Apple Search Ads can still be considered a relatively new ad platform but it has already established itself as one of the best user acquisition solutions for iOS app publishers. However, taming a new ad channel is never easy. Laura Burankova, Senior ASO Manager at Verv, shares their experience of mastering the App Store ads with help of SearchAdsHQ.
The Verv team started working with Apple Search Ads as it seemed to be a scalable channel in terms of their growth. Furthermore, this app advertising channel doesn’t only give publishers an opportunity to evaluate crucial search terms and empower their semantic core, it also makes it possible to improve their position in the App Store search for the most important keywords.
Even though the team was prepared for certain rough edges and incomplete features which are quite common among new market players, they still expected to get a sophisticated and trustworthy platform for ad campaigns launch and analysis with sensible spend.
Sure, Apple Search Ads got the job done providing a prime spot in the search and giving valuable insights for conversion improvement based on Creative Sets performance. Nevertheless, it lacked flexibility essential for effective management and optimization:
Unfortunately, Apple Search Ads didn’t provide data sufficient for a full-fledged analysis. We also encountered inconvenience in campaigns settings and editing, ads efficiency assessment presented certain challenges as well.
The main issue is that Apple Search Ads dashboard provides only data on the events which happen before the ‘Get’ button is clicked while detailed analysis of key search terms and their optimization require data on post-install events.
Thus, the Verv team had to download reports from their MMP and search for the most powerful keywords which didn’t only bring installs but also converted users into subscribers. Naturally, this process was very tiring and time-consuming.
Sure, one can restrict a campaign spend setting a Daily cap but this method doesn’t guarantee that all keywords will perform equally and there won’t be any imbalances. For instance, when a certain keyword starts bringing lots of users after the bid increase, the overall customer acquisition cost of this keyword may increase significantly.
The latter problem is growing more urgent now as severe competition triggers more aggressive bid setting policy for important keywords. Moreover, users all over the world have different waking hours.
Verv was one of the first app publishers which started managing and optimizing their App Store ads campaigns with help of SearchAdsHQ. The platform solves all of the above-mentioned problems:
The SearchAdsHQ team also assisted in determining optimal settings for Verv’s Apple Search Ads campaigns.
When we just started with Apple Search Ads, our main mistake was to run campaigns without a well-defined account structure. Further work with App Store ads and SearchAdsHQ experience have proven that clear and functional account structure predetermines seamless process and sensible time input.
We all understand that it’s impossible to be active 24/7 that’s why it’s so important to find a solution which will keep an eye on your Apple Search Ads account when you’re not available. That’s why determining and setting automated rules in SearchAdsHQ became an integral part of Verv’s go-to scaling and management strategy.
SearchAdsHQ turned out to be an amazing time-saver for Verv when it came to campaigns launch, analysis and optimization. Above all, running Apple Search Ads campaigns with this platform prevented considerable budget waste due to investment in poorly performing keywords. Setting clear rules for keywords, Verv managed to maximize the effectiveness of their App Store ads spend.
Moreover, when Apple expanded the list of available storefronts, SearchAdsHQ campaigns duplication feature came in handy – instead of spending hours on new campaigns structure, the Verv team duplicated the existing ones in a matter of minutes. This feature is extra applicable considering that Apple Search Ads keeps entering new markets.
The advanced feature set of SearchAdsHQ helps to save time and manage marketing budget more efficiently. The company also consistently provides upscale customer support. That’s why we plan to continue this cooperation for the existing and upcoming projects.
