With so many data and features going on, analyzing and reporting your performance becomes critical to finding the best strategies. It is also necessary for achieving long-term results and maintaining your success. SearchAds.com lets its users see the full funnel for Apple Search Ads and lets them optimize according to their pre and post-install goals.
Below, we'll explain some of the key metrics available to you, ensuring you have a solid foundation to build upon as you improve your app's performance.
Key Apple Search Ads metrics
Measuring the performance of your Apple Search Ads campaigns involves tracking some key metrics to understand and analyze your campaigns. Here, we've gathered some of the most important ones.
Taps: The total number of times users tapped on your ad. Higher taps suggest that your ad is compelling and relevant.
Installs: The number of app installations that resulted from your ad campaign. This is a direct indicator of campaign success.
Spend: The total amount spent on your campaign(s). Tracking spend against performance metrics like installs and conversion rate (CR) is vital for evaluating the return on investment (ROI).
Impressions: The total number of times your ads were displayed. This metric is crucial for understanding the reach of your campaigns.
Average Daily Spend: This metric represents the average amount spent on your campaigns each day. Monitoring this helps in budget allocation and ensuring that your spend aligns with your marketing objectives.
Impression Share: The percentage of times your ads were shown out of the total eligible impressions. A higher impression share means your ads have good visibility.
Daily Budget: The maximum amount you're willing to spend per day on a campaign. It's crucial to balance your daily budget with campaign goals and overall marketing budget.
Tap-Through Rate (TTR): The ratio of taps on your ad to the total number of impressions, indicating how engaging your ad is.
Conversion Rate (CR): CR indicates the percentage of users who completed a desired action (like an install) after clicking on your ad. A higher CR suggests that your ad is relevant and appealing to your target audience.
Cost-Per-Tap (CPT): Cost-per-tap is calculated by dividing the total ad spend by the overall number of taps on an ad. This metric holds particular importance within Apple Search Ads, serving as the fundamental pricing model used to determine advertising expenses per user interaction. You can calculate your cost per tap by dividing your total cost by your total taps.
Cost-Per-Acquisition (CPA): Cost-per-acquisition reflects how much you pay per single download. This metric helps you determine how much the conversion (install) costs on average.
Average CPT (Cost-Per-Tap): The average cost paid for each tap on your ad. A lower CPT indicates cost-effective engagement.
Average CPA (Cost-Per-Acquisition): The average cost for each conversion, such as an app install. Lowering your CPA while maintaining quality installs is key to maximizing ROI.
Average CPM (Cost-Per-Thousand-Impressions): Reflects the cost of your ad per 1,000 impressions. This metric is useful for understanding the efficiency of your ad spend in terms of visibility. You can calculate your average cost per mille by dividing the total spend by total impressions and multiplying this number by 1000.
CPA Cap (in search results campaigns): The maximum amount you're willing to pay for a conversion. Setting a compelling CPA cap can help control costs while targeting quality conversions.
Default Max CPT Bid: The highest amount you're willing to pay for a tap, set at the campaign level. This influences your ad's competitiveness in auctions.
Max CPM Bid (historical Search tab ad reporting only): Reflects the maximum bid for 1,000 impressions in past campaigns. Understanding this can guide future bidding strategies.
Max CPT Bid: The highest bid you're willing to pay for a tap on a specific ad group or keyword, allowing for fine-tuned control over ad spend.
Match Source: Identifies whether the impression came from a search result or a search term suggestion, aiding in understanding how users find your app. This is an Apple Search Ads-specific metric. It refers to the way an app is matched to a user's search query, which influences whether your ad will be shown for that search. Apple Search Ads uses different match types to determine how closely the keywords you bid on match the user's search terms.
Rank: Your ad's position in the auction compared to other ads. Higher ranks increase visibility but may also increase costs.
Search Popularity: Indicates how often a particular term is searched in the App Store. High-popularity keywords can be more competitive but may drive more traffic.
Search Term: The actual query a user typed into the App Store search bar that triggered your ad. Analyzing search terms can provide insights into user intent and help refine your keyword strategy. To analyze your search terms, you can use the Ads Manager tool of SearchAds.com.
New Downloads: The number of first-time app downloads generated by your campaign, indicating its effectiveness in attracting new users.
Redownloads: The number of times an app has been downloaded again through your ads, useful for understanding user re-engagement.
Return On Investment (ROI): Return on Investment (ROI) is a financial metric used to measure the profitability or return generated from an investment relative to its cost. It is a widely used performance indicator that helps assess the strength of an investment.
Return On Ad Spend (ROAS): Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) is a marketing metric that measures the revenue or profit generated in relation to the amount of money spent on advertising campaigns. It helps advertisers evaluate the profitability of their advertising investments. ROAS is typically expressed as a ratio or percentage.
Tips for analyzing and reporting your Apple Search Ads campaigns
Knowing the important metrics may not be sufficient in some scenarios; it's also crucial to understand the correlations between them and how they should perform for your campaigns. Here are some expert tips on metric analysis to ensure the scalability of your campaign management.
Balance between spend and performance is something to keep an eye on. You should always be careful on the relationship between your spend (Average Daily Spend, Spend) and performance indicators (Installs, CR). The goal is to maximize installs and conversion rates while optimizing your spend.
Monitor your TTR and CR closely. A high TTR coupled with a low CR might indicate that while your ads are engaging. They might not be completely relevant to your audience, or the call-to-action might not be clear. In such cases, consider refining your ad copy or creative to better align with your audience's expectations.
Pay attention to your Max CPT Bid and Default Max CPT Bid metrics. If your campaigns are not spending their full budget or you're seeing lower ad positions (Rank), you might need to increase your bids. Conversely, if your Average CPT is consistently high, look for opportunities to optimize your bids without sacrificing ad performance.
A low Impression Share could mean that your ads are not being shown as often as they could be, possibly due to competitive bids or limited targeting. Consider expanding your keyword list or increasing your bids to capture a larger share of impressions.
Break down your campaign performance by different Dimensions such as device type, location, or time of day to uncover trends and opportunities. For instance, you might find that certain ads perform better on weekends or in specific geographic locations, allowing you to allocate your budget more efficiently.
Keep an eye on your Average CPA, Average CPM, and Average CPT metrics to ensure cost efficiency. High costs in these areas without corresponding performance (like high installs or conversion rates) may indicate that your campaign targeting or ad creatives need adjustments.
Analyzing the ratio of New Downloads to Redownloads can provide insights into whether your campaigns are more functional at attracting new users or re-engaging past users. Tailor your messaging and creative approach based on these insights to better meet your campaign objectives.
Regularly review your Daily Budget in relation to your Average Daily Spend and overall campaign performance. If your campaigns are consistently hitting their daily budget limits early in the day, consider increasing the budget to capture more opportunities. Conversely, if your spend is consistently under budget with unsatisfactory performance, it may be time to reassess your targeting and bid strategies.
For campaigns focused on specific actions like installations, setting a competent CPA Cap can help manage costs while still driving desired outcomes. Monitor this in conjunction with your Average CPA to ensure you're not overpaying for acquisitions.
When reporting on your campaign performance, integrate various metrics to tell a complete story. For example, pair Spend metrics with performance outcomes like Installs and CR to illustrate ROI, and use Dimensions to provide context on which factors (such as time, location, or device type) influence campaign success.
Have questions or need help? Feel free to contact your dedicated Customer Success Manager via your communication channels or the support team via Intercom.