Coming up, I’ll show you how you can find the downloads you’re getting from organic Google Play, and also the keywords that your users are using to download your apps. Stay tuned!
Finding Your Organic Downloads from Google Play
Open your account on Google Play console; pick the app that you wanna focus on and analyze; then, go to the User Acquisition tab on the left side and click Acquisition Reports.
Filter the dates accordingly and below, you will see a report including all the acquisition channels and compensation rate. You will also find, Play Store (Organic) — that’s where you can find all the downloads you’re getting from organic.
If you have enough downloads you will see the word “Search” underneath and when you click that you will see the actual keywords that are driving the downloads. However, if you are only having minimal downloads, you will not see the specific keywords that are driving those downloads.
That’s it, it’s super simple! So start checking how many organic downloads your app is getting and check out the keywords that drive those downloads.
🛠️ Step-by-Step Guide to Tracking Organic Downloads
Access Your Google Play Console Navigate to Google Play Console and sign in to your developer account.
Select Your App From the dashboard, choose the app you wish to analyze.
Navigate to Acquisition Reports In the left-hand menu, click on User Acquisition > Acquisition Reports.
Set Your Desired Date Range Use the date filter to specify the period you want to analyze.
Analyze Organic Traffic Under the “Acquisition Channels” section, look for Play Store (Organic). This indicates users who found your app through organic means, such as browsing or searching on the Play Store.
Dive into Search Keywords If your app has a significant number of downloads, you’ll see a breakdown under Search, revealing the specific keywords users typed to find your app. This insight is invaluable for refining your App Store Optimization (ASO) strategy.
📊 Understanding the Data
Play Store (Organic):Users who discovered your app without paid promotions.
Search:Users who found your app via specific search terms.
Note: For apps with fewer downloads, keyword data might be limited or grouped under “Other” due to privacy thresholds.
💡 Actionable Tips for Indie App Marketers
Optimize Your App Listing: Incorporate high-performing keywords into your app’s title and description to enhance visibility.
Monitor and Adapt: Regularly check your acquisition reports to identify trends and adjust your ASO strategies accordingly.
Leverage A/B Testing: Use the Play Console’s built-in tools to test different versions of your app listing and determine which yields better results.
Engage with User Feedback: Respond to reviews and consider user suggestions to improve app satisfaction and retention.
🔚 Conclusion
For indie app developers, understanding the nuances of user acquisition is pivotal.By effectively utilizing the Google Play Console, you can gain insights into how users discover your app and which keywords drive the most traffic.Implementing these strategies will not only enhance your app’s visibility but also foster sustained organic growth.
If you’re an indie app marketer looking to scale user acquisition profitably, understanding how to structure Apple Search Ads campaigns can be your secret weapon.
Straight from the App Masters Virtual Summit, this post shares a snippet of expert insights from Gabe of Incipia.co — revealing the foundational (and advanced) strategies you need to crush it with Apple Search Ads.
How to Set Up Apple Search Ads Campaigns
For beginners who are wondering how to get started in setting up Apple search ads campaigns, you should consider these things: your budget and how much time you have to manage it.
You can go with the starter route, which is enough for most who spend a few thousand a month. If you are spending tens of thousands a month, you have to go to the more advanced route.
Basically, for Apple search ads, you’ve got a broad match that gets you really broad coverage of all the search terms that people are searching every day. This search match is a good way to start because it gets you a wide net that captures all the search terms without having to do a lot of effort.
You also want to add an exact match campaign where you have exact match keywords. If you’re bidding five dollars for that then you know that you’re going to pay up to $5 for that exact keywords.
Over time, use your search match campaign and look through the search terms and pull all those search terms that you want to bid over into your exact match campaign; and add them as negatives to your search match campaign. This way, when somebody searches for that term and it’s going to your exact match, you can pay enough for it to get traffic.
You might also want to have a brand campaign just to do some brand defense. The app results in iOS and searches are huge and they may take up two-thirds of the screen. So if you’ve got the competitors coming in and showing ads on top of your organic results, there will be a surprising number of people who are just gonna click on that first result. You might lose some keywords if you have some downloads of your brand.
On the more advanced side, you can structure things into tiers. You can have ad groups that have your highest LTV for those users in your exact match and use the CPA goal to bid a little bit higher and use a very high bid to make sure you’re giving the algorithm enough room to bid highly for those keywords that you really have good LTV.
You might have tier 1 LTV where your bid is very high. You might have a tier 2 where your bid is medium and your LTV is medium and a tier 3 where you LTV is a little bit lower because you want traffic but don’t want to pay as much for it. These things are on the more advanced type.
How to Distribute the Budget Between Broad Match Versus Exact Match
You’d want a kind of waterfall or as much budget as you can to the exact match. If you have $1,000 a month and you can spend all of that for the exact match then that’s great.
Over time you’re gonna build more keywords in exact and you will spend more budget, but if you’re just starting off you might allocate $250 towards exact match and the rest of your budget towards the broad and search match. If you’re capping out of budget on the exact match you can raise it up to $300 then to $350 and see how much you can spend on exact match.
