On Tuesday, Apple extended its Search Ads platform to 46 more countries, enabling marketers to boost their app’s visibility in a total of 59 countries as well as manage campaigns spanning multiple regions.
From launch in 2016 to $2 billion in 2020. The Cupertino-based tech giant publicly launched Search Ads in 2016 (more that a year after paid ads began popping up on Google Play). The following year, Apple expanded support for Search Ads into Canada, Mexico, and Switzerland, and introduced Search Ads Basic, which did away with keywords and bidding to cater to developers who don’t have the expertise or resources to manage traditional paid search campaigns.
Last year, a Bernstein research analyst estimated that Search Ads would bring Apple $500 million over the course of 2018 and projected that the platform could generate $2 billion in 2020 — now that the number of supported countries has more than quadrupled, Apple may be on its way to hitting (or even surpassing) that figure.
Why you should care. Reaching out to untapped audiences can change the game for just about any brand. While the increase in supported regions might add an extra layer of complexity on top of the criteria that app marketers are already used to (keywords, device types, etc.), those willing to learn the characteristics of each distinct audience stand to gain.
Brands with generous marketing budgets can now consolidate their multi-region campaigns so that they’re easier to manage, which may also make them tougher to compete with.
Head to Apple’s Search Ads for the full list of supported countries and regions.
About The Author
George Nguyen is an Associate Editor at Third Door Media. His background is in content marketing, journalism, and storytelling.