Store ads are the gentlest place to start paying, because the targeting is already done for you: these ads appear when someone searches the store (Google's also run on YouTube and across its apps), the same high-intent moment your ASO work targets. You are paying to appear above the results you are trying to rank in. There are two systems, one per store.
Google App Campaigns · for Android
Runs by itself with very wide reach (good for Android). But it needs ad images or videos, and 30–60 days to learn.
Apple Ads · for iOS
Shows at the top of App Store search. Best-quality users, you choose the keywords, start at $5–50 a day. Good ASO makes these ads cheaper.
Rough cost for one install
Use these numbers to set expectations, not to predict your exact costs; yours will differ by country and category. What they really tell you is the scale: a $100 test buys roughly 30–60 installs, not thousands. That is enough to learn whether the people who install actually stick around, and that answer is worth more than the installs themselves.
Do it now: cheaper ads through ASO
- 1In Rank Tracker, find keywords where you already rank near page one; those are your cheapest Apple Ads bids, because Apple rewards relevance.
- 2Start Apple Ads at $5–10 a day on exact-match versions of those keywords only.
- 3Re-run the free Score Checker before launching; a stronger listing lowers your cost per install on the same budget.