Search results owned, query by query#
Quick answer: Search results ads put your app above organic listings on matching queries across 91 markets, with extra sponsored positions added from March 2026. They win with tight keyword structure, exact match anchors and CPT bids priced from modelled CPA.
by the folkfox bench.
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What are search results ads?#
Apple Search Ads became Apple Ads in April 2025 as inventory grew beyond search, though practitioner shorthand ASA is still common. Search results remain the workhorse: your app answers the query at the top of the list. Start at the Apple Ads hub to place this deck in the family.
The store holds exactly four ad placements (Today tab, Search tab, search results and product pages under You Might Also Like), so there is no fifth slot to chase. Read Apple on ad placements and our Search tab deck before you plan coverage.
How do you structure for the query?#
Structure carries the account: brand terms ringfenced, category terms in test cells, rival conquest separated and discovery quarantined on Search Match. Exact match anchors intent while broad finds variants, and weekly Search Match harvests graduate winners into exact.
Negatives do the quiet work, with 5,000 negatives per ad group keeping waste out as you scale. Our keywords deck sets the match type policy, and our team audits structures that stopped scaling.
| Lever | What it means |
|---|---|
| Intent | Brand ringfenced, category tested, discovery quarantined |
| Match | Exact anchors plus broad prospecting with weekly harvests |
| Bids | CPT priced from modelled CPA, headroom for top positions |
| Scale | 5,000 keywords and 5,000 negatives per ad group |
When is the listing ready for paid taps?#
Launch when the product page converts: ratings, screenshots and page copy settled before paid taps arrive. Search results reward relevance, so paid traffic to a weak page buys installs that churn within days.
From March 2026 extra sponsored positions sit inside search results, starting in the UK and Japan on 3 March with wider rollout by end March. One placement, more positions, no position picking or bidding. Read Apple on the 2026 inventory expansion.
Where do search results ads deliver?#
At the top of the results list on matching queries, badged as sponsored and linking straight to your product page. Search results, Search tab and Today tab each serve 91 markets, while product page placements serve 90 and stay unavailable in mainland China.
Localise keyword lists per market rather than translating word for word. Our product pages deck covers the destination side of the tap.
Why does query intent convert?#
Because the searcher states the need: estimated vendor benchmarks from SplitMetrics 2025 put CPT at $2.25, CPA at $3.76, tap-through at 9.7 per cent and tap-to-install conversion at 66.2 per cent. Treat all four as estimated third party data to model with, never as promises.
Because position compounds it, and Apple reports top position conversion above 60 per cent. Read SplitMetrics 2025 benchmarks and price the tap in our bidding deck.
Keyword Lab
Paste candidate keywords and sort them into exact, broad and negative buckets by structure, ready for the results campaign.
Keyword Lab
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Lines starting with a dash become negatives. Three word phrases default to exact, short generics to broad. Read Apple on keywords and match types.
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Fresh search results wire
Live headlines on bids, keywords and results placement performance from the folkfox journal.
Ready when you are#
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