What is Apple Search Ads Search Results Page and how to use it?

The Apple Search Ads Search Results Page is one of the most sought-after multiple ad placements available in the App Store infrastructure. In the app discovery funnel, this position coincides with the Action phase. The ad appears at the last touchpoint of the user’s visit to the App Store application. Therefore, this ad placement assumes quite the significance in iOS app marketer’s Apple Search Ads strategy.

What is the Apple Search Ads Search Results Page?

The last ad placement within the App Store ecosystem. These ads appear after a user has submitted a search query in the App Store. The Search Results Page ads are also linked to a Custom Product Page or CPP. These ads display the app icon, title, subtitle, App Store rating, number of downloads, and a preview of the 3 creatives of the CPP linked to the ad. In case a CPP is not linked, it prepares a default ad by utilizing the assets from App Store Connect. 

The Search Results Page ads are ideal for category, competitor, discovery, and retargeting campaigns.

*Brands are for representational purposes only

How to set up a Search Results Page iOS ad placement?

While setting up campaigns and ad groups in Apple Search Ads, mark the Search Results Page as the choice of inventory to showcase your ads. 

Most importantly, ensure a CPP is linked to the Apple Search Ads Search Results Page ads to drive personalized, contextual, and privacy-first app advertising.

How do Search Results Page iOS ad placements work?

This is the only ad placement that works based on Apple Search Ads keyword match types. Therefore, advertisers can exercise a lot more control over ad appearances, ad content, and optimization of ad performances. A Search Results Page ad will appear to the user only if:

• The target keywords of the campaign are an exact match to the user’s search query
• The user’s search query is a broad match to the set list of keywords to target
• The Search Match is turned on and the ad automatically appears for untargeted, but relevant keywords

Given the capabilities of this ad placement, it is utilized often to boost conversions among prospective champion user segments. The user segment targeted with this ad placement is highly educated and in all probability has prior experience using your app or similar apps. They know the industry standards and will only convert if their specific requirements are met.

Today Tab vs. Search Tab vs. Search Results Page multiple Apple Search Ads placements

How to make the best use of Apple Search Ads Search Results Page?

Have a strong target list of iOS keywords

Search Results Page ads are positioned based on search query matches. This ad placement can drive over 60% conversion rates, making it a prime choice for iOS app marketers. This conversion benchmark can be achieved with a robust keyword strategy - both organic and paid. The target keywords must be well-categorized to reflect the varying Apple Search Ads keywords iOS users utilize to search for their preferred apps. 

A quick overview of categorizing the keywords: 

• Brand keywords to reach out to audiences looking directly for the brand

• Category keywords to not miss out on audiences looking for products and services popular in your category

• Competitor keywords to garner a higher Share of Voice (SoV) in the App Store

• Seasonal or special keywords to drive brand recall and conversions during peak seasons and specific times of the day or month
  
  
• Multilingual keywords to drive growth among non-English speaking app users

Along with streamlining the keywords for which you want your ad to appear, also maintain a negative keywords list. Negative keywords are search queries that may be similar to your target keywords but are not relevant to your app specifically. Setting up a negative keyword list blocks ad appearances for irrelevant keywords, preventing ad spend leakage.

A/B test different Apple Search Ads keyword match type combinations

There are primarily three types of keyword matches within the App Store - exact match, broad match, and Search Match. These match types can be utilized independently or even in a hybrid model. For hybrid layering, the campaign will have to be subdivided into ad groups, wherein different ad groups can have different match types. 

A/B testing match types help to maintain your iOS paid ad budget. The match types, when individually used, can saturate and cause the CPM (cost per thousand impressions) and CPT (cost per tap) to bloat up. Also, not all keywords may show value with an exact match or broad match setting. With A/B testing, it is possible to figure out which keywords respond better to which match type. If Search Match is part of the strategy, then A/B testing assumes more priority, seeing as the scope of budget wastage for irrelevant ad placements is the highest here.

Contextualize the linked Custom Product Pages

Let’s demonstrate this with an example. The medical app, DocTalk, is running a Search Results Page ad. They are targeting broad matches and exact matches of the keyword doctor teleconsultation booking online. In this regard, the CPP previews show a young mother, a senior citizen, and a specially-abled middle-aged man clicking on Book Consultation in the app. 

In this case, the ad is not just answering to booking online teleconsultation appointments. But they are also showcasing the diverse patient personas they cater to, and how despite unique problems, the teleconsultation booking feature helps their entire target audience base. 

When customizing the CPPs linked to Search Results Page ads, remember to update the language to the dominant language spoken in your target region. This helps to establish greater trust among users. In a recent report, about 87% of internet users reported they do not prefer to transact on English-only platforms.

Integrate a system to view full-funnel analytics

The magic of full-funnel analytics is displayed to complete potential with Search Results Page ads. Full-funnel analytics is achieved with an MMP integration to the Apple Search Ads platform. Products like Newton, make this process easier by providing a unified dashboard to view all data insights in one place. With this integration, you will be able to identify:

• Exact keywords that led to the highest ROAS
• Match types that secured the most relevant ad placements
• Bid budgets that drove maximum ROIs
• CPP variations that resonated the most with audiences
  
  

These insights do not just help you craft improved Search Results Page campaigns for the future. But it can also be utilized to boost your iOS growth strategy as a whole - utilize the insights to improve your organic App Store Optimization (ASO) and default product page.

Search Results Page campaign impact with Newton

The media space offered by Search Results Page ads allows iOS app marketers to say a lot more about their app’s offerings compared to the other ad placements. Therefore, it is a preferred placement for most of our global partners. Here are some impact statements from their success stories.

If you are looking to replicate similar success with your Apple Search Ads Search Results Page ad placements, our iOS campaign managers will be happy to help you with any queries you might have.