Apple Ads (formerly Apple Search Ads) Deep Analysis
Process
- Collect Apple Ads account data (exports from Apple Ads dashboard or pasted metrics)
- Identify active placement types (Search Results, Search Tab, Today Tab, Product Pages)
- Evaluate all applicable checks as PASS, WARNING, or FAIL
- Calculate ASA Health Score (0-100)
- Generate findings report with action plan
What to Analyze
Campaign Structure (25% weight)
BOFU; Bottom of Funnel (Search Results, Exact Match brand)
- Brand keyword campaign present (own app name + misspellings)
- Competitor campaign present (competitor app names as keywords)
- Category campaigns targeting high-intent generic terms (e.g. "workout app", "budget tracker")
MOFU; Middle of Funnel (Search Match / broad discovery)
- Search Match campaigns active in at least one ad group for discovery
- Search Match ad groups isolated from Exact Match (separate ad groups; never mix)
- Search Terms Report reviewed to mine converting queries for Exact Match promotion
Campaign Architecture Rules:
- Brand / Category / Competitor should be separate campaigns (different CPT bids, budgets)
- Search Match ad groups isolated from manual keyword ad groups; NEVER mix in same ad group
- Goal: let Search Match discover, then promote winners to Exact Match campaigns
Bid Health (20% weight)
CPT (Cost Per Tap) vs Install Rate by Match Type:
- CPT vs category benchmarks (see Benchmarks section below)
- TTR (Tap-Through Rate): benchmark >2.5% for Search Results, >1.5% for Search Tab
- Conversion Rate (tap → install): benchmark 50-65% for brand terms, 20-40% for category
- CPT/CPG (Cost Per Goal): compare against target CPI/CPA from MMP
Bid Strategy:
- Manual CPT bidding appropriate for small/new accounts
- Maximize Conversions (GA February 26, 2026): AI-powered auto-bidder using Search Match that sets optimal bids per search query in real time. Target CPA (weekly average target) replaces CPA Cap (being deprecated). Recommended daily budget: at least 5x target CPA. Two-week learning period minimum. Current limitation: only optimizes for installs, NOT post-install events (no trial, subscription, or ROAS optimization yet)
- CPA Goals available at campaign level; evaluate if conversion volume supports it (>100 installs/month per campaign)
- Are bids differentiated by match type? (Brand Exact > Category Exact > Search Match)
- Keyword-level CPT bids set, not just ad group default?
Keyword Health:
- Irrelevant Search Terms (from Search Match) identified and excluded via negative keywords
- Low-performing keywords paused or bid reduced (TTR <1% + high CPT)
- High-volume generic terms checked for intent quality (avoid "free apps" type queries)
Custom Product Pages (15% weight)
Creative Sets fully deprecated. CPPs are now the sole ad variation mechanism. CPP limit doubled to 70 in October 2025.
Custom Product Pages (CPP):
- CPPs created in App Store Connect? (up to 70 per app as of Oct 2025)
- At least 3 CPP variants tested per campaign type (different value props per audience)
- CPP assets aligned with ad group keyword themes (e.g. fitness keywords → fitness screenshots)
- CPPs increase conversion rates ~8% for games, ~6.6% for non-gaming apps (AppTweak data)
- SoundCloud case study: CPPs in competitor campaigns led to 58% CR increase, 39% CPI reduction
- Critical: 78% of App Store search volume comes from devices with Personalized Ads off. Use creative-based targeting (CPP asset alignment) rather than demographic audience filters
Default (Store Listing) Creative:
- App icon, subtitle, and first 3 screenshots optimized; these show in ads by default
- Short description (170 chars) compelling and keyword-rich
- Preview video present (strongly recommended for TTR improvement)
Creative Testing:
- CPP performance compared: which variant has highest TTR and lowest CPI?
- Deep links in CPPs available on iOS/iPadOS 18+ (test for re-engagement)
- CPPs can now be assigned organic keywords (WWDC 2025), bridging paid/organic optimization
Attribution & MMP Health (15% weight)
MMP Integration (Critical):
- MMP (AppsFlyer / Adjust / Branch / Singular) integrated with Apple Ads via AdAttributionKit + ATT
- Apple Ads properly connected as a partner in MMP dashboard
- In-app events being sent back to Apple Ads (enables Maximize Conversions and ROAS optimization)
- Post-install event quality: are purchase, subscription_start, or other revenue events tracked?
AdAttributionKit & Dual Attribution (April 10, 2025):
- Apple Ads registered with AdAttributionKit (SKAN v1-3), creating dual attribution for the first time
- Installs now report through BOTH SKAN/AAK postbacks AND the AdServices API
- WWDC 2025: configurable attribution windows, overlapping re-engagement windows, and country codes in postbacks
- SKAdNetwork conversion values configured in MMP (maps user actions to conversion windows)
- ATT opt-in rate monitored (low ATT rate = less MMP data, more reliance on SKAN/AAK)
- Privacy threshold considerations: are campaigns getting postbacks or null reports?
Attribution Windows:
- Default Apple Ads attribution: 30-day click, 1-day view; appropriate for app install goals?
