Tips to Improve Your ASA Conversion Rates

Sukanya Sur by 
Content Marketing Manager

6 min read

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It is crucial to improve ASA conversion rate for maximizing the return on your advertising spend.

In this blog, we provide practical tips and strategies to help app developers and marketers optimize their Apple Search Ads campaigns.


Conversion rate in Apple Search Ads

Conversion rate in Apple Search Ads refers to the percentage of users who click on your ad and subsequently download or install your app.

This metric is important because it directly correlates to the return on investment (ROI) of your advertising efforts. A higher conversion rate indicates that your ad is effectively attracting qualified users who are more likely to engage with your app.

You can significantly improve your ASA conversion rates to engage and attract users by paying attention to these key elements:

1. Choose the right keywords

A strong campaign starts with the right keywords. To effectively select keywords for Apple Search Ads, begin with thorough keyword research. Focus on keywords with high search volumes that are directly related to your app, including relevant long-tail keywords for lower competition but high intent.

Analyze App Store trends, brainstorm app-related keywords, and review competitors’ keywords for insight. Achieve a balance between keyword relevance and search volume.

2. Target the right match type in Apple Search Ads

Exact match keywords ensure precision by targeting specific search terms in your campaign, which optimizes your ad performance. By placing your keyword within [square brackets], for instance [Facebook], your ad will only appear to users searching for that exact term or slight misspellings. This helps in:

  • Precise targeting: You reach users with clear intent, increasing the likelihood they will find your app relevant and useful.
  • Increased relevance: Ads closely matching user queries are more likely to attract clicks and downloads.
  • High-quality traffic: Targeting exact terms filters out less relevant searches, bringing in users more inclined to convert.
  • Efficient budget use: Focusing on high-intent keywords reduces wasted ad spend and improves cost-per-install metrics.

Take a look at these best practices for each match type in Apple Search Ads and use them to your advantage

3. Use negative keywords for increased relevancy

Using negative keywords in your Apple Search Ads campaigns ensures your ads do not appear for irrelevant or low-performing search terms.

By excluding these unwanted terms, you can improve the relevancy of your ads and focus on high-intent searches, ultimately increasing your conversion rate. This helps streamline your ad spend and improves the overall performance of your campaigns by targeting users who are more likely to convert.

Check out this guide to Apple Search Ads for insightful tips to boost your app’s visibility

4. Create a compelling app listing

Optimizing your Apple Search Ads campaign and keywords is crucial, but it’s equally important to ensure your app page is compelling.

  • Create an eye-catching app icon, as it’s often the first element to draw user attention.
  • Follow this with high-quality screenshots and engaging video previews that offer insights into your app’s functionality and design, enticing users to explore further.
  • Creating clear and persuasive app descriptions is essential. Highlight your app’s key features and benefits succinctly, emphasizing what distinguishes your app from the competition.
  • Illustrate the unique value your app brings to users, directly impacting conversion rates by converting page visitors into active users.

Design app creatives that stand out from the competition and resonate with users using these best practices 

5. Monitor app reviews to drive conversion

Ratings and reviews play a crucial role in influencing app conversion rates. Users heavily rely on peer reviews when deciding whether to download an app.

Apps with lower ratings are often overlooked, as 50% of users avoid apps with a 3-star rating and 85% bypass those with 2 stars. Further, the majority of users read at least one review before downloading, making it essential for developers to manage their app’s reputation effectively.

By actively responding to reviews, personalizing feedback, and addressing user concerns, developers can improve customer satisfaction and encourage more downloads. Using in-app prompts for feedback at optimal times can also help mitigate negative reviews and boost positive ones, ultimately driving higher conversion rates.

6. Use CPPs in Apple Search Ads

App Store developers can direct traffic from ad groups targeting specific keywords to custom product pages designed for those users. This ensures that users see tailored content in the search results ad. When they tap on the ad, they’re taken directly to the custom page.

This seamless experience can lead to higher conversion rates and tap-through rates, as well as increased engagement, because users encounter more relevant content right from the start.

Data from AppTweak, analyzing the top 1000 apps and games in the USA, found that apps that have implemented CPPs see an average increase of 6,6% in their conversion rate. For games, the impact is even higher. While fewer games have leveraged CPPs, those who did saw an average increase in conversion rate of 8.0%.

Games see an 8% increase in conversion rates, while apps experienced a higher growth in ITI (impressions-to-installs) and TTR (tap-through-rate) at +2.7% each.
Data from the ASO Trends & Benchmarks Report suggests while games see an 8% increase in conversion rates with CPPs in Apple Search Ads, apps enjoy a high growth in ITI (impressions-to-installs) and TTR (tap-through-rate). Source: AppTweak

Discover more trends in our ASO Trends & Benchmark report

SoundCloud‘s experience also shows how effective CPPs can be. By developing a clear strategy, SoundCloud leveraged its app reviews to create CPPs targeting competitor keywords. This helped them discover that users preferred fewer ads & unlimited skips over other features. Highlighting these features in its CPPs led to a notable 58% increase in conversion rates and a 39% reduction in the cost per install.

SoundCloud developed a custom product page highlighting the key feature for Apple Search Ads targeting competitor keywords that resulted in a 58% increase in conversion rate
SoundCloud developed a custom product page highlighting the key feature for Apple Search Ads targeting competitor keywords that resulted in a 58% increase in conversion rate. Source: AppTweak

Discover how SoundCloud increased its conversion rates to improve the efficiency of its ASA campaigns

Search Ads Manager

Create effective campaigns, monitor performance, and find new opportunities to enhance your Apple Search Ads directly in AppTweak.

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TL;DR

To increase your conversion rates in Apple Search Ads, focus on these key strategies:

1. Focus on your keyword strategy

  • use exact match keywords for precise targeting
  • implement negative keywords to avoid unwanted search terms and eliminate redundancy

2. Create a compelling app listing

  • use relevant, high-search volume keywords
  • optimize app creatives with eye-catching icons, high-quality screenshots, and engaging video previews
  • highlight key features and benefits succinctly

3. Monitor your reviews

  • actively respond to reviews
  • personalize feedback and address user concerns to improve satisfaction and encourage downloads

4. Leverage CPPs in Apple Search Ads

  • direct traffic to tailored custom product pages from specific keyword ad groups
  • enhance relevance and user engagement, leading to higher conversion rates without additional ad spend

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Sukanya Sur
by , Content Marketing Manager
Sukanya is Content Marketing Manager at AppTweak, creating intriguing content for app marketers. She possesses strong editing skills, delights in storytelling, and holds a deep appreciation for classic literature.