ASA Keywords: Match Types Negative Keywords and Scaling
Apple Search Ads uses keywords to decide when your ad appears in Search Results. These ASA keywords control who sees your ad and when they see it. This guide explains match types, negative keywords, and a simple system to scale. We focus on ASA execution so you can turn searches into installs with less waste.
Where ASA Keywords Work
Keywords work only in Search Results campaigns. Other placements — Today Tab, Search Tab, and Product Pages — use different targeting. See Apple’s overview of ad placement options and the details for Search Results.
In Search Results, you bid on keywords and Apple weighs your bid and relevance for each query. If your app isn’t relevant, your ad won’t show. Apple’s help describes how Search Results ads work at the moment of search.
Match Types
Broad is the default for new keywords. It reaches related variants, synonyms, and translations. Use it for reach and fast learning.
Exact matches a specific term and very close variants. Use it for control and clean data.
You can’t change a keyword’s match type after saving. Pause it and add a new one. Apple explains match types and confirms you must re-add to change type in Add & manage keywords.
Search Match
Search Match lets Apple find relevant queries for you. It uses your metadata and signals from related apps. Most teams run Search Match in a Discovery campaign to keep exact-match reads clean. Learn more in Apple’s help on Search Match.
Use Search Match to discover new themes. Use Broad to expand within a theme you already know.
Negative Keywords
Negative keywords block unwanted queries. They protect your budget and your data. Exact negative blocks the specific query. Close variants can still match, so watch the Search Terms report. Broad negative blocks any query that contains all the words in any order. By default, negatives are Exact. Apple explains negative behavior and the default in Use negative keywords and match types.
A simple starter list for Broad negatives could include jobs, wallpaper, ringtones, themes, stickers, cheats, hacks, walkthrough, or “for kids” if your app isn’t for children.
Cross-negative Sculpting
Let Discovery find new queries. Let your intent campaigns own the winners. Add every promoted Exact term as an Exact negative in Discovery. Run Brand, Category, and Competitor as Exact only with Search Match off. This stops cannibalization and keeps reads clean. Apple’s best practices back this promote-and-negate pattern across campaigns.
Account Structure
A reliable setup uses four campaign types: Brand (your app and brand terms), Category (generic non-brand intent), Competitor (alternative app names), and Discovery (Broad plus Search Match). Keep higher bids for top Exact winners.
Keep Discovery bids moderate. Keep locale splits where language changes meaning, and seed Broad with translated synonyms. Apple’s placement and structure guides outline this approach.
How Matching Works
The auction values relevance and bid. If your app isn’t relevant to the query, it won’t enter the placement. Match type helps aim your spend. Relevance opens the door. Apple’s Search Results page explains how ads appear at the moment of search.
Discover → Prove → Scale Loop
Start with Discovery. Run a small Broad set and Search Match. Check the Search Terms report twice a week; Apple shows where to find these views under Reporting options and definitions.
Promote to Exact when: 400–600 impressions and a tap-through rate at or above your ad group median. At least 20 taps. 8–12% conversion rate, and a CPA within 15% of target for three to five days. Start the new Exact bid near the Broad or Search Match cost per tap, then adjust after volume stabilizes.
If a term fails those checks, add negatives. For example, 400 impressions, 15 taps, conversion below 3–5%, and cost per tap above the 75th percentile twice in a row. Add an Exact negative for that query. Use a Broad negative if several close variants underperform. Reallocate budget to Exact winners.
Add each promoted term as an Exact negative back into Discovery. Change bids in 10–15% steps and wait 48–72 hours between changes. These thresholds are practitioner guidance. Combine them with Apple’s reporting views for context.
Bidding and Budget Guardrails
Price by intent. Exact high-intent terms often cost more but convert better. Keep Broad and Exact in separate ad groups or campaigns for clean reads and control. As a starting split, try Brand at 30–40% of spend, Category at 25–35%, Competitor at 10–20%, and Discovery at 10–20%. Rebalance each month based on ROAS. Set a cost-per-tap floor for volume and a cost-per-acquisition ceiling for margin.
Creative Relevance with Custom Product Pages
Use Custom Product Pages to match creative to keyword themes. In Search Results ad groups, you can build ad variations from your CPPs and even select a CPP with a deep link to route users to a specific place in your app. See Apple’s help on creating ad variations and Search Results for capability details.
Mirror the main noun from the query in the headline and first screenshot. Use deep links where supported and name CPPs by intent and locale. Measure conversion uplift versus your default page for 7–14 days before scaling.
Operational Cadence
Do a short daily check. Watch pacing and cost per tap. Add quick negatives when you see clear mismatches. Mid-week, mine the Search Terms report. Promote winners and add negatives based on your thresholds.
Each Friday, ship one new CPP tied to a newly promoted Exact term. Write down your hypothesis and the result. At month end, rebalance budgets, audit cross-negatives, and remove deadweight keywords.
Measurement that Guides Action
Follow a simple chain. Tap-through rate affects cost per tap. Cost per tap and conversion rate drive cost per acquisition and ROAS. Include lifetime value if you can. Use the Keywords and Search Terms tabs to see match type, bids, and match source.
Apple documents these dashboards under Reporting options and definitions. Cost per tap is divided by taps. Cost per acquisition is divided by installs. ROAS is revenue divided by spend.
Advanced Tactics
Use Apple’s Recommendations where they help; guidance is strongest on Exact. Refine ad-group audiences by device, customer type, or region when you need tighter control (see Ad groups). Keep brand terms isolated and excluded from Category and Competitor with cross-negatives.
Common Pitfalls
Discovery can cannibalize Exact. Add Exact winners as Exact negatives in Discovery and keep Search Match off in intent campaigns. Broad can run wide and waste money. Keep a strong negative list and review Search Terms twice a week. You cannot change the match type on a saved keyword; pause and re-add. Apple confirms both the promote-and-negate pattern and the unchangeable match type.
Quick Start
Create four campaigns: Brand, Category, Competitor, and Discovery.
Run Exact in Brand, Category, and Competitor with Search Match off. In Discovery, run one Broad ad group (Search Match off) and one Search Match ad group (no keywords).
Promote winners, add negatives for losers, and adjust bids in small steps. Apple’s placement and structure pages support this layout.
FAQ
Do Keywords Work In Today Tab Or Product Pages?
No. Keywords only affect Search Results campaigns. Today Tab, Product Pages, and other placements use separate targeting and settings.
What Match Types Does Apple Support, And When Should I Use Each?
Apple supports Broad and Exact. Use Broad to discover related variants and synonyms (top-funnel discovery). Use Exact for tight control on specific, proven terms (intent and efficiency).
Can I Change A Keyword’s Match Type Later?
No. You can’t edit match types. Pause the old keyword and add a new one with the desired match type.
What Is Search Match, And Should I Use It?
Search Match automatically matches your ads to relevant queries using your app metadata and similar apps. Many teams run it in a separate Discovery campaign to mine queries without muddying performance data.
How Do Negative Keywords Work In Apple Search Ads?
Negatives block unwanted queries. The default negative type is Exact. Broad negatives block any query containing all the negative terms in any order, helping prevent wasted spend and cannibalization.
Conclusion
Strong ASA performance comes from steady habits, not tricks. Use Broad and Search Match to learn how people search. Move proven queries into Exact so you can bid with confidence. Keep Discovery honest with cross-negatives. Align creative with CPPs and deep links when possible. Make small, regular bid changes and follow a simple weekly rhythm. With this approach, waste falls, results improve, and your Search Results campaigns become a reliable engine for installs.