Why Apple Search Ads Matter for Indie Apps
Apple Search Ads are one of the highest-intent user acquisition channels available. When done right, they can:
Bring in quality users who are actively searching for apps like yours
Drive lower cost-per-acquisition (CPA) compared to other paid media
Give you valuable keyword data to improve organic visibility
But the key is setting them up strategically from day one.
Step 1: Start Simple — Broad Match and Search Match Campaigns
If you’re new or operating with a modest budget (under $10,000/month), Gabe recommends starting with:
Search Match Campaigns: Let Apple automatically match your app to relevant search terms. Great for discovering new keywords.
Broad Match Campaigns: Target broader variations of your keywords to cast a wider net.
Pro Tip: Search Match is your keyword discovery engine. Use it to find new high-performing terms you wouldn’t think of manually.
Step 2: Build an Exact Match Campaign
Alongside your broad match efforts, set up an Exact Match campaign:
Target very specific keywords you want to own.
Control your bids and budget precisely.
Over time, move successful search terms from Broad/Search Match campaigns into Exact Match for maximum efficiency.
Action Step: Always add your top-performing keywords as negatives in the discovery campaigns once they’re added to Exact Match. This avoids bidding on them twice.
Step 3: Defend Your Brand
Don’t lose users at the last second!
Gabe recommends setting up a Brand Campaign:
Bid on your app’s brand name and variations.
Prevent competitors from stealing traffic right above your organic result.
Protect your hard-earned app store presence.
Step 4: Distribute Your Budget Strategically
When it comes to budget, here’s the ideal waterfall structure:
Prioritize Exact Match: Spend as much as possible here first.
Secondary on Broad/Search Match: Use remaining budget to discover new terms.
Example:
Budget = $1,000/month
$250 for Exact Match (to start)
$750 for Search/Discovery
Increase Exact Match spend over time as you harvest more winning keywords.
Quick Tip: If your Exact Match campaigns consistently spend their daily budget, increase their allocation — that’s a sign they’re working!
Step 5: Advanced Setup — Tiered Bidding Based on LTV
If you’re spending tens of thousands a month, level up by tiering your campaigns based on user Lifetime Value (LTV):
Tier 1: High LTV users — High bids
Tier 2: Medium LTV users — Medium bids
Tier 3: Low LTV users — Lower bids
This structure gives you better control over customer acquisition cost relative to expected revenue.
Conclusion: Actionable Tips for Winning with Apple Search Ads
To recap, if you want to crush it with Apple Search Ads:
✅ Start with Broad Match + Search Match for discovery ✅ Build and prioritize an Exact Match campaign ✅ Defend your brand with a dedicated Brand Campaign ✅ Allocate budget smartly: favor Exact Match where possible ✅ For advanced scaling, tier bids based on user LTV
Remember: It’s all about collecting the right data early — and turning those insights into precision targeting.
Understanding your competitors’ performance is crucial in the app market.By estimating their app download numbers and revenue, you can gauge market demand and refine your strategies.Sensor Tower offers tools to help you access these insights.
A tool which accurately displays downloads for any app is Sensor Tower. The subscription rate is not exuberant and it does a lot more so it is worth it. If you are serious with your app business, I would urge you to subscribe as they are one of the best ASO tools, together with Mobile Action.
Sensor Tower displays the monthly download numbers but you can easily calculate your daily stats.When you get into the tool, click on Add New App>>Keyword Research >> Enter the keywords of the app you want to view>> Click on the app that your chose and Sensor Tower will bring you to the profile of the app to see the number of downloads they have estimated.
On top of this, you will also see the following information about the specific app:
the ads they have posted,
revenues and where they were generated,
the categories they are listed in,
the reviews they got,
release dates,
when they last updated the app.
If you are wondering how trustworthy the app download estimates are, I have checked the data displayed for my clients’ apps and compared it with the data we have at hand and found that it is about 70% accurate.
🛠️ Step-by-Step Guide to Estimating App Downloads
Access Sensor Tower: Navigate to Sensor Tower and log in or create an account.
Add the App: Use the “Add New App” feature to input the app you wish to analyze.
Navigate to Keyword Research: Select the “Keyword Research” module from the dashboard.
Search for Relevant Keywords: Input keywords related to the app’s niche (e.g., “meditation”) to find top-performing apps.
Select the App: Click on the desired app to view its profile, which includes estimated monthly downloads and revenue.
📈 Interpreting the Data
Monthly Downloads:Sensor Tower provides estimated downloads for the previous month.
Revenue Estimates:View estimated monthly revenue, including in-app purchases.
Geographical Distribution:Understand where the majority of downloads are coming from.
Top In-App Purchases:Identify the most popular in-app purchases within the app.
Note:Sensor Tower’s estimates are based on data models and may not reflect exact figures.According to user experiences, the estimates can be approximately 70% accurate.
💡 Actionable Tips for Indie App Marketers To Estimate App Downloads
Validate Market Demand: Before developing a new app, assess the download numbers of similar apps to ensure there’s a substantial market.
Benchmark Performance: Compare your app’s performance against competitors to identify areas for improvement.
Refine Monetization Strategies: Analyze competitors’ revenue streams and top in-app purchases to optimize your own monetization approach.
Geographical Targeting: Focus marketing efforts on regions where competitors see the most downloads.
🔚 Conclusion
Estimating competitor app downloads using Sensor Tower provides valuable insights into market trends and performance benchmarks.While the data is estimated, it offers a solid foundation for strategic decision-making.By leveraging these insights, indie app marketers can make informed choices to enhance their app’s success.Reddit+1GoPractice+1
If you’re an indie app marketer, you’ve probably struggled with sharing multiple links for different platforms. One for iOS. One for Android. Maybe even one for Amazon. It gets messy—and worse, you lose tracking and momentum when your users get confused. But what if there were a smarter way to send users exactly where they need to go, using just one link?
A dynamic link or one link is basically a link which you can send everyone and they will be routed to the right place depending on how they are viewing that link. If they are in an iPhone, for example, they will be routed to the App Store; if they click it using an Android device, they will be routed to Google Play; if they are on a desktop, it’ll route to the website and so on. This is great for tracking and if you are running campaigns you do not need to send separate links so it is great way to drive traffic to wherever you want to send people to.
In this demo, I use branch.io. Here are the steps:
Create a new app
Link Settings – configure and encode your links to iOS, Android, Fire, desktop or a default URL.
Social Media Display Customization – if you are sending this out to influencers or sharing in social media, you can use this for branding.
You can also do Quick Links which will allow you to create different campaigns through these simple steps:
Create Link – set up your settings such as the name of your link
Click Configure
This will generate a link which you can use for a specific campaign. You will be able to see clicks, installs, and other stats.
Try dynamic links or one links so you can direct potential customers to the right place.
Why Indie App Marketers Should Care
Simplified Campaign Management: Use a single link across all your campaigns.
Better User Experience: Users are taken to the right store automatically.
Track Performance: Monitor clicks and optimize campaigns, even without SDK integration.
Time-Saving: Stop duplicating links and guesswork.
Step-by-Step: Creating Dynamic Links with Branch.io
1. Sign Up and Log In – Head over to Branch.io and create a free account. No SDK installation needed for basic link creation.
2. Set Up Your App – Create a new app project inside Branch. Give it a relevant name (e.g., Calm Meditate) and skip the SDK prompt if you’re not ready for deep integration.
3. Input Platform URLs – Add your:
iOS App Store URL
Google Play URL
Amazon Appstore link (if applicable)
Desktop fallback URL (e.g., your app’s landing page)
You can also configure a default URL if device type can’t be detected.
4. Customize Social Media Display – If you’re planning to share your link on social platforms or via influencers, customize how the link preview appears.
5. Generate the Link – Once everything’s configured, save and copy your dynamic link. Test it in different browsers and devices to verify behavior.
6. Create Campaign-Specific Quick Links – Want to track performance across different channels (e.g., Tumblr, email, influencers)? Use Branch’s Quick Links to generate campaign-specific versions of your dynamic link.
Pro Tips for Indie App Marketers
Use Quick Links for A/B Testing: Easily track which channel drives the most conversions.
Combine with Custom Landing Pages: Offer tailored content before redirecting to the app store.
Skip the SDK for Speed: If you only need click data, you can work without full SDK installation.
Leverage SMS Pages: Let users enter their number and receive the download link on their phone.
Conclusion: One Link to Rule Them All
Creating a dynamic app store link may seem technical, but with tools like Branch.io, it’s fast, easy, and incredibly effective. For indie app developers running lean teams and tight budgets, dynamic links save time, improve UX, and boost campaign tracking—without the complexity.
Looking to go deeper with app marketing? Check out App Masters Academy for in-depth video courses on ASO, influencer marketing, and much more. Thousands of indie app creators have used these strategies to scale their downloads—some even doubling installs without spending a dollar more.
Don’t just share links. Share smart links.
Need help creating your first Branch dynamic link or want to optimize your campaign structure? Drop your questions in the comments or contact us directly at staging.appmasters.com/.
Are Apple Search Ads just for paid installs? Think again.
Do Apple Search Ads help with keyword ranking and affect ASO? The answer is: yes, greatly.
We have a strategy where we drive downloads through keyword search by asking real people to search for your apps using your target keywords and then download your app. We have been able to manipulate keyword rankings using this hack as Apple thinks that those keywords are very relevant to your app.
Apple Search Ads is the ‘white hat’ way of doing this. Essentially, you will bid for keywords which are showing up as the number one source thereby getting the system to think that your app is more relevant than the other. This helps you rank better for the keywords that you are targeting.
They are running a new basic Apple Search Ads so check it out and run some test. If you have never done this before, you can get $100 right off the bat for running these campaigns. Remember that when running these campaigns, incorporate our tips such as using keywords which have lower difficulty, especially if you have low budget.
With iOS 11, you have to be extra thoughtful of the keywords you are placing in your apps, especially if you have a new app. Don’t just come up with anything clever, think it through. Target keywords which will be perfect for your app name.
Why Apple Search Ads Boost ASO (and What That Really Means)
When someone searches a keyword in the App Store and downloads your app — even through a paid ad — Apple interprets that as a strong signal:
“This app is relevant for that keyword.”
And what happens when Apple thinks your app is relevant? You start to rank higher organically for that search term.
