Apple Search Ads - What to expect in 2021

What to Expect in 2021
With Thomas Petit
Apple Search Ads:

Section 1 Company Overview and Introductions
Section 2
Section 3
Section 4
Section 5
Creative sets: What, How, and Limitations
Apple vs MMP Discrepancies: Why & How to Deal?
What’s Next in 2021?
Ask Thomas and Yusuf Anything!
Agenda
© 2021 @thomasbcn & SearchAds.com

Section 1 Company Overview and Introductions

Company Overview
2013
2018
Founded, released MobileAction.co
Launched, SearchAds.com BETA
2019.2 SearchAds.com started as a SaaS product
2020.1 Apple Search Ads Partner
1. ASO Intelligence (App Store Intelligence)
2. Market Intelligence (DL, Revenue, MAU, DAU)
3. Ad Intelligence (creative, ad network share)
4. SDK Intelligence (App tech stack analysis)
5. Custom alerts (advanced
notifications center)
1000+
Customers
+60%
Revenue
YoY, 2020
$11M+
ASA
Monthly
Spend
1000+
API
Connected
65
Countries
App Store
keywords
database

@thomasbcn
Independent mobile growth consultant
ASA & me:
- Managed 7-digits across multiple accounts
- Audited dozens of accounts
- Consults for ASA agencies & tools
- Public speaker at ASO Conference, APS,
MAMA, MDM Academy & more
- ASA reps worst nightmare!
- Won Apple ASA “Kahoot” game in Berlin :)

Section 2 Creatives Sets: Why, How & Limitations

Creative Sets
Pix ASOstack © 2021 @thomasbcn & SearchAds.com

Creative Sets - Since 2018
asostack.com/apple-secretly-launched-creative-testing-in-app-store-search-ads-761a9f7b8abb © 2021 @thomasbcn & SearchAds.com

Creative Sets - How
At adgroup level

Creative Sets - How

Creative Sets - Creation Limitations
apptamin.com/blog/creative-sets-apple-search-ads/
● Only from approved screenshots (no upload!)
● Only in the same order as in App Store Connect & the App Store
● Only 2 sizes (+2 ipad)
● Only in selected languages

Creative Sets - Only in order :(
apptamin.com/blog/creative-sets-apple-search-ads/ © 2021 @thomasbcn & SearchAds.com

Creative Sets - use case #1
medium.com/@incipiagabe/apple-search-ads-creative-set-testing-for-aso-in-the-wild-30075a71827c © 2021 @thomasbcn & SearchAds.com

Creative Sets - use case #1
https://metrikal.io/blog/how-to-a-b-test-screenshots-on-ios-how-to-leverage-apple-search-ads-to-run-screenshot-a-b-tests © 2021 @thomasbcn & SearchAds.com

Creative Sets - Use Case #2
© 2021 @thomasbcn & searchadscom
Weight loss keywords Fitness keywords Nutrition keywords

Creative Sets - Caveats
● Only in the context of search
● Only on the search ad - not consistent with product page
● No control over traffic delivery - not a proper A/B test
● Biased by keywords concepts - not necessarily extrapolable
● Officially no CS on brand terms (and #1 ranked terms)...
● Painful to execute across complex structure
● Not available in all locales

● Do not use custom exports!
Image & text default sets are bundled together (ID = -1)
Massive bias against the default version

Beware of languages bias.
The default ads bundle all languages but custom Creative Sets are specific.

Beware of language bias
● Campaigns with multiple countries
● Countries with multiple languages: Switzerland, Canada, Belgium, US…
● Apple ID geo: many non US users in US campaigns...

Creative Sets - Ads vs Organic!

Watch out your screens 1-6!

Portrait vs Landscape - Yazio
© 2021 @thomasbcn & searchadscom

Portrait vs Landscape
Do not upload landscape
screenshots
if you have a portrait video!

Section 2
Apple vs MMP Discrepancies:
Why, How, What’s Next?

Apple vs MMP “installs”

What’s my true ROAS @ MAMA Board
appsflyer.com/resources/mama-boards/apple-search-ads-best-practices

Post-install metrics with “LAT-on factor” at campaign level, automated:

Careful about LAT rate!
Since October 21st, Apple only discloses LAT on/off status for iOS <14

iOS14 is reaching 80% (Iphone <4yrs)
=> high share of LAT, around 40%*
(varies across vertical & countries)
developer.apple.com/support/app-store/

On iOS14 , users without IDFA have raised significantly
appsflyer.com/blog/zeroed-idfa-ios-14
From 24% to 45%:
“Prior to iOS 14, the average worldwide [LAT-on}
rate was around 24%;
Since the release, the numbers of zeroed-IDFA
devices have skyrocketed, and now stand at an
astonishing 45% of all iOS 14 devices”.

Discrepancies strategies: a trade off
Targeting Pros Cons
LAT-off only
-Better tracking: smaller discrepancy
-Clean split between new & returning
users
-No user under 18
-Reduced audience (<50%) = less scale, less
share of voice
-More expensive (higher CPI)
-No user under the age of 18
All users
-Bigger potential audience = more
opportunity to scale & cover 90+% SoV
-Often cheaper, in average by 30-40%*
-Simpler account structure
-Many invisible “conversions”, recorded in
organic
-Questionable extrapolations needed
-Mix of new/returning users as well as
LATon/off

Discrepancy Strategies: A Trade Off

The 3x Adgroup Strategy, © thomasbcn
1 keyword, 3 adgroups:
● “Open” group (all users)
● LAT-off, new users
● LAT-on returning users

The 3x adgroup strategy, © thomasbcn
Pros:
● Most coverage (all users)
● At the best price*
● Enhanced tracking
● Allows bidding on new vs returning according to their value
Cons:
● More complex account structure
● The open group overlaps with the 2 others: random delivery happens

Section 3 What’s Next in 2021…

What’s Next? - New Measurement
ASA will not be measured by SKAdNetwork.
Coming soon: “AdServices”
Apple new attribution API for ASA!
What to expect:
● ASA only
● DIY or through your MMP (like now)
● All installs reported! No more LAT-on headache
● Adgroup & keyword level
● Conversion logic similar to SKAdNetwork? TBC
● Current API (iAd Framework) deprecated
● No deduplication with SKAdNetwork
Wishlist: integrated in App Store Connect Analytics…
… and the ASA interface
developer.apple.com/documentation/adservices

What’s next - New Inventory
Apple Search Ads display inventory
in Apple Stock & News apps
= 60m MAU Reach
In beta since Q2 2020
What to expect:
● More scale!
● Coming very soon (Q1?)
● US only at first?
● No placement reporting
● Little creative control (approved assets)
● Same bidding/targeting options as search?
● Tracked with AdServices

Section 4 Ask Thomas & Yusuf Anything!

Apple Search Ads - What to expect in 2021

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