Tap-Through Rate (TTR)

Tap Through Rate (TTR) is one of the key performance indicators that helps mobile marketers measure the effectiveness of their Apple Search Ads campaign. It measures the number of times users tap on your app store search results or Search tab ads in the App Store divided by the total number of impressions.

TTR is an important metric for mobile marketing because it provides insights into the relevance and effectiveness of your ad. It gives you a rough idea of whether the ad induces curiosity in the user. A high TTR means that your ad is relevant and engaging to your target audience. On the other hand, a low TTR indicates that your ad may not be relevant to your audience or that your ad copy needs improvement.

In addition, TTR can have a crucial effect on which ads are shown, so if the TTR decreases, your app will be displayed less often, requiring you to increase your bid to maintain traffic on the App Store.

TTR Formula

TTR = (Total number of taps / Total number of impressions) x 100%

Suppose your ad received 1000 impressions and 160 taps. The TTR for your Apple Search Ads campaign would be: TTR = (160/1000) x 100% = 16%

To ensure accurate evaluation of TTR, it's important to refer to benchmarks specific to your app's category and region. According to SplitMetrics' data, the top three leaders remained the same — Entertainment ahead by a wide margin (29.1%), Sports (18.26%), and Graphics & Design (16.03%). All three categories grew in terms of TTR compared to H1 2022. Learn more about average cost and conversion metrics for Apple Search Ads search results campaigns in SplitMetrics’ Apple Search Ads Search Results benchmarks report.

Several factors can affect TTR in Apple Search Ads search results campaigns, including:

• App Store metadata: every element of your App Store product page can help people discover your app, so optimizing your metadata is a key starting point.
• Creative assets: the relevance and quality of your creative assets (app icon, screenshots) can impact TTR and provide better results.
• Keywords: choosing the right keywords can help you target the right audience and improve TTR.
• App rating: the more stars the more trust potential users have.
• App category: if you choose the wrong category for your app, it will have a negative impact on your TTR.

Improving your TTR can help increase your ad's visibility, impressions and ultimately drive more installs. Here are some tips to help you improve your TTR:

1. Target relevant keywords: It is important to target relevant keywords to ensure a high TTR. For example, if you have a weather app, targeting popular keywords like "music" or "concert" will not be relevant so you may not see impressions and won't result in a high TTR.
2. Add negative keywords: adding negative keywords to your broad or search match campaigns can help you avoid showing your ad for irrelevant app store search queries. This can help increase your ad's relevance to users' app store search queries, which can in turn improve your conversion rate.
3. Pay attention to metadata: when selecting keywords for your app, make sure they describe the functionalities of your app. This ensures that if users search for a certain term, they find what they are looking for.
4. Use relevant screenshots: the creative assets in your app store can impact the TTR. Make sure they're high-quality and showcase the most important features of your app.
5. Optimize app's icon: your app's icon is another relevancy element to take into consideration. Aim for a simple, distinctive and understandable icon, so users are more likely to tap on your ad.
6. Improve your star rating: if your app has a low star rating, users may be less likely to tap on your ad. Work on improving your app's star rating to boost its relevance and improve your conversion rate. Learn pro tips on how to manage ratings and reviews on the App Store
7. Write a better description opener: your app's description opener is the first thing users see when they click on your ad. Make sure it's engaging and clearly communicates the benefits of your app. In this article you can learn how to increase its efficiency
8. If your TTR is below the benchmark in your category, take advantage of custom product pages. The feature will allow you to create tailored and relevant Today tab ads and search results ad variations in Apple Search Ads. Download our Custom Product Page Playbook and get practical tips on how to leverage custom product pages for Apple Search Ads search results and Today tab campaigns.

Note: When an app reaches the #1 position in organic App Store search results, there can be a sharp decrease in its TTR and conversion rate, as well as an increase in CPA due to the "outflow of organic users."

To track TTR in Apple Search Ads, follow these steps:

1. Sign in to your Apple Search Ads account and navigate to the Campaigns, Ad Groups, or Keywords tab, depending on which level you want to track TTR for.
2. Click on the "Columns" button, located at the top right of the screen.
3. From the dropdown menu, select "Customize columns."
4. Scroll down until you see the "Engagement" section, and check the box next to "TTR."
5. Click "Save" to apply your changes.

Once you've customized your columns to include TTR, you can view this metric for each campaign, ad group, or keyword. You can also use this data to optimize your campaigns by identifying areas where you can improve your ad relevance, such as adding negative keywords or improving your ad copy and visuals. Remember to monitor your TTR regularly and make adjustments to your campaigns as needed to ensure you're getting the best possible results.

Tracking only TTR (Tap Through Rate) is not enough as it provides a limited view of ad performance. To gain a complete understanding of ad performance, you need to track full funnel key metrics such as CVR (Conversion Rate) CPT (Cost per Tap), CPA (Cost per Acquisition) etc.

Tracking full funnel analytics in Apple Search Ads and using tools like SplitMetrics Acquire can provide a complete picture of how their ads are driving user acquisition and conversion. This data allows for a deeper understanding of ad performance at each stage of the funnel, helping identify optimization opportunities for maximum ROI. So mobile marketers can make data-driven decisions to ensure their app growth.