How Does Search Match in Apple Search Ads Work?

We explain how exact, broad and Apple’s brand new search match work in Apple’s Search Ads Platform.

Feature Image Credit: Apple search ads documentation

Apple’s new match type, called Search match presents interesting possibilities for advertisers.

Search match is an algorithm-driven method of targeting ads to keywords that requires (or allows) no customization. So how will it actually work and what keywords could your app be eligible to show for? Apple’s help bubble on search match reads:

“Search Match uses multiple resources to automatically match your ad to relevant searches in the App Store, including the metadata from your App Store listing, information about similar apps in the genre and other search data.
Tip: Optimize your metadata and imagery.
Search Ads prioritizes relevance when determining which ad to show so it’s more important than ever that you craft your app name, imagery, description, and keywords so they’re appealing and highly relevant. Take the time to review yours. Changes made to your app’s metadata, imagery, and any other applicable data contained in iTC may take up to 16.5 hours to take effect in Search Ads.”

In considering the places that Apple may draw keywords to power search match from, we can identify possible 5 methods: