Apple Search Ads is the highest-intent paid UA channel available to app marketers — but “good” performance looks very different depending on your category, region, and monetization model.
Table of Contents
A subscription health app competing for “calorie tracker” in the US pays a very different CPT than a casual game bidding on its own branded term in Japan. Understanding where you stand relative to category benchmarks is the difference between optimizing intelligently and optimizing blindly.
This guide covers the Apple Search Ads metrics that matter, average benchmarks by category based on Admiral Media’s managed campaigns, and how to interpret your own performance against them.
What Metrics Matter in Apple Search Ads?
Before benchmarks are useful, you need to be measuring the right things. Apple Search Ads surfaces several key metrics in its dashboard:
Tap-Through Rate (TTR): The percentage of impressions that result in a tap. TTR measures how compelling your App Store listing looks to users at the moment of search. It’s influenced by your app icon, name, subtitle, and ratings — not your ad creative (since ASA uses your existing store listing).
Cost Per Tap (CPT): What you pay per tap on your ad. CPT is your bid minus competitive dynamics. Category, keyword match type, and the quality of your listing all affect your actual CPT versus your max CPT bid.
Conversion Rate (CR): The percentage of taps that result in an install. CR is determined by your product page — your screenshots, app preview video, description, and ratings. Custom Product Pages (CPPs) let you test different versions for different keyword audiences.
Cost Per Install (CPI): CPT divided by conversion rate. Your true cost to acquire an install. CPI benchmarks vary enormously — from under $1 for a free casual game to over $15 for a subscription productivity app in a competitive market.
Cost Per Acquisition (CPA): What you pay per meaningful revenue event — a subscription trial start, a first purchase, or a specific in-app action. This is the metric that actually tells you if ASA is profitable.
ROAS (Return on Ad Spend): Revenue attributed to ASA divided by ASA spend. Because of SKAN’s privacy restrictions, ROAS measurement requires careful MMP setup to ensure conversion values map correctly to revenue events.
Apple Search Ads Benchmarks by App Category
The following benchmarks are based on Admiral Media’s managed ASA campaigns across 50+ apps. They represent median performance across Search Results placement in competitive English-language markets (US, UK, AU).
Mobile Games
| Metric | Casual Games | Mid-Core Games | Hardcore / Strategy |
|---|---|---|---|
| TTR | 8–14% | 6–10% | 4–8% |
| CPT | $0.40–$0.90 | $0.80–$1.60 | $1.20–$2.40 |
| CR (install) | 55–70% | 45–60% | 35–55% |
| CPI | $0.60–$1.60 | $1.40–$3.20 | $2.20–$6.00 |
| D7 ROAS | 15–40% | 25–60% | 30–80% |
Gaming apps generally see the highest conversion rates from ASA because users searching for game categories (e.g., “puzzle games,” “word games”) have high install intent. Casual games benefit from low CPTs due to broad keyword pools, but monetize slowly via ads — making LTV modeling over 30–90 days critical.
Mid-core and strategy games see lower TTR (more selective users) but dramatically higher D30 ROAS as IAP spend concentrates in a smaller high-value player base.
Subscription Apps
| Metric | Health & Fitness | Productivity | Education | Finance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TTR | 5–10% | 4–8% | 5–9% | 3–7% |
| CPT | $1.20–$3.00 | $1.50–$3.50 | $1.00–$2.50 | $2.00–$5.00 |
| CR (install) | 40–60% | 35–55% | 45–65% | 30–50% |
| CPI | $2.00–$7.00 | $3.00–$9.00 | $1.60–$6.00 | $4.00–$12.00 |
| Trial start rate | 25–45% | 20–40% | 30–50% | 15–35% |
| Sub conversion (trial to paid) | 40–65% | 35–60% | 45–70% | 30–55% |
Subscription apps typically show the strongest long-term ROAS from ASA because of recurring revenue. A fitness app paying $5 CPI that converts 35% of installs to a $9.99/month subscription and retains them for 8 months has a D240 ROAS of 5.6x — exceptional for any UA channel.
