A tool to check app ad revenue by keyword

An indie app developer says they were wasting Apple Search Ads budget without realizing it. They say Apple’s dashboard shows installs and cost per install, but not whether those installs became paying users. The author introduces ASAPilot, a tool that connects Apple Search Ads with RevenueCat purchase data and calculates keyword-level ROAS.

Key points

  • Apple Search Ads shows installs and cost per install, according to the post.
  • The author says cheap installs can still lose money if users do not pay.
  • ASAPilot connects Apple Search Ads data with RevenueCat purchase data.
  • The tool claims to calculate ROAS for each keyword.
  • The post says broad keywords can spend a lot while specific search terms may perform better.

Quick term guide

Apple Search Ads
Apple’s ad service for showing app ads in App Store search results.
dashboard
A screen that shows key information like usage and cost in one place.
RevenueCat
A service that helps app makers track subscriptions and in-app purchases.
revenue
Revenue is the money a business earns before taking out costs.
keyword
A word or phrase someone searches for.
business
An activity where you provide value to others in exchange for money.
ad spend
The total amount of money spent on paid advertisements to promote a product.
scaling
The process of making a website or app able to handle a much larger number of visitors without slowing down.
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