate climbed.
- Mine discovery, broad match and search match terms, then check their organic rank▶ 14:31
- Combine ASO metadata work with Apple Search Ads and custom product pages▶ 14:05The client went from ranking for 200 keywords to 2,200 keywords in a few months.
- Make Apple Search Ads your first paid channel for high-intent users▶ 3:05Steve says Apple Search Ads shows higher retention and higher subscription rates than Facebook or Google ads. Apple says 65% of iOS downloads come from search.
- Seed ads with the terms in your title, subtitle and keyword field▶ 7:50
- Treat relevance as the shared rule behind organic rank and ad performance▶ 14:53
- Monitor impression share to see who bids on your branded terms▶ 18:59
App Masters · May 13How User-Generated Content Ads Increase Installs by 30%
On iOS it needs no extra tracking because Apple owns both the system and the ad platform. It is a recommended starting channel before adding new ones.
Tips
App Masters · Feb 16Should You Make a Wordle Clone? (And How One Wordle App is Making $50K a Month)
Steve suggested Apple Search Ads Advanced to scale a paid app. A client's roughly $4 paid app gets a 2 to 1 return on ad spend from it.
Tips
App Masters · Feb 9The Simplest Apple Search Ads Advanced Campaign to Manage and Scale
Basic only asks for the app, a daily budget and a CPA goal, and hides which search terms bring downloads. An Advanced campaign with Search Match on and a few broad match keywords copies Basic while exposing the search terms report. Steve's own full-setup app spent about $50 over 12 weeks at $1.70 per download.
Tips
- Use Advanced with Search Match on instead of Apple Search Ads Basic▶ 6:58One client campaign surfaced a well-performing keyword the team had never thought of, which was then added as exact match and used for ASO.
- Mine the Search Terms report for new keywords and ASO ideas▶ 8:39Basic gives no visibility into search terms, while this structure shows the real queries.
- Use this campaign when your main keyword has low search volume▶ 9:27Used to finally scale Apple Search Ads for a client after exact, broad and search match campaigns were getting no impressions.
- Leave Search Match on even when you add broad match keywords▶ 5:22
- Set max cost per tap as your CPA goal times conversion rate▶ 4:25A $2.35 CPA goal at a 40% conversion rate gives a max cost per tap of about $1.94.
- Leave the cost per acquisition goal blank to keep campaigns scalable▶ 4:45
- Start with a $1,000 budget capped at about $30 a day▶ 2:41
- Run one country and one ad group per campaign▶ 2:58
- Avoid the Basic campaign because its parameters are too limited▶ 1:17
App Masters · Jan 5App Store Optimization in 2022: Key iOS Changes
It supports custom product pages, so advertisers can send each keyword audience to a tailored page. Earlier, bidding on a keyword lifted organic ranking for it, which hints at how new Apple features move rankings.
Tips
App Masters · Sep 8Keyword Prioritization for App Store Optimization (Part 2/4)
Its keyword popularity score has a minimum of 5, which can still mean a little real traffic, so even those keywords are worth testing and checking at launch.
Tips
App Masters · Aug 3Simple Formula to Decrease Cost-Per-Acquisition on Apple Search Ads (Part 3/3)
Max cost per tap equals target CPA times conversion rate, so a $2 goal at 40% conversion means an 80 cent bid. Young calls it a phenomenal channel with high retention from search intent, but the Search Tab campaign has had very high CPA and limited success without targeting.
Tips
- Set max cost per tap as target CPA times conversion rate▶ 4:15A $2 CPA goal at a 40% conversion rate gives an 80 cent cost per tap.
- Start with a $2 to $3 cost per acquisition goal if you have no data▶ 1:54
- Review the last seven days and update bids per keyword▶ 3:54A keyword converting at 67% against a $2 goal could afford about $1.37 per tap, so the bid was raised to $1.34.
- Raise your CPA goal by increasing revenue per download▶ 5:11
- Raise cost per tap to win more visibility on low-impression keywords▶ 7:27This pattern showed up for one client in an exact match campaign.
- Run one campaign per geo for your top 10 countries▶ 7:47Some countries are already showing lower conversion rates than the US.
- Duplicate exact match and target returning users for retargeting▶ 9:24One client saw pretty good success with a retargeting campaign.
- Skip the Search Tab campaign until Apple adds targeting▶ 11:59Very limited success and really high cost per acquisition with this campaign.
