How impression share works
Each time someone searches a term, Apple Ads can show an ad on it. Impression share answers one question: of all the ad impressions on this search term, how many were yours? Apple Ads gives it per search term, per country or region and per date range, in its impression share report.
A range in the upper part of the scale means your ad took most of the ad impressions on that search. A low range means other advertisers' ads were shown on it far more often than yours.
How to use impression share
- Low share on a term that converts is room to grow: other ads take most impressions on a search that brings you installs at a good CPA (Tap). A higher bid or more budget is the usual lever.
- High share on a term leaves little room: more spend there buys few new impressions.
- Share falling week to week on a steady term often means a competitor started bidding on it, or that your daily budget ran out earlier in the day.
Impression share and organic rank
Impression share describes the paid slot only; for the same term your app also holds an organic position. A high paid share on a term where you already rank first organically can mean paying for installs you would partly get anyway. A low share on a term where you rank 20th is where an ad adds the most visibility.
Storelift's Apple Ads screens use the same name, Impression share, for this figure.
Frequently asked
What is a good impression share in Apple Ads?
There is no single target. On a term that converts at a cost you can afford, a higher share is worth buying; on a term that brings no installs, a low share is fine.
Why does Apple Ads show impression share as a range?
That is the form Apple Ads reports it in: a band of percentages per search term and country. Read it as a position and follow how it moves from week to week.
Is impression share the same as Search Popularity?
No. Search Popularity says how often a term is searched; impression share says how much of the ad space on that search went to your ad.
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