About the Brand

SM Malls Online is the leading shopping app in the Philippines, combining digital ease with in-mall experiences. It offers a wide range of products from food and technology to beauty, wellness, and groceries from trusted SM Mall brands. The app simplifies shopping with features like same-day delivery and single-checkout for multiple stores.

About Newton

Newton transforms the iOS app growth strategy with the ACE philosophy: Acquire, Create, and Elevate. The 360° iOS App Growth Platform leverages AI & ML coupled with a team of data-driven performance strategists to drive your app’s success

Overview

SM Malls Online partnered with Newton to enhance organic installs and conversion rates, aiming for greater visibility and user engagement. The collaboration utilized an ASO and Apple Ads strategy to drive high-quality user acquisition and reduce Customer Acquisition Costs (CAC).

The Result

8%

Week-over-week organic install growth

 

30%

Rise in conversions via improved metadata and promotional text

90% 

Keyword visibility, outperforming competitors

First Steps Towards Organic Upliftment

  • Enhanced subtitles, keywords, and metadata across regions for improved search visibility
  • Integrated high-volume, non-brand competitor keywords; improved rankings to top #15 and #20
  • Refined "What's New" text to counteract ranking drops
  • Benchmarked keyword performance against competitors
  • Applied cross-localization strategies for ranking boosts

Enhancing User Engagement Through A/B Testing & In-App Events

  • Conducted A/B tests on app screenshots for engaging designs
  • High-impact in-app events generated over 150K+ impression opportunities, increasing brand awareness and downloads
  • Crafted compelling promotional text emphasizing offers, leading to a 30% increase in conversion rates

Apple Ads Strategy: Efficient Scaling with Competitive Insights

  • Captured competitor traffic by leveraging high-intent keywords; boosted SOV (30% to 55%) and downloads (+15%)
  • Optimized bidding with rule-based automation to maximize conversions and control costs
  • Leveraged competitive benchmarking to increase visibility on generic terms (35% to 50%)
  • Adapted to market shifts in real-time, adjusting bids and refreshing Custom Product Pages (CPP); boosted TTR (2.5% to 4.1%) and downloads (+18%)

Apple Ads-ASO Keyword Synergy: Bridging Paid and Organic for Maximum Impact

  • Integrated underutilized keywords into Apple Ads targeting and ASO metadata for improved visibility.
  • Intensified Apple Ads bids and refined ASO for top-performing terms like "online shop," securing top 10 rankings.
  • Synergistic effect between Apple Ads and ASO boosted organic rankings, driving continuous growth.

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