I’ve got some exciting news for those of us tracking changes in the digital advertising space. Apple’s expanding ad opportunities within the App Store search results, offering advertisers new chances to connect with users right at the moment they’re ready to download apps.
Starting March 3rd, there will be more ad slots in the UK, and following closely, Japan will see these changes too. By the end of March, this rollout is expected to reach all Apple Ads markets.
Why is this important? With more ad slots in the App Store, we have more chances to capture installs. But, this also means heightened competition for those high-intent queries, which could drive costs upward. Since we can’t pick our ad placements, ensuring creative relevance, refining keyword strategies, and monitoring conversion tracking have never been more crucial.
What’s changing? Previously, there was just a single sponsored ad spot at the top of the search results. Now, multiple ads can show up for a search query, not only in the top spot but also further down the page.
Devices running iOS and iPadOS 26.2 or later will support these additional placements.
How eligibility works: There’s no need for us advertisers to tweak anything to tap into the new ad slots. Our existing search results campaigns are automatically eligible for these new positions.
While we can’t choose our placement or bid for a specific spot, Apple determines where our ads appear within search results.
Ad formats and pricing remain constant. Ads look the same, relying either on a standard product page or a custom one. If we want, we can even direct users to specific in-app destinations via optional deep links.
Billing remains unchanged, continuing on a cost-per-tap or cost-per-install basis.
Matching ads to searches: Ads in search results still hinge on keywords—those we choose or those suggested by Apple. According to Apple, their relevance-based matching achieves an average conversion rate exceeding 60% for top-of-search ads.
Placement is a mix of relevance and bid, but relevance remains non-negotiable. Even a high bid won’t allow an ad into auctions if it’s not a strong match for the user’s query.
What should we keep an eye on? More ad slots could lead to greater opportunities, albeit with increased competition on the same search results page. It’s prudent to keep a close eye on performance metrics, query alignment, and conversion rates as the global rollout of this feature proceeds.
Looking ahead: As March progresses, more App Store search ads will be seen in all Apple Ads markets. For those of us in app marketing, this shift represents a significant transformation in how search visibility and competition will play out within the App Store.
Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.
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