Apple Search Ads is now just Apple Ads
As Apple expands its advertising business, the company has renamed its former “Apple Search Ads” to “Apple Ads,” reflecting the expansion of ad placement.
Previously, when a business bought ads on the App Store, they would be suggested at the top of the search screen. In 2022, Apple began expanding its advertising practices adding slots in the Today tab and in the “You Might Also Like” slot below individual app listings.
The name change now more accurately reflects the services it offers. Apple told participating developers about the name change in a message spotted by 9to5Mac. It reads:
When Apple Search Ads launched in 2016, we offered a single ad placement at the top of search results. Today, advertisers can run ads in multiple placements across the App Store, so we’ve decided to change our name.
The name may also signal expansion outside the App Store as well. While it’s waffled about it for years now, it seems as though Apple is once again debating offering paid search apps in Apple Maps as well.
In 2024, Apple began testing the use of artificial intelligence to automatically decide the best spot to place ads within the App Store.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has long been a proponent of advertising on the App Store, likely because it would help boost the company’s revenue from Services. The idea, however, was not well-liked by the staff.
