03/02/2026
Apple is expanding Apple Ads inventory inside App Store search results by introducing additional ad positions “further down” the results page- beyond the single top placement we’ve all optimized around for years. The rollout starts March, 2026 in the UK, followed by Japan, and is expected to reach all Apple Ads markets by the end of March. For app developers and mobile marketing teams, this impacts user acquisition strategy on one of the highest-intent discovery moments in app marketing.
If you’re an app marketer running user acquisition, this is one of those changes that looks small (“more slots”) but can materially shift auction dynamics, CAC, and your keyword strategy especially on high-intent queries.
What’s changing in Apple Ads search results?
Apple’s news update is straightforward: Search is how most people find apps, and Apple says nearly 65% of downloads happen directly after a search. To create more opportunities to drive downloads, Apple Ads will show additional ads across search queries, appearing not only at the top but also further down the search results list.
No campaign changes are required to be eligible. If you’re running a Search Results campaign, your ads can be served in any available position.
You can’t choose or bid for a specific position. Apple will determine where your ad appears for you. In other words: more inventory, more variability, and more auctions happening inside the same query, without giving advertisers explicit “slot control.”
Why this matters for app developers and advertisers
1) High-intent traffic for user acquisition just got more crowded
Search in the App Store is as close as mobile gets to “raise your hand” intent. When Apple increases ad density inside that moment, the impact is immediate:
- More advertisers can now “show up” on the same keyword.
- Users will see sponsored listings beyond the first position, meaning the top slot is no longer the only paid discovery moment.
- Competition doesn’t disappear, it redistributes. On the most valuable queries, you’ll likely feel more pressure on efficiency as more bidders enter and expand.(eMarketer)
2) Keyword strategy becomes less binary
Historically, a lot of Apple Ads thinking has been “win the top placement on the most valuable terms.” With additional placements:
- It becomes easier to justify broader coverage (more terms, more variations) because there are more chances to appear.
- But it also becomes more important to know which queries truly drive downstream value, not just installs. This is where app marketing teams need to connect Apple Ads performance to retention and revenue, not just CPI.
That pushes teams toward tighter incrementality thinking and stronger measurement discipline.
3) Creative and product page relevance matters even more
Apple confirmed the ad format stays consistent across positions (default or custom product pages, optional deep link).
When you can’t pick your slot, your edge becomes: relevance + conversion.
Your best defense against rising competition is improving the things you can control:
- keyword-to-creative alignment
- custom product pages by intent cluster
- post-install quality signals (retention, ROAS, LTV) feeding your broader optimization decisions
4) This is another reminder: diversification isn’t optional
Whenever a walled garden adds inventory, it’s usually a sign of two realities:
- demand from advertisers remains strong (people want in)
- competition for attention is increasing (and prices tend to follow.
Apple Ads can be a powerful channel, but no single platform should be your whole growth plan. In mobile marketing today, channel diversification is what keeps user acquisition stable when auctions change. The most resilient brands keep scaling by building a portfolio of acquisition levers so they can maintain momentum when auctions tighten or algorithms shift.
What should you do now? A practical playbook
Here’s our approach to this change if we’re running your user acquisition and app marketing campaigns:
- Re-baseline your “hero” keywords
Identify your top intent terms (category + competitor + feature/value terms).
Set a clean measurement window pre- and post-rollout to track shifts in CPA/ROAS and volume. - Build intent-based Custom Product Pages
Cluster queries by intent (“budget,” “premium,” “fast,” “secure,” “offline,” etc.)
Match message hierarchy to that intent, not to your internal feature list. - Test broader coverage, but protect efficiency
Expand into mid-intent queries where additional inventory may unlock cheaper reach.
Use tighter guardrails for high-competition terms (caps, bid rules, dayparting if relevant). - Treat Apple Ads as part of a broader experimentation framework
Your job isn’t to “win Apple Ads.”
It’s to consistently find new pockets of efficient growth across placements and channels.
How Zoomd helps you take advantage, without over-indexing on one channel
Our brand promise is built around being the performance partner that helps marketers keep finding new ways to win: “There, and beyond.” Practically, that means helping you operationalize changes like this with a structured, test-and-scale approach while keeping your growth diversified.
With Zoomd’s media strategy approach, teams can:
- Move faster from “news” to “execution.” When Apple introduces new inventory, speed matters: fast testing, fast learnings, fast iteration. That’s how you capture early efficiency before the market fully prices it in.
- Run with transparency and control across programmatic sources. Zoomd’s DSP emphasizes transparency, with vetted supply, and data-driven performance when you’re balancing a mix of channels beyond the biggest walled gardens.
- Connect testing across channels. Apple Ads expansion is a reminder to keep exploring everything you’re putting effort into: programmatic, OEM, new exchanges, new creatives, new targeting approaches, so you’re not dependent on a single ecosystem’s next change.
The bottom line
Apple is adding more ad placements in App Store search results starting March 2026.
That creates new opportunities but it also raises the bar on measurement, relevance, and strategic diversification.
The winners won’t be the teams that simply “spend more.” They will be those who will:
- adapt keyword strategy to a multi-placement world
- invest in conversion-ready product pages
- treat Apple Ads as one pillar in a broader growth engine
- keep testing beyond the obvious channels
If you want help turning this into a structured test plan (keywords, CPP mapping, measurement framework, and a diversification roadmap), Zoomd can help you get there, and beyond.
Reach out to our team today.