- Lean on Apple Search Ads for search-intent subscribers▶ 4:28
App Masters · Jul 20The Best Way to Structure Your Apple Search Ads Campaign (Part 1/3)
Structure each country as four campaigns (exact, broad match, search match, brand) and set cost per tap as target cost per install times conversion rate, e.g. a $2 target at 30% gives a 60 cent bid. Exact match converts around 30 to 40% of taps, broad 20 to 35%, brand highest, and Apple's suggested bid leads to overspending.
Tips
- Set up four campaigns for every country you target▶ 0:45Targeting the US and Canada results in eight different campaigns.
- Put your most relevant keywords in an exact match campaign▶ 1:02Exact match is described as the highest converting of the non-brand campaigns.
- Run broad match as a discovery campaign with exact keywords as negatives▶ 1:47
- Use a search match campaign with no keywords to let Apple find terms▶ 2:33
- Turn search match off in every campaign except the search match campaign▶ 9:00
- Derive your starting cost per tap by multiplying target cost per install by conversion rate▶ 8:27A $2 target cost per install times 0.3 gives a 60 cent cost per tap.
- Use these tap-to-install conversion averages to set starting bids▶ 4:04Exact match converts around 30 to 40 percent, broad match 20 to 35 percent, and brand converts highest.
- Run a brand campaign on exact match to protect your name▶ 3:24
- Use one ad group per campaign and name campaigns by match type and country▶ 5:17
- Give big countries their own campaign and bundle small ones▶ 7:07
- Cap test spend with a total budget or a daily cap▶ 7:55A $1,000 test via a $30 daily cap, or a $1,000 budget with no daily cap to get data fast.
- Link your App Store account before creating campaigns▶ 5:53
- Target only new users on a campaign built to grow downloads▶ 8:39
- Start keyword picks from your app title and subtitle▶ 9:22A sleep sounds app was seeded with background noise, relax melodies, sound machine and rain sounds.
- Use Apple Search Ads to jumpstart a new app▶ 4:48
App Masters · Feb 1App Store Optimization in 2021 - Optimize These 7 Things (Part 6/6)
It is the only way to A/B test screenshots on Apple. Upload each screenshot set to find the best order for the first three slots, and the extra download velocity helps keyword rankings a little.
Tips
App Masters · Jan 20App Store Optimization in 2021 - Keyword Research (Part 3/6)
Its suggestions surface keywords that autofill misses, since Apple knows each app's metadata. Running three to five competitors found terms like soothing sleep sounds, fall asleep fast and insomnia.
Tips
- Mine a standout competitor's keywords through the Apple Search Ads suggestions in AppFollow▶ 9:41In the sleep sounds example, one app ranked in the top 20 with under 1,000 reviews, and its list surfaced keywords like 'soothing sleep sounds' and 'fall asleep fast' that autofill missed.
- Run Apple Search Ads suggestions on three to five competitors▶ 14:31A different app surfaced new terms like sleep better, insomnia and anxiety that the first app did not.
App Masters · Sep 7Side Hustle App Marketing Strategies
Murphy spends about $50 to $250 per app, but only if it shows some organic growth. Some niche apps get downloads mostly from these ads because people don't know to search for them.
Tips
App Masters · Aug 315 Deadly App Marketing Mistakes
With under 30 to 50 downloads a day, an exact match campaign buys the most targeted first downloads to test the funnel. Paid downloads also lift keyword rankings and organic downloads.
Tips
- Don't wait to monetize, because revenue funds growth▶ 8:03Geometry Solver can now reinvest its revenue in Apple Search Ads.
- Run an exact match Apple Search Ads campaign for targeted downloads▶ 4:24
- Pair ASO with paid acquisition to scale▶ 12:50Million-dollar and ten-million-dollar apps all have some paid marketing, a fixed funnel and a paid model that works.
App Masters · Aug 17How to A/B Test Screenshots on iOS
Its creative sets stand in for a missing iOS screenshot test. Use one exact-match keyword with search match off, a bid near $2, and a $200 to $300 budget with no daily cap, then compare average CPI and taps per set.
Tips
- Use Search Ads creative sets to A/B test iOS screenshots▶ 8:53A friend found the three screenshots he was using underperformed and the three he was not using overperformed.
- Target one generic keyword per test campaign with exact match▶ 4:17
- Turn off search match so Apple does not pick other keywords▶ 4:01
- Set a high bid and no daily cap to get fast test data▶ 2:50
- Test one variable per creative set against the default▶ 7:11
- Use different creative sets for different keyword ad groups▶ 9:08Calm may lead with sleep stories as its third screenshot because sleep stories convert better than meditation.
