The ironSource platform reports that 600 million people go to the Apple Store weekly to download apps, with 65% of downloads coming directly from search. So Apple Search Ads is the only channel for advertising to the App Store that needs to be mastered when scaling an app on iOS.

Until now, Search Ads have been used on the Search tab and in App Store search results, allowing advertisers to engage users directly through the app search.

As of September 2022, Apple has made changes. The company released two new Apple Search Ads placement options for advertisers, making Search Ads more effective. Companies now engage users at any stage of the app search journey.

Side note: Apple allows in-app NFT sales with a 30% commission fee.

New advertising placements in the Apple Store

The first new placement is under the «Today» tab on the front page of the App Store. Immediately below the most popular app of the day, users will see the advertised custom product page, where advertisers will show the features and design of the app. Users will see the app as soon as they go to the App Store.

The second placement is the product pages. This placement of ads is shown to users in a prominent place while exploring and researching the app in the App Store. These ads appear on the app page at the top of the «You may also like it» list.

New ways to place ads mean companies will now reach users through the app search journey: from the moment they first log in to the App Store when users are searching for a specific app or researching it for a future download.

How to launch new placement on the App Store

Advertisers launch new placements through the Apple Search Ads campaign management API and the Apple Ads attribution API. Recent posts are based on CPT pricing, charging only those users who click on an ad.

To run an ad on the «Today» tab, create a custom product page for placement, which must have at least four portrait or five landscape images.

These images will also become the automatically generated background of the ad using a dimmed or blurred visual effect. The images will be verified in App Store Connect, and the limit of custom product pages is 35.

Placement on the «Today» tab and product pages will be available in all countries and regions where Apple Search Ads operate. The exception is mainland China, which will launch in the future.

Not all apps will be eligible for new placements; for example, gambling apps can’t place ads on the «Today» tab but are suitable for a post on the product page. Advertisers will be notified through an account if an ad cannot be used in a specific location.

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