Here’s how it works:
You bid on a keyword in Apple Search Ads
Your app appears first in the search results
A user downloads it after searching that keyword
Apple’s algorithm boosts your organic ASO ranking for that term
The Gray Hat vs. White Hat ASO Strategy
Steve mentions a gray hat strategy where real users are incentivized to search for a keyword and download an app — tricking Apple into believing your app is more relevant for that term.
But Apple Search Ads are the white hat version of that technique.
✅ Apple-approved
✅ Scalable
✅ Data-rich for optimization
✅ Helps Apple make money — so they like it
If you’re looking to stay compliant while still boosting ASO, this is the method for you.
Pro Tips: How to Use Apple Search Ads to Influence Keyword Rankings
Whether you’re on a shoestring budget or ready to scale, here’s how to make the most of it:
🎯 Target Keywords in Your App Name & Subtitle
These keywords already carry ASO weight. Bidding on them helps reinforce your app’s relevance even faster.
🧠 Choose Low-Difficulty Keywords
Start with less competitive terms to see quicker ranking improvements without overpaying.
💸 Take Advantage of Apple’s New Basic Plan
First-time advertisers can often get a $300 credit — a great way to test your top keywords risk-free.
Real Results: How One Developer 10x’d Revenue
A developer friend of Steve had a niche paid app. After a simple recommendation:
He optimized his metadata
Ran targeted Apple Search Ads campaigns
Saw a massive boost in keyword rankings
And 10x’d his app revenue
Proof that even small apps with a smart keyword strategy can win big.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Sleep on Apple Search Ads
Short answer? Apple Search Ads impact keyword rankings — greatly.
If you’ve been on the fence about running campaigns, consider this your sign to start. Whether you’re launching a new app or trying to breathe life into an old one, the combination of paid discovery + ASO optimization is one of the most powerful growth loops available.
Action Steps for Indie App Marketers
✔️ Choose 3–5 keywords from your app name/subtitle ✔️ Use Apple Search Ads to bid on those keywords ✔️ Monitor your organic rankings weekly ✔️ Double down on keywords showing traction ✔️ Test low-difficulty keywords first, then expand
Get More Indie App Growth Tactics
Subscribe to the App Masters Newsletter for weekly insights, interviews, and growth strategies proven to help indie developers scale.
You’ll also gain access to Steve’s full ASO strategies, exclusive podcasts, and private community tips inside AppMasters Academy.
As you may know, ASO is a lot harder now with the changes happening in iOS 11 so I have been employing new strategies to get around this. Every time I am stuck, I have been using search ads to discover new keywords and I have been able to discover decent, high traffic ones with low competition. Let me show you how I stumbled into these nice gems:
Go to Search Ads and thenCreate Campaign.
Key in your app name and fill out the fields. Remember, you are not really going to run a search ad campaign so some fields are optional.
Focus on the Keywords It would help if you install a Chrome extension where you can see scores, or else, you will only see a blue bar signifying traffic of that certain word.
Click the buttonAdd to Keywords and you will see suggested keywords in this portion, as well as their popularity. Just continue this super simple process to discover new, interesting keywords with decent traffic which you can leverage on for your app both on ASO and search ad perspective. You will be surprised that sometimes, even misspelled words can gain traffic.
You can note of the words which piqued your interest and throw them into other ASO tools such as Mobile Action and Sensor Tower for other details and for validation.
Are you struggling to find fresh, high-performing keywords for your app? Tired of running in circles with the same old ASO tactics?
You’re not alone. But there’s a goldmine of keywords hiding in plain sight—and it’s inside Apple Search Ads.
In this post, you’ll learn:
How to use Apple Search Ads for keyword discovery (even if you’re not running ads)
A simple, repeatable process to find low-competition, high-traffic keywords
Why this works better than many traditional ASO tools
And how to turn insights into real ASO wins 💡
🎯 Why Apple Search Ads Is Your Secret ASO Weapon
Most indie app developers use Apple Search Ads to bid on keywords and drive installs. But few realize its untapped potential as a keyword discovery tool.
When you’re stuck or hitting a ceiling with traditional ASO tools, Apple Search Ads can help you:
Uncover new keyword ideas
Gauge search popularity based on real Apple data
Identify hidden low-competition terms that actually convert
This isn’t theory—it’s a working strategy Steve P. Young from App Masters uses for client ASO campaigns (and yes, it’s helped increase downloads and even 10x revenue for some apps).
🔍 The Step-by-Step: How to Use Apple Search Ads to Discover Keywords
Here’s how to mine Apple Search Ads for keyword gold without even spending a dime:
Start a new campaign with your app (you won’t need a budget)
Pick your target country and skip to the Keywords section
2. Add Your App Name or a Competitor’s Name
Let Apple auto-suggest keyword ideas
Click “Add to Keywords” repeatedly to reveal more suggestions
💡 Pro tip: Install a Chrome extension like SearchAdsHQ to see search popularity scores as actual numbers instead of vague bars.
