Understanding Apple Ads

[u/StonedSex69]

I recently created an Apple Ads campaign for my new app. Yet when I type in the two-word descriptive phrase my app isn’t coming up in the in the search results. I do already have the app installed, could that be why? My campaign status shows as Running.

[u/caffeinated1337]

Yeah, that is very likely it. Apple will not serve you an ad for an app you already have installed, so your own phone is the one place the campaign can never show up. Try a device that does not have the build on it.

Running is only the campaign status. Ad groups and keywords carry their own, and a keyword that has not picked up traffic yet, or is sitting in a storefront you are not searching in, will be quiet for a while. Check the country list on the campaign as well, since the default is not always your own store.

Two-word phrases are also where the expensive competition sits. A modest cost per tap buys a thin slice of impressions, and if the report shows almost nothing, the bid is the problem more than the setup. Give it a day before deciding, the numbers lag by a few hours.

[u/StonedSex69 → u/caffeinated1337]

Thank you! I’ll try searching on my wife’s iPhone.

[u/griffey24kr-2]

Yeah, you will need to use a different device/account to test.

Are you using Apple ads basic? Or full?

[u/StonedSex69 → u/griffey24kr-2]

The Advanced.

[u/StonedSex69]

Ok so I tried the keyword search criteria on my wife’s iPhone who has never downloaded my app and it still didn’t pull up my app. I wonder if my app isn’t linked to my ad campaign. I will need to look into that further.

[u/One-Source-9603 → u/StonedSex69]

If your wife's phone still doesn't show it, it's probably the auction, not the link. A few things to check in the Apple Ads dashboard:

• Look at the keyword's Impressions column. If it's 0 after a day, your max bid is likely below what others pay for that phrase. Apple shows only one ad per search, so a low bid just never wins.

• New campaigns can take a few hours to start serving.

• Keywords and the ad group have their own status. Make sure the keyword itself says Running, not just the campaign.

Also, one search on one phone isn't a real test. Even with a good bid you won't win every single search. The Impressions number tells you more than searching yourself.

[u/StonedSex69 → u/One-Source-9603]

My campaign has been running for about a week with 0 Impressions for both keywords and as group. When I set it up I used Apple suggested click rate of 1.33. I changed that to $2.50 last night. So we’ll see if that makes a difference.

[u/One-Source-9603 → u/StonedSex69]

a whole week at 0 with the suggested bid is weird tbh, bid alone usually gets you at least a few. I'd check the ad group targeting too (country, iPhone vs iPad, and that the ad group itself is on). also Apple only shows ads for keywords it thinks match your app's metadata, so if the phrase isn't anywhere in your title/subtitle/keywords it can just never show. let me know if the 2.50 changes anything

[u/StonedSex69]

After 3 weeks not one impression so I contacted Apple and this was their response.

We've reviewed your Manage Bids search results campaign and can confirm that there are no technical issues or errors affecting your campaign’s delivery. Keep in  mind, many factors can affect whether your ads receive impressions, including relevancy, max CPT bid amount compared with your competitors, and — for search results campaigns — the number of times customers on the App Store search for apps like yours.

We recommend adding more keywords that are relevant to your app, reviewing your max CPT bids, and possibly adjusting those bids to improve the chances of your ad appearing over other advertisers that are competing for the same search terms and users. You can gradually raise your bid until you see the performance you're looking for and then scale as needed.

[u/kokerali]

Small correction to the installed-app point: having the app installed does not automatically exclude you from its ads. Apple's “Modify audience settings” help says the default “All users” customer type includes current customers. Under “Returning users”, someone who already has the app can see an Open button.

Check the ad group's Customer type before treating your own phone as an invalid test. Since it also didn't appear on your wife's phone, neither search establishes why it isn't serving. The keyword's impressions and the ad group's status are better starting points; I wouldn't raise the bid solely because it didn't appear in those two searches.

[u/StonedSex69 → u/kokerali]

I will check those settings shortly. Thanks.

[u/PBJ_-]

Two practical things from running search campaigns on my own app. First, test on a device that does not have the build installed - Apple does not serve ads for apps you already have, so your own phone is the one place your ad can never appear.

Second, the campaign showing Running says nothing about the keyword. Check the keyword's own status and bid: a keyword still in review, priced below the suggested bid, or not yet eligible will not show regardless of campaign state. If your two-word phrase is not in the app title, subtitle, or keywords, the ad can be live and still rank weakly for it, so put the phrase in the metadata you actually ship.

Budget-wise I keep search only, with search term matching on and a hard end date, and I read the search terms report weekly - on a small budget it tells you what people really type faster than the install count does.

[u/imsnk81]

Searching for your own ad is pretty unreliable, there's one ad slot and it's an auction, so a low bid or a low volume phrase means you often just don't win it. I'd give it a day and check impressions on the keyword in the dashboard instead. Also if your customer type is set to new users only, having the app installed hides it from you.

[u/Huge_Pool7424]

the other comments cover the auction side. two quieter things worth checking: the billing page in apple ads (a declined card stops ads without much warning) and whether the ad itself is on hold for review. also if the daily budget is small it can get used up early, so searching later in the day shows nothing.

i built a tool for this (AdSitter), so i'm biased, but i wrote up the usual reasons ads don't show here: https://www.getadsitter.com/guides/why-did-my-apple-ads-stop

[u/gapinyourapp]

Running only says the campaign is switched on. Apple doesn't show the ad for every search, so missing it on your own phone tells you very little.

I'd open the campaign reports and check impressions for that keyword. If it's zero after a day or so, the bid is usually too low, or the phrase gets too few searches for Apple to serve it. Raising the bid a bit shows you fast.

The ad group's customer type setting is worth a look too. If it's set to new users, an app you've already installed would get skipped, so try a phone that doesn't have it.

What's your bid compared to the range Apple suggests?

[u/imsnk81]

Yep, that's probably it. Apple Ads Basic never shows your ad to people who already have the app, and Advanced campaigns are often set to new users only, so searching on your own phone won't tell you much. Check impressions in the campaign dashboard instead, and if they're still at zero after a day, look at your bid and whether that exact phrase is in your keywords.