The big picture: Apple has announced plans to increase the number of ads shown within App Store search results. Currently, the App Store displays a single sponsored result at the top of the search page, but the new announcement confirms that additional ads will now appear further down the results list.
The change will roll out next year to "expand opportunities" for advertisers. Apple said that all apps appearing in sponsored placements will be relevant to a user's search, and that irrelevant ads will not be shown regardless of how much advertisers are willing to pay.
Ad placement will still depend on keyword bidding, but Apple says visibility will be determined primarily by relevance. High bids alone will not guarantee prominent placement if an app does not closely match the user's search terms. The ad format itself will remain unchanged regardless of where it appears in the search results, using either a default or custom product page at the advertiser's discretion, with optional deep linking.
Apple noted that deep-link support for search result ads is only available on iPhones and iPads running iOS or iPadOS 18 or later. According to an official support document, iOS 18 is supported on dozens of iPhone models, going back to the iPhone XS and iPhone XR, both released in 2018. The oldest iPad compatible with iPadOS 18 is the sixth-generation iPad mini, introduced in 2021.
Apple assured advertisers that billing will continue under the existing pricing model, meaning they will still pay on a cost-per-tap or cost-per-install basis. Advertisers can choose their own keywords or rely on Apple's suggestions to match ads with relevant searches. However, they will not be able to bid for specific positions, as Apple says placement is designed to ensure that only the most relevant apps appear at the top of search results.
Apple's ad business debuted in 2016, when the company began showing a single sponsored result at the top of App Store search pages. Since then, the business has grown significantly, and Apple is now rumored to be planning ad placements in Apple Maps as early as next year. Reflecting the expansion of its advertising efforts beyond the App Store, Apple renamed the service from Apple Search Ads to Apple Ads earlier this year.
More ads are coming to App Store search results, but Apple promises they will be "relevant"