- WWDC 2025 added configurable windows and overlapping re-engagement windows
- For re-engagement or subscription goals: evaluate longer lookback windows
Budget Pacing (10% weight)
- Daily cap set at campaign level (budget pacing in ASA is daily, not monthly)
- Actual daily spend vs daily cap ratio: flag if consistently hitting cap (could be missing volume)
- Conversely: flag if spend is <50% of daily cap (creative or bid issue, not budget)
- Budget split across placement types aligned with performance (don't over-invest in underperforming placements)
- Lifetime budget campaigns (if used): check end dates and pacing curves
TAP Coverage: Placement Types (10% weight)
ASA offers 4 placement types; evaluate coverage and performance:
| Placement | Where | Best for | Benchmark CPT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search Results | Below search results | High intent, bottom funnel | $0.50-$3.00 |
| Search Tab | Top of Search tab | Discovery, mid funnel | $0.30-$1.50 |
| Today Tab | App Store home | Brand awareness | $1.00-$5.00 |
| Product Pages | Competitor/related app pages | Competitor conquesting | $0.50-$2.00 |
Evaluation:
- Search Results: must be active (highest intent placement)
- Search Tab: active for scale? Evaluate CPT and TTR vs Search Results
- Today Tab: only if budget >$3k/month and brand awareness is a goal (high CPT, low intent)
- Product Pages: competitive opportunity; are competitor CPPs being targeted?
Goal CPA / KPI Assessment (5% weight)
Benchmarks by Category (2025-2026 ASA averages):
| Category | Avg CPT | Avg TTR | Avg Install CVR | Target CPI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | $0.50-$1.00 | 3-5% | 55-70% | $1.00-$3.00 |
| Health & Fitness | $1.50-$3.00 | 2-4% | 45-60% | $3.00-$8.00 |
| Productivity | $1.00-$2.50 | 2-3.5% | 50-65% | $2.00-$5.00 |
| Finance | $2.00-$5.00 | 1.5-3% | 40-55% | $5.00-$15.00 |
| Education | $1.00-$2.00 | 2-4% | 50-65% | $2.00-$6.00 |
| Shopping | $0.80-$2.00 | 2.5-4% | 45-60% | $2.00-$5.00 |
| Lifestyle | $0.80-$1.80 | 2-3.5% | 45-60% | $2.00-$5.00 |
Country-level benchmarks:
- Tier 1 (US, UK, AU, CA, JP): CPT 2-3× above global average; highest LTV
- Tier 2 (DE, FR, KR, SG, HK): CPT 1-1.5× above global average
- Tier 3 (BR, IN, MX): CPT 30-60% below Tier 1; high volume, lower LTV
Checks:
- Actual CPI vs target CPI (from MMP); flag if >2x target
- CPI trend over 30 days (improving or worsening?)
- Revenue events: is ROAS positive within MMP attribution window?
Overall Benchmarks (2025 SplitMetrics data)
| Metric | Search Results Average |
|---|---|
| TTR (Tap-Through Rate) | 9.7% |
| Conversion Rate | 66.2% |
| CPT (Cost Per Tap) | $2.25 |
| CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) | $3.76 |
- US is the highest-cost market
- AMEI (Africa/Middle East/India) is most cost-efficient and stable
- International markets often deliver 3-5x better CPI than US with comparable LTV for subscription apps
Platform Changes (v1.5)
| ID | Check | Severity | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASA-MA1 | Multiple ads per query readiness | Medium | Rolling out March 2026: up to 2 ads per search query (was 1). Changes competitive dynamics: more search results real estate available. Evaluate bid strategy for increased competition |
Deprecated:
- Creative Sets: fully deprecated. Only CPPs now (up to 70 per app)
- CPA Cap: being retired in favor of Target CPA via Maximize Conversions
- Demographic audience targeting as primary strategy: 78% of App Store search volume comes from devices with Personalized Ads off
Output Format
## Apple Ads Audit
**ASA Health Score: [X]/100**
### Critical Issues ([count])
- [Issue with specific impact and fix]
### High Priority ([count])
- [Issue]
### Campaign Structure
PASS/WARNING/FAIL for each check category
### Benchmark Comparison
[Metric] | Your Account | ASA Benchmark | Status
### Quick Wins (do this week)
1. [Most impactful fix with expected outcome]
2.
3.
### Recommended Next Steps
[Prioritized action plan]Scoring Weights
| Category | Weight |
|---|---|
| Campaign Structure | 25% |
| Bid Health | 20% |
| Custom Product Pages | 15% |
| Attribution & MMP | 15% |
| Budget Pacing | 10% |
| TAP Coverage | 10% |
| Goal KPI Assessment | 5% |
Data to Request from User
If not provided, ask for:
- Campaign list with spend, installs, CPT, TTR, CVR (last 30 days)
- Active placement types
- MMP being used (AppsFlyer, Adjust, Branch, Singular, or none)
- Target CPI / CPA and app category
- Countries/regions active
- Whether Custom Product Pages are set up in App Store Connect