3. Look for Hidden Gems
Prioritize keywords with decent popularity but little competition
Take note of:
Misspellings
Niche feature keywords (like “shake camera” or “slide filter”)
Competitor-inspired terms you didn’t think to use
4. Validate in Your ASO Tool
Plug your shortlist into ASO tools like Sensor Tower, Mobile Action, or AppTweak
Check for:
Search volume
Difficulty score
Relevance to your app
📈 Real-World Wins Using This Strategy
A client 5x’d impressions after incorporating new keywords discovered through this method
Another developer 10x’d their paid app revenue after launching a campaign targeting new keywords found this way
Even for games, this method has surfaced non-obvious keywords with strong traffic and minimal competition
💡 Bonus: Keyword Inspiration Beyond the Obvious
When you’re stuck in “obvious keyword” mode, try these:
Think about actions your app enables: “swipe photos,” “shake flip camera,” “quick record”
Explore misspellings or plural/singular variants
Use competitor names in Search Ads to get idea spillover
🔥 Take Action: 5 Tips to Start Using This Today
Create a mock campaign in Apple Search Ads today—no budget required.
Install a popularity score extension to get clearer keyword data.
Start with your app name and competitors to generate ideas.
Keep a running list of interesting terms, then validate with ASO tools.
Update your keyword fields (app name, subtitle, and keyword field) based on your findings.
🧠 Final Thoughts: Don’t Just Compete—Outsmart
Apple Search Ads isn’t just a paid channel—it’s a powerful ASO research engine hiding in plain sight.
If you’re an indie app marketer with limited resources and big goals, this strategy gives you an edge. You don’t need a big budget—just a smarter way to find keywords your competitors aren’t using yet.
Stop guessing. Start mining. And if you want to go deeper, check out the full ASO Masters Course at AppMastersAcademy.com.
Want a quick way to boost your app downloads without changing your code, UX, or monetization strategy? The answer might be sitting right on your home screen.
Today, we’re diving into a highly underrated growth tactic for indie app developers: A/B testing your app icon on Google Play. You’ll learn exactly how to set it up, why it works, and the kind of results real app publishers are seeing from this simple change.
In a previous video, I shared with you that the number one mistake that developers make for an Apple feature is design. An app icon is very critical to your app’s success. A client who we helped design an app icon for increased his downloads by 19% through a mere icon change and nothing else. So today, I am going to walk you through on how to do this on Google Play.
For the Google App Console, click into the app that you want to A/B test.
Click Store presence then Store listing experiments.
Choose your experiment type, whether you want to do it globally or locally. If you choose global, you will only be able to test graphics but for local, you can test both graphics and text. The latter will enable you to test the icon with the app description to see which one will perform better. In this example, we will only graphics, so let’s choose global.
Name your experiment and select the attributes you would like to change. This can be screenshots, promo video, feature graphic or hi-res icons.
After that, upload the new version of your icon and just click ‘Run Experiment’.
You will be presented with a graph showing stats of the current version of your icon and the new that you are testing. Should you want to keep the new icon, you can just click ‘Apply’.
A/B test your app icon and then your screenshots and let me know how it goes!
Why Your App Icon Deserves More Attention
Think of your app icon as your storefront in the crowded shopping mall that is Google Play. It’s often the first impression potential users get. A well-designed, high-converting icon can be the difference between getting ignored or downloaded.
In one test we ran, changing nothing but the icon led to a 19% increase in downloads. Some indie developers report 50% or even 100% lifts, just from this one tweak.
If you haven’t A/B tested your app icon yet, you’re leaving installs on the table.
Step-by-Step: How to A/B Test Your App Icon in Google Play Console
Ready to experiment? Here’s how you can set up your A/B test:
1. Log into Your Google Play Console – Start by signing into the Google Play Console and selecting the app you want to test.
2. Navigate to Store Listing Experiments – On the left sidebar, go to Store Presence > Store Listing Experiments.
3. Choose Your Experiment Type – You’ll have two options:
Global (Graphics only) – For icon, screenshots, and promo graphics.
Localized (Text + Graphics) – For testing region-specific text and visuals.
For this example, select Global and focus solely on your app icon.
4. Name Your Experiment – Give your test a clear name like “App Icon Test – Sept 2025.”
5. Upload Your New Icon – Compare your current icon with the new design. Make sure the new icon still meets Google’s design guidelines.
6. Run the Experiment – Click “Run Experiment” and let the test begin. Google will start showing the different icons to users and track performance over time.
7. Review Results and Apply the Winner – Once enough data is collected, review the stats. If the new icon performs better, hit “Apply” to make it live for everyone.
Pro Tip: What to Test After the Icon?
Once you’ve tested your icon, don’t stop there. Your next test should focus on:
Screenshots: Highlight key features and benefits.
Promo Video: Engage users with short visual overviews.
App Description: Test different headlines or benefit-driven intros.
Each element has a measurable impact on conversion rate from page view to install.
Real Talk for Indie App Developers
A/B testing isn’t just for big studios with data science teams. You, the solo dev or small team, can implement this in under an hour—and it could result in a permanent boost in your organic installs.
You don’t need a massive ad budget to compete. You just need to be smart, test consistently, and act on data.
If you’re serious about growing your app business, this is where you level up.
Conclusion: Small Change, Big Win
If you’re looking for a high-impact, low-effort growth hack, start with your icon. A/B testing it can lead to tangible results—and it’s completely free to implement via Google Play Console.
