Apple Search Ads: the quiet channel eCom brands ignore
Rostyslav C.
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June 12, 2026
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7 min read
App Store search is the highest-intent traffic an app can buy — and most eCom brands with an app never touch it. CPTs sit far below Meta CPCs in most niches because the auction is thin.
Why nobody bids there
Apple Search Ads lives in a separate console with separate reporting, so it falls between the media buyer and the app team. The result: brand terms unprotected, competitor terms unclaimed, discovery campaigns never launched.
How to start without burning budget
Protect brand terms first — they convert at 60–80% and competitors are already bidding on them. Then exact-match competitor terms, then Search Match for discovery with a strict CPA cap.
Tie it to AppsFlyer or your MMP from day one: ASA’s own attribution overcounts, and you need LTV per keyword, not just installs.
Rostyslav C.
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