Cost Per Tap (CPT)

Apple Search Ads operates on an auction-based model, where the actual amount you pay is based on what your next closest bidder is willing to pay. So Cost-Per-Tap, is a key metric in Apple Search Ads that measures the cost advertisers incur when a user taps on their ad.

In essence, the cost per tap metric is a critical metric to measure, optimize, and achieve your advertising goals on Apple Search Ads. As the number of competitors increases, and their bidding becomes more competitive, the price of Apple Search Ads also rises accordingly. This means that in a highly competitive market, you may need to adjust your bidding strategy to remain competitive and achieve your app marketing objectives. Why is it important to monitor CPT in Apple Search Ads?

1. CPT shows the actual tap cost of each potential customer, which is essential in calculating the return on investment (ROI) of your advertising campaigns.
2. CPT enables you to set a maximum bid for each tap, which is particularly important in highly competitive markets where ad costs can quickly escalate.
3. CPT provides insights into the performance of your ads, allowing you to make data-driven decisions and refine your targeting and messaging.
4. CPT helps to identify which keywords and ad groups are performing well and generating the most clicks and conversions, which can inform your ad account structure and Apple Search Ads budget allocation.

CPT Formula

CPT = Total Ad Spend / Total Taps

For example, if you spent $100 on your Apple Search Ads campaign, and received 200 taps, the CPT would be calculated as follows:

CPT = $100 / 200 = $0.50 per tap

It’s important to compare your cost per tap in Apple Search Ads with industry benchmarks to navigate the market and adjust your strategy to compete effectively. For example one of Apple Search Ads ad placements - search results enable mobile developers and app marketers to promote their apps right on top – well, of search, which leads to higher discoverability and downloads. Learn more about average Apple Search Ads cost and conversion metrics for Apple Search Ads search results campaigns in SplitMetrics’ Apple Search Ads Search Results benchmarks report.

There are several factors that can affect the Cost-Per-Tap (CPT) in Apple Search Ads, including:

1. Keyword competition

   The level of competition for a particular keyword can impact the CPT. Highly competitive keywords often require higher bids to win ad placements, resulting in higher CPTs.

2. Ad relevance and quality

   The relevance and quality of your ad can impact its position and visibility, which can affect the number of taps and the CPT. Ads with high relevance and quality are more likely to receive taps at a lower CPT.

3. Targeting options

   The targeting options you choose for your ad campaign can affect the Apple Search Ads cost. More targeted Apple Search Ads campaigns may have a lower CPT as they are reaching a more specific audience, whereas broader campaigns may have a higher CPT due to increased competition.

   Keep in mind that with targeting options, you won’t be able to reach Apple Search Ads users with Personalized Ads turned off. So in order to grab all opportunities to scale, make sure to use targeting in addition to a reach-all campaign.

4. Geographic location

   The geographic location of your target audience can affect the CPT. Apple Search Ads in more populated areas may be more competitive, resulting in a higher CPT.

5. Seasonality

   Seasonal factors such as holidays or special events can impact the CPT. Advertisers may increase their bids during peak seasons to stay competitive, resulting in higher CPTs.

6. Ad scheduling

   The time of day and day of the week that your ads are displayed can affect the CPT. Ads displayed during peak hours or days may be more competitive, resulting in a higher CPT.

Before optimizing your Apple Search Ads campaign, it's essential to set clear goals and objectives. For instance, you can aim for a target ROAS of 120% or aim for a specific cost-per-goal event, such as $50 per subscription. By setting these app marketing goals, you will have a clear target to work towards and measure your progress.

It's important to give your campaign enough time to collect data before optimizing. Without enough data points, you're merely guessing, and it can lead to incorrect decisions for your app marketing. Typically, you should allow your campaign to run for at least a day or two to collect enough data.

1. Choosing highly relevant keywords can increase your ad's visibility and tap-through rate (TTR), leading to a lower CPT.
2. Creating high-quality ads with relevant messaging, clear calls-to-action, and eye-catching visuals can help improve your ad's position and TTR, leading to a lower CPT.
3. Targeting your ads to a specific audience can increase your ad's relevance and reduce competition, resulting in a lower CPT.
4. Adding negative keywords to your Apple Search Ads campaigns can help you avoid showing your ads to irrelevant users, which can improve your ad's relevance and TTR, leading to a lower CPT.
5. Testing different ad scheduling strategies can help you identify peak performance times for your ads and optimize your scheduling to achieve a lower cost per tap.

Increase bids when:

• If your ads are not getting enough impressions, it might be a sign that your bids are too low. Increasing your CPT bids can help you win more auctions and generate more impressions.
• If a keyword is performing well and bringing in traffic or revenue within your set target, consider increasing the CPT bid for that keyword. This can help you win more auctions for that keyword and generate even more traffic and revenue.
• If you want to increase the overall performance of your campaigns and reach a larger audience, increasing your CPT bids can be a good strategy. This can help you win more auctions and generate more impressions and clicks, which can lead to more conversions and revenue.

Decrease bids when:

• When a keyword has a high cost-per-goal event. If a keyword is generating a lot of clicks but not resulting in conversions, it's a sign that the keyword may be not relevant to the user's search intent.
• When the overall campaign performance is not meeting your goals.

Remember to gradually increase your bids by approximately 10 or 20% at a time, depending on how well the keyword is performing. Also, be sure to monitor your Apple Search Ads campaigns closely and adjust your bids as needed to ensure you're getting the best possible results.

If your app belongs to a highly competitive category, consider to a campaign management platform, such as SplitMetrics Acquire. Automate bids management, increase efficiency, instantly react to market changes and optimize at scale.

To track cost per tap (CPT) in Apple Search Ads, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to your Apple Search Ads account and select the campaign you want to track CPT for.
2. Click on the “Keywords” tab and select the keyword you want to track.
3. Click on the “Metrics” drop-down menu and select “CPT”.
4. You will now see the CPT for that specific keyword in the table.
5. You can track CPT over time by selecting the date range you want to analyze in the top right corner of the page.
6. To track CPT for the entire campaign, select the “Campaigns” tab and follow the same steps.

Additionally, you can use mobile optimization platforms such as SplitMetrics Acquire. They can help to manage, visualize and optimize ad campaign performance with a full-funnel view, including data tied to in-app activity. SplitMetrics Acquire can provide not only more detailed insights into your campaign performance but also automated optimization with smart bidding algorithms to ensure your app growth.