So, what’s stopping you?
Open your Play Console, test that icon, and let the data show you the way.
We’ve talked about Apple Search Ads in a previous post, where we discussed what they were and how they can affect you as a developer or as a mobile app publisher, now, it’s time to dive deeper into Apple Search Ads and hear from the experts and learn a few tips and tricks about how you can effectively use it.
Since its launch, there have been many reactions to Apple Search Ads, some loved the fact that they don’t have to share the revenue they earn with Apple and others think that it’s the worst thing that Apple has ever done, claiming that it will only benefit big mobile app developers and publishers and leave Indie app developers and publishers out in the cold.
The last claim is only true if you don’t know what you’re doing. This is where you should read on.
Apple Search Ads in a nutshell…
According to Apple, 65% of app downloads come from organic search results, which explains why the format of the search ads look like regular listings from the app store.
Except for the small blue ‘ad’ icon on a search ad, you won’t be able to tell the difference between a regular app store listing from a search ad.
Below are a few tips from the experts about running an ad using Apple Search Ads.
1. Target Locally
Think about who you want to see your campaign when you run them. There are literally a million apps in the app store, and chances are more than a handful of those apps are similar to yours.
So how do you reach your target audience? By using specific keywords or keyword variations.
Jason Parks, President of The Media Captain gave this tip which he learned when he ran his first campaign for Columbus Yellow Cab, “Make sure you know the city or region you want to target. We had no desire to get clicks outside of the Columbus market. Select at least 10 keywords to bid on when starting your first campaign because there are numerous variations that people will type to find your app and you want to see what converts the best, so that you can double down on keywords that perform the best.”
Although ‘Yellow Cab’ as a keyword ranks high on the app store, people don’t know that the famous taxi cab is not one giant corporation but is owned and operated by different individuals in different cities. Jason’s problem was that their app isn’t ranking well for just the term ‘Yellow Cab’, so they had to be location specific and used ‘Columbus Yellow Cab’ in order to reach their target audience.
2. Use Long Tail Keywords
According to this Venture Beat article, Apple considers relevance more important than the amount you’re willing to bid. Apple search ads come with impressive advanced targeting features that you can use when you run a search ad.
This is good news for skeptics who think that search ads will only benefit big app developers and publishers.
User experience is very important to Apple, and there’s nothing that will displease a user more than irrelevant ads.
Take it from Philippe Levieux, the Co-Founder of Infltr, who thinks that the search ads are a blessing for anyone with an app on the app store. He says, “Stay accurate in terms of keywords! Don’t use generic keywords even if those keywords rank high, the conversion rate will be low and you will end up with a bad experience. We have had amazing return from Ad Search, our sales have increased a lot because the app appears when the user is already ready to buy.”
He says that they’ve tried running ads on different social media platforms but their conversion rate remained minimal and they ended up spending more than earning any profit for their ads. They have a paid app, so even if they have been featured by the app store in more than 150 countries, it wasn’t raining downloads for them. Until search ads came along.
3. Use Negative Keywords
Making sure your keywords are not blocked by a negative keyword is just as important as doing research on what keywords you want to use to run your campaign with.
Negative keywords are also important for keeping your app’s ROI high, according to this article, it also says that it improves your TTR, meaning it will also improve your chance of serving ads.
Here’s a recommended campaign structure from Jonathan Levy the Digital Marketing Manager for Flexjet. His common campaign types are top keywords, general, competitive and branded.
Broad, exact, search match. For negative keywords, use the following:
-[exact] in broad
-broad in search match
4. Listen to Your Users
According to iMore, if you don’t update your apps to address compatibility issues or don’t listen to your users’ issues about your app, they will assume your app has been abandoned and will delete it.
If you’re not so concerned about app store ratings before, you should be now. It’s a great way to find out what improvements you need to make, as well address any bugs your users may be experiencing.
With 1.5 millions on the App Store since July of 2015, it only makes sense for Apple to start purging and removing apps that have not been compliant with users’ requests for improvements as well as apps that are not getting enough downloads for it to stay relevant. The purge has started, so make sure your app survives it.
5. Optimize Your App
This is good news for developers and publishers alike who have already mastered the art of ASO.
Work on your app icon, app title, improve your description and make sure your screenshots stand out. When a user comes across your app’s page, their decision whether to download your app or not is based on what they see, they’re more likely to click on the ‘Get’ button if they like what they see.
ASO or App Store Optimization is still one of the best ways for your app to come up when a user searches for a specific app in the app store, but with search ads in the mix, competition will be harder, you can read this article to find out more about how we increase downloads using ASO.
6. Plan Your Budget
With the current format of Apple search ads where you get 100% of the revenue and campaign budgets are flexible, it’s still fairly easy to overspend.
Take it from Max Robinson of Aims Media, who hears nothing but complaints from their clients about overspending but getting no impressions for their apps. “One of the main complaints I hear about search ad campaigns is that they never receive any impressions. It is an issue that can usually be solved by simply increasing your bid.”
Although he suggests to increase the bid for this to change, it’s not a guarantee that your app will get more impressions or downloads.
It’s great if you can spend more on running campaigns but if you’re on a budget, it’s still best to do some research about your audience and optimize your app, that way when you run your ad, you’ll get better results.
Have any advice about running Apple Search Ads that isn’t on this article yet? Let us know in the comments!
*Quotes are not verbatim and have been edited for clarity and grammar but still retains its original meaning.
If you’re a budding app developer or app publisher and want your app on the App Store to get more downloads, or if you’re generally just curious about how ads work within the App Store, then this is a must-read article.
You will discover what Apple Search Ads are exactly, who can benefit from it, how it works, why it matters and why you should know about it.
From iAds to Apple Search Ads
6 years ago, iAd was launched. It was a mobile ad platform created by Apple which allows app developers to place an ad within apps on the App Store to drive more downloads. These are typically banner ads you see when you’re using a free app.
If you’re still unclear about what iAds are, it’s those banner ads you see when you’re on an app that opens up into a pop-up banner ad that fills your screen when you tap on it, tapping on that banner ad will take you to Safari where you can see details about the app.
It’s similar to what Google Play uses as well. It’s goal was to help app developers place ads within an app to help drive more downloads.
So, why did Apple say goodbye to iAds?
Apple felt that it needed more work so they shut it down earlier this year and a few months later launched in its place Apple Search Ads.
There are a lot of changes to the way Apple handles ads too, they say that with Search Ads, customer response is valued more, meaning if your ad comes up on a search but no one taps on it, they will eventually stop showing it. Good news for users, not so good for you.
What are Apple Search Ads?
Apple Search Ads are ads that appear in the search results when a user searches for an app in the App store. So instead of showing up within the app, ads now come up in the search results.
Apple says that 65% of app downloads come from app store search results, which is why it makes sense for them to use the format of the app store listing as a guide for Search ads.
Search ads will appear as regular app store listing, except that it will have a blue “Ad” icon on it, so users can identify them as ads.
Apple believes that Search Ads are more effective in driving downloads because ads that will come up are more relevant to what the user is searching for, and because the ads are more relevant to the user, the chances that they will download the app are higher, this is also good news for app developers and publishers because it gives them a chance to stand out in the ever growing and crowded app store.
Features of Apple Search Ads
100% of the profit goes to You
During the iAd’s time, app developers or app publishers had to split their share with Apple, 70-30, meaning 70% from app downloads go to Apple and only 30% go to the app developer or app publisher.
In Search Ads, the app developer or app publisher gets to keep all their profit from app downloads.
You can control costs
Apple Search Ads allow you to spend as much or as little as you want and you can stop your ads anytime you want.
This means that you have complete control on how long you run your ad for and how much you’re willing to pay. You can set a budget for your campaign and once it reaches that budget, your ads will automatically stop until you’re ready to run it again.
The amount you have to pay for a tap on your ad is determined based on what your nearest competitor in the app store is willing to pay, so you can be sure that what you are paying for is a fair market price.
Advanced Insights will allow you to see what works and what doesn’t.
Apple Search Ads gives you a code that you can add to your app to track its performance. These insights will allow you to see what keywords are working the best for you, what country the app is performing well in, as well as some audience criteria.
So you can further tweak your ad to make sure you get the most downloads.
How do you use it properly
If you’re an app publisher, you have to make sure that you have optimized your app so that it appears in the search results as a Search Ad that is relevant to what users are looking for.
Optimize your Screenshots
Aside from your icon and app title, sometimes Apple may include your screenshots with the ad, and the better optimized your screenshots are, the more likely people are going to download it.
Work on your Icon and App Title
Since most app publishers and app developers want to be seen more, make sure that your app icon and app title stand out, because competition is fierce, especially for high ranking keywords.
Since Apple Search Ads are still pretty new, we can expect to see more changes to come soon, but making sure these elements are taken cared off will ensure your app to be seen more and more likely to get more downloads.
Why You Need To Worry About It
If you’re an app developer or publisher, you need to worry about Search Ads if you want to drive downloads to your app. Change is the only thing that is constant in this world, and if you’re not quick to adapt to the changes that come in the app space, you might as well quit, because the only way you will survive is if you implement these changes and adapt.
Are you trying to increase downloads through App Store Optimization?
Did you know that improving your screenshots can lead to more downloads?
Optimizing your store listing is one of the most important things you can do for your app’s positioning within the app store. It amplifies organic user acquisition on the app store as well as your own marketing efforts.
In this article, you will discover how to create stunning screenshots for both Google Play and Apple’s App Store.
Number 1 Mistake in Creating Screenshots
Screenshots are probably the last thing we think about when preparing our app for launch.
We’ve researched our keywords, done our press outreach, and designed an engaging app icon, but when it comes to screenshots we typically default to whatever we can capture while testing the app.
And that’s the number one mistake that app publishers make. We think of screenshots as, well, screenshots and not marketing assets.
Screenshots should be treated like advertising banners.
Think of App Store screenshots as advertising banners that engage the user into wanting to learn more about the app and then download it.
In fact, Genera Games reports that they’ve increased app downloads by six percent just by optimizing their screenshots. While six percent doesn’t seem like much, it can add up to quite a bit in the long run.