App Masters · Aug 7How to Increase Organic Downloads Without Changing Keywords
Since iOS has no native listing A/B test, run ads with the same words and different screenshot sets. The results show which three screenshots perform best.
Tips
App Masters · Mar 30Do Keyword Misspellings Help Grow Downloads for ASO?
Its keyword suggestions and traffic scores show which typos carry real demand. Its auto-suggest for Entrepreneur Magazine returned no misspellings, though a client's competitor app did reveal one.
Tips
- Mine Apple's keyword suggestions for a competitor app to surface misspellings▶ 7:27Entering Entrepreneur Magazine surfaced a misspelling scoring 8 and a Fiverr typo scoring 19.
- Pick a competitor app people are likely to misspell as your seed▶ 5:40Apple's auto-suggest in Search Ads for Entrepreneur Magazine returned no misspellings, but the AppFollow tool did.
- Use spellchecker.net and test only the top seven misspellings▶ 3:40The top seven misspellings of 'entrepreneur' were checked in Apple Search Ads and showed low traffic compared with the correct spelling.
App Masters · Nov 1How to Use Apple Search Ads for Keyword Research (ASO)
Its new campaign screen works as a free keyword idea generator, with no budget needed. Repeatedly adding suggestions surfaces keywords with decent traffic and low competition, and the same keywords can be bid on and tested for conversion.
Tips
- Use the Apple Search Ads keyword tool as a free ASO research source▶ 3:22It surfaced keywords with decent traffic and low competition for several ASO clients.
- Keep clicking add on suggested keywords to widen the suggestion list▶ 4:39Clicking through surfaced ideas like shake camera, analog camera, candid photos and slide shake for a camera app.
- Install a Chrome extension to see numeric popularity scores in Search Ads▶ 4:22
- Check competition for shortlisted keywords in a dedicated ASO tool▶ 5:54
- Shortlist a few promising keywords instead of pooling every suggestion▶ 7:04
- Look for misspelled keywords that have traffic but little competition▶ 7:21Steve found misspellings with much more traffic than he expected and very little competition.
- Enter competitor app names to see keywords they likely target▶ 6:20
- Reuse keywords found through ASO research as paid Search Ads bids▶ 3:59A client running Search Ads saw some of the newly found keywords converting really well.
App Masters · Oct 5How to Market a Paid Niche App & 10X Revenues
A fixed paid price makes it safe to bid: on a $4 app, minus Apple's cut, about $2 per install is affordable. A friend's paid app went from $1,000-$2,000 a month to five figures a month.
Tips
App Masters · Sep 4How App Downloads Impact Keyword Rankings for ASO
Its keyword traffic score is used as a filter: aim for a score of 10, ideally 10 to 30 or 40, with low competition.
Tips
App Masters · Aug 15Coaching Call About Outside the Box ASO Tips
A higher app price makes it affordable: if each sale earns at least $1, paying $1 per download breaks even.
Tips
App Masters · Jul 4The Biggest App Store Optimization Changes in iOS 11
Advertisers control only keywords and bids, not the ad text, so promotional text is the place to add a message that helps tapped users convert.
Tips
App Masters · Jun 27App Marketing Strategies: The Most Effective Campaigns
Gives cost-effective downloads if targeted well, with control over keywords and bids. Costs climb fast with poor targeting, and the channel is expected to tap out, rated about three stars for download potential.
Tips
App Masters · May 30Best App Store Optimization Tools 2017: Case Study Part 1
Its keyword tool is the reference for settling search volume disputes between ASO tools, which is why Steve judges the tools by difficulty instead.
Tips
App Masters · May 164 Dirty Little Secrets of App Store Optimization (ASO)
Its popularity score is the benchmark for judging ASO tools, and any odd tool score should be checked there. Steve says it is worth paying for even on tight budgets.
Tips
- Cross-check keyword data with two ASO tools and Apple Search Ads▶ 7:01On a client's real keywords, Sensor Tower, AppTweak and Mobile Action gave conflicting scores for the same terms.
- Validate any keyword where tools disagree by checking Apple Search Ads▶ 8:40For one keyword Mobile Action said 41, AppTweak 11 and Sensor Tower 0.5, while Apple Search Ads showed about 10, so the tools were off in both directions.
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