The key benchmark to watch is trial-to-paid conversion, not just install rate. An ASA keyword generating cheap installs but poor trial start rates is acquiring the wrong users. Custom Product Pages let you filter for higher-intent users by showing subscription-focused messaging to specific keyword audiences.
Utility Apps
| Metric | VPN / Security | Cleaner / Optimizer | Photo / Video |
|---|---|---|---|
| TTR | 4–8% | 5–9% | 5–10% |
| CPT | $0.80–$2.00 | $0.60–$1.50 | $0.80–$2.00 |
| CR (install) | 45–65% | 50–70% | 45–65% |
| CPI | $1.20–$4.00 | $0.90–$2.80 | $1.30–$4.00 |
Utility apps often have the clearest value propositions, which helps TTR and CR in categories with informational keywords (“how to clean phone storage,” “best VPN for iPhone”). The challenge is that utility categories attract significant fraudulent activity — making clean keyword lists and negative keyword hygiene essential.
Ecommerce Apps
| Metric | Ecommerce (General) | D2C Brand Apps | Marketplace Apps |
|---|---|---|---|
| TTR | 3–7% | 5–9% | 4–8% |
| CPT | $1.00–$2.50 | $0.80–$2.00 | $1.50–$3.50 |
| CR (install) | 30–50% | 40–60% | 35–55% |
| CPI | $2.00–$8.00 | $1.40–$5.00 | $2.80–$9.00 |
| Purchase rate (D7) | 5–15% | 10–25% | 4–12% |
Ecommerce apps on ASA are often competing with branded searches for their own app as well as category terms. The strongest ASA performance comes from brand defense combined with category expansion. D2C brand apps typically outperform general ecommerce because brand-loyal users searching the brand name have extremely high intent.
Apple Search Ads Benchmarks by Country
CPT varies dramatically by market due to competition levels and advertiser density. The US is the most expensive ASA market by a significant margin.
| Market | Avg CPT Index (US = 100) |
|---|---|
| United States | 100 |
| United Kingdom | 65–80 |
| Australia | 55–70 |
| Germany | 50–65 |
| France | 45–60 |
| Japan | 40–55 |
| South Korea | 35–50 |
| Brazil | 15–25 |
| India | 10–20 |
International markets — particularly Japan, South Korea, and MENA — often deliver 3–5x better CPI than the US with comparable or better LTV for global subscription apps. If you’re only running ASA in the US, you’re likely leaving significant profitable growth on the table.
How to Benchmark Your Own Apple Search Ads Performance
Raw CPT and CPI numbers are only meaningful in context. Here’s how to benchmark your own performance properly:
1. Segment by keyword intent, not just match type. Branded terms will always have lower CPT and higher CR than competitor or category terms. Mixing them into a single ROAS calculation obscures what’s actually working.
2. Use cohort ROAS, not same-day ROAS. ASA installs need time to monetize. A subscription app’s true ROAS isn’t visible for 7–30 days after install. Build cohort views in your MMP (Adjust, AppsFlyer, Singular) that show D7, D30, D90 ROAS per keyword cluster.
3. Benchmark CPA, not CPI. CPI is a step on the way to what matters. If you’re running a subscription app, your benchmark metric should be Cost Per Trial Start or Cost Per Subscriber, not Cost Per Install. These numbers will tell you whether ASA is profitable, not CPI alone.
4. Track quality score signals. Apple doesn’t publish quality scores directly, but high TTR and high CR signal a relevant, compelling listing. If your TTR is consistently below benchmark for your category, the problem is your store listing — not your bids.
5. Separate placement performance. Search Results, Search Tab, Today Tab, and Product Page placements behave very differently. Search Results typically drives the highest-intent installs. Today Tab drives discovery volume at lower CR. Don’t let the average obscure what’s actually working.