For example, let’s say you are averaging 1,000 downloads a day. With a six percent improvement, that would yield an additional 1,800 downloads for FREE after 30 days!
From a PR perspective, having stunning screenshots is an indication that your app is worth a closer look. Reporters are judging your app on just a few seconds, so having a stunning design will catch their eye and make them want to learn more about the app.
Creating Stunning App Store Screenshots
While we developers focus on external marketing channels such as PR, advertising, and content marketing, we forget that internal marketing, such as optimizing our screenshots, can yield even greater results because it impacts not only our app store presence but improves our external marketing campaigns as well.
As I stated earlier, Genera Games reports that optimizing their screenshots increased downloads by six percent. That’s free downloads without doing anything differently within the app or spending money on marketing.
That’s the power of optimizing your screenshots. Here’s our process for creating stunning screenshots that sell.
#1: Create the Story
I’ve written about incorporating a copywriting technique called A.I.D.A. into creating your screenshots, but let’s do a quick recap.
A.I.D.A. is an acronym used in marketing and advertising that describes a common list of events that may occur when a consumer engages with an advertisement.
A – Attention (Awareness): Attract the attention of the customer.
I – Interest: Raise customer interest by focusing on and demonstrating advantages and benefits (not features).
D – Desire: Convince customers that they want and desire the product or service and that it will satisfy their needs.
A – Action: Lead customers towards taking action and/or purchasing.
Using a system like this gives you the understanding that each one of your screenshots plays a crucial role in getting users to download your app. Your screenshots should move customers through the “download funnel.”
Using the AIDA formula to create screenshots.
Think of your screenshots from a copywriting perspective and make sure you highlight everything you would in a landing page.
Having a formula like A.I.D.A. ensures that you don’t overlook any critical parts in trying to convert the user.
#2: Capture Stills Within the App
Now that you have the marketing story in place, you know exactly what kind of screenshots you’d like to get from the app.
Once you have the app loaded on your phone, it’s time to capture a few screenshots of the app in action.
How to Take Screenshots on iOS
You can capture the screen on your iOS device using the Sleep/Wake and Home buttons.
Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button on the top or side of your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, then immediately press and release the Home button. The screenshots will appear in your Photos app. If your device is on iOS 9, they’ll be conveniently placed in a Screenshots album within your photo library.
You can capture the screen on your iOS device using the Sleep/Wake and Home buttons.
How to Capture Screenshots on Android
For the vast majority of Android phones and tablets, to take a screenshot you simply press and hold the power and volume-down buttons together. There is a slight knack to this action: press the power button too soon and the display will switch off; press the volume-down button too soon and your screenshot may be marred by an onscreen volume slider.
After a few seconds the screen will flash and a notification will appear in the drop-down bar at the top of the screen, giving you options to delete, share or edit the image. You can also access the screenshot from your Gallery.
#3: Frame Screenshots in Device (Optional)
I like my screenshots to be framed in a device. However, there are plenty of really nice looking screenshots that are NOT framed in a device, so the choice is completely up to you.
Here are some of my favorite tools for framing screenshots in a device.
Placeit has thousands of stages that you can utilize. In fact, it’s the place we go when we are creating lifestyle photos for our press kits. You simply drag and drop your screenshot onto the screen.
The service is free for the 400×300 image, but anything larger and you will have to pay.
A very easy to use tool that allows you to create screenshots for all the existing iPhone screen sizes.
While the design layouts are limited, the service is free and you can customize the colors and fonts of the screenshots. And the best part is that all the sizes for the iPhone are created for you. No need to resize.
#4: Use Canva
Canva is a very easy to use design tool. In fact, I make all my blog header images using the tool and even this cool looking PR vs advertising infographic.
Recently, I started using Canva to create Google Play screenshots. Google Play’s guidelines are not as strict as Apple’s so you can a lot more wiggle room in terms of dimensions and layout.
Google Play Screenshot created using Canva.
Canva has some stunning preset designs that you can customize and they even allow you to filter your photos.
I highly recommend it as a great tool for non-designers. Here’s a screenshot that I created for Apple using Canva.
Apple App Store Screenshot created using Canva.
#5: A/B Test Screenshots
On Google Play, you can now run experiments to find the most effective app icons, screenshots and text for your app.
You can use experiments to test variants of your app against your current version to see which one performs best, based on install data.
Note: You can run one experiment per app at a time. Once you’ve completed or stopped an experiment, you can start a new one. You can only run experiments on published apps.
Avi Charkham, VP Product & Marketing at EverythingMe, says that “when it comes to product screenshots we invest our energy in the visible ones.” Avi reports that getting the right screenshots increased conversions by seven percent.
In a guest blog post on The Next Web, he states that:
Google lets you add multiple screenshots to your app page. Getting the first, visible, image right is the most critical aspect in improving your page conversion. It took us time but it was worth the effort. One other thing we always do is make sure we include actual screenshots in our designs.
Conclusion
Optimizing your store listing is perhaps the most important thing you can do for your app’s acquisition, because it affects traffic coming from all sources.
It also amplifies organic user acquisition on the app store as well as your own marketing efforts. Use the tips outlined above to start optimizing your app store screenshots for more downloads.
