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Apple Ads (Apple Search Ads) for iOS and subscription apps

Keyword structure, bid caps from your unit economics, Custom Product Pages and attribution that actually reaches your analytics. I run Apple Ads for my own apps with my own money first, so the method is tested before it reaches your account.

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Judged on backend revenueFree diagnostic firstOne or two new clients a month
A limbo bar set very low on two posts, with two brass coins standing beside it, both too tall to pass under
The bar is the most each app could pay per install. On two of my own apps the measured cost sat far above it, so I paused both campaigns.
What you get

Deliverables

For iOS apps, especially subscription apps, from first launch to scale.

  • Breakeven cost per tap and maximum CPI from your price and conversion
  • Campaign structure: brand, category, competitor and discovery
  • Keyword harvesting and negative keyword hygiene
  • Attribution check (AdServices) against analytics
  • Launch runbook with an end date as a spend fuse

Platforms and tools

  • Apple Ads
  • AdServices
  • App Store Connect
  • SKAN
Waterfall from subscription price to store fee, install-to-paid rate and maximum CPIArithmetic on one of Jan Nafta's own apps. A $35.99 yearly price loses the 30% store fee, $10.80, leaving $25.19 per payer. At a $3 CPI that needs about 11.9% of installs to pay. The maximum cost per tap is the maximum CPI times the tap-to-install rate. At $79.99 a year the same $3 CPI needs only 5.4%, in the accent color.$35.99Price per year−$10.80Store fee, 30%$25.19Net per payer$3.00Max CPI× 11.9%INSTALL-TO-PAIDMax cost per tapCPI × TAP-TO-INSTALLINSTALL-TO-PAIDNEEDED FOR A $3 CPI$35.99 a year11.9%$79.99 a year5.4%Arithmetic on one of my own apps: 30% store fee, $3 CPI.
The formula on one of my own apps: price, store fee and install-to-paid set the maximum CPI.
The App Store listings of two of my own iOS apps, Transcribe: Audio to Text AI and ShiftWallet: Hours and Paycheck, with their icons, names and listing screenshots
Two of my own apps as they appear on the App Store. My own apps are my lab for Apple Ads, pricing and measurement.
Receipts

From my own work

Anonymized, with the denominator and the caveats left in.

Where my own apps showed up in App Store search

324 search terms, tracked daily, split by where each term came from

  • Brand terms53%
  • Title and subtitle terms39%
  • Keyword field terms13%28 of 211 terms
Rates per group of terms, so they do not add up to 100. Daily App Store rank tracking, my own apps.
Unit economics
11.9% vs 5.4% install-to-paid

At a 30% store fee, a $3 CPI needs about 11.9% install-to-paid at $35.99 a year, against 5.4% at $79.99.

My own apps
EUR 2.35 vs 0.44 ceiling

Paused two Apple Ads campaigns for my own apps once measured CPI (EUR 2.35 and 3.24) sat far above each app's breakeven ceiling (EUR 0.44 and 0.49).

See how the free diagnostic works
How it starts

Diagnostic first, then a plan

  1. Free 30-minute diagnostic

    A short form, a pre-read built from public data and a call on the three biggest opportunities.

  2. A written plan

    Scope, tests in order, the stop rule for each test and what I need access to.

  3. The work

    Keyword campaigns with bid caps from your unit economics and an end date as a spend fuse, checked against your analytics.

FAQ

Common questions

Is Apple Ads the same as Apple Search Ads?

Yes. Apple renamed Apple Search Ads to Apple Ads in 2025. Search results campaigns work the same way.

How do you set bids?

From your numbers: net revenue per payer, install-to-paid rate and tap-to-install rate give a maximum cost per tap for each campaign. The method is written up in my Apple Ads breakeven guide.

Do you use Custom Product Pages?

Yes, when a keyword group has a clear intent that a dedicated page can answer. Each page is linked to its ad variation and read on tap-to-install rate.

Related

Often combined with

Mobile app user acquisition

Installs that turn into payers. Multi-network UA for iOS and Android apps, planned around payback instead of CPI.

How it works

Tracking and measurement (MMP, Conversions API, server-side)

Make the numbers trustworthy before buying more: MMP, Conversions API, server-side events, SKAN and backend reconciliation.

How it works

Growth and account audits

A ranked list of what is costing you money, built by AI agents and checked line by line by me.

How it works
Free · 30 minutes

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