Common Reasons ASA Performance Falls Below Benchmark
If your CPT is above benchmark or your CR is below it, these are the most common causes:
High CPT: You’re bidding on overly broad terms or in a highly competitive keyword set without proper segmentation. Competitor keyword bidding drives CPT up significantly. Evaluate whether competitor keywords are delivering enough install volume to justify the premium.
Low TTR: Your app icon, name, or ratings are underperforming versus competitors in the category. TTR is largely determined before the user sees your ad — it’s your organic App Store presence. Improving screenshots, adding an app preview video, and increasing your rating score all impact TTR.
Low CR (install rate): Your product page isn’t converting taps. The most effective fix is Custom Product Pages (CPPs) — creating keyword-specific versions of your store listing that match user intent more precisely. In Admiral Media’s campaigns, CPPs consistently improve CR by 15–40% versus a single generic listing.
High CPA despite reasonable CPI: You’re attracting installs but not the right users. This is a keyword targeting problem — your keyword list is too broad, pulling in users who install but don’t convert to your core action. Tighten keyword match types, add negative keywords aggressively, and use Exact Match for your highest-intent terms.
Improving Your Apple Search Ads Performance: What Actually Moves the Needle
Based on managing campaigns across 50+ apps, these are the optimizations that consistently deliver outsized results:
Restructure around intent tiers. Organize campaigns into: (1) Brand defense, (2) Competitor conquest, (3) Category/generic, (4) Discovery. Each tier has different CPT expectations, bid strategies, and creative requirements. Mixing them produces muddled data and suboptimal performance.
Build Custom Product Pages for your top 5 keyword clusters. If you rank ASA as a channel but haven’t built CPPs yet, this is your highest-leverage action. Create intent-specific pages for your top keyword groups and A/B test screenshot ordering, feature emphasis, and social proof positioning.
Implement SKAN conversion values that track revenue, not just installs. Most apps set up SKAN to track installs and trial starts, then stop. Map conversion values to D7 revenue buckets — even rough segments (under $5, $5–$15, $15–$50, $50+) — so you can identify which keywords deliver high-LTV users, not just installs.
Run Today Tab for brand discovery, not performance. Today Tab impressions appear when users open the App Store without searching. CPT is lower and CR is much lower — but it builds share of voice in your category. Run Today Tab with a separate budget and evaluate on brand lift metrics, not install ROAS.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good CPT for Apple Search Ads?
A good CPT depends on your category. Casual games typically pay $0.40–$0.90 CPT. Subscription apps pay $1.00–$3.50. Finance apps can pay $2.00–$5.00+. What matters more than absolute CPT is whether your CPA (cost per trial, per subscriber, per purchase) is within your profitable payback window.
What is a good conversion rate for Apple Search Ads?
A good App Store conversion rate (tap to install) for ASA is 45–65% for most categories on branded and high-intent terms. Generic category terms typically convert at 30–50%. If your CR is consistently below 35% on non-branded keywords, focus on Custom Product Pages and App Store listing optimization before increasing ASA spend.
How long does it take to see results from Apple Search Ads?
Initial performance data is visible within days. Meaningful optimization decisions require 2–4 weeks of data per campaign, and ROAS evaluation for subscription apps requires 30–90 days of cohort data. Most Admiral Media clients see measurable CPA improvement within the first 60 days of structured campaign management.
Does Apple Search Ads work for small budgets?
Yes, but with constraints. ASA works on any budget — you can start with $1,000/month. However, optimization requires statistical significance, which means smaller budgets limit how quickly you can test and iterate. We typically recommend a minimum of $5,000–$10,000/month to generate enough data for meaningful optimization across multiple keyword clusters.
Admiral Media manages Apple Search Ads campaigns for gaming, subscription, and ecommerce apps across 50+ global markets. If you want a free audit of your current ASA setup — including a benchmark analysis of your CPT, CPI, and ROAS against category norms — contact us here.
→ Learn more about our Apple Search Ads Agency services
→ See how we’ve grown apps with ASA
