Best practices guide: Drive better performance and measurement for iOS App campaigns

1. Understand key Google-supported iOS measurement frameworks

Multiple forms of measurement have emerged for iOS app install campaigns.

• Google’s conversion modeling: Modeled conversions, which we report in your Google Ads interface, use Google AI to help you assess the event-level performance of your campaigns when a subset of conversions can’t be directly linked to ad interactions. Learn more about modeled online conversions.
• Apple’s SKAdNetwork: SKAdNetwork, also known as SKAN, helps app advertisers measure their ad activity, such as impressions, clicks, and app installs, on an aggregated level. SKAdNetwork has become increasingly important to some app advertisers in assessing their iOS campaign performance across multiple ad networks.

2. Learn about core differences between conversion modeling and SKAdNetwork reporting

While both measurement frameworks provide valuable insights, they each have core differences in underlying logic and settings. Because of these underlying differences, some level of reporting discrepancies between the two is normal and expected.

Core differences between conversion modeling and SKAdNetwork include:

• Conversion windows: SKAdNetwork version 3 uses shorter, 24 hour conversion windows to assess post-install conversions. This differs from Google’s conversion modeling where you can set post-install conversion windows anywhere between 1-90 days after the install, allowing you to observe post-install activity over a longer time frame that may be more representative of your app’s user journey. 
• Web-to-app conversion measurement for non-Safari browsers: SKAdNetwork version 4 updates have improved SKAN observability of web-to-app conversions only on Safari browsers. However, there may still be small measurement gaps from other mobile browsers such as Chrome or Firefox, which are still unsupported by SKAN.  Google’s conversion modeling is representative across all Search touch points for your campaigns.
• Redownload definition: While SKAdNetwork utilizes a specific non-configurable definition of a redownload, Google and most of our third-party App Attribution Partners offer a few configuration options on what constitutes a redownload versus new install and these options may also lead to discrepancies across reports.

3. Choose when to use each iOS measurement framework

Conversion modeling and SKAdNetwork each play an important role in iOS App campaign measurement. We recommend advertisers consider the following when evaluating how to use each when making business decisions:

• SKAdNetwork enables a more holistic view of how your campaigns perform across multiple ad networks. It is well suited to use for long-term decisions, like planning your overall ad budget across partners. SKAN reports take time to process given conversion windows, timers and other variables, so we recommend checking them about once every 30 days. Therefore, SKAN reports may be less useful for real-time, granular insights and optimizations on a daily or weekly basis.
• Conversion modeling provides a more detailed view of campaign performance to help you make optimization decisions, like which ad creatives are working best. One of the key benefits for conversion modeling is to use it when SKAN reporting data isn't available, especially to track what users do after they install your app. Conversion modeling may be more helpful if you are looking for reporting that is more indicative of the full value of a user across your app’s conversion window. 

Overall, advertisers typically find ways to utilize both measurement frameworks, using SKAN for long-term planning and conversion modeling for daily optimizations.

4. Get started with SKAdNetwork for install and in-app event measurement

Many app advertisers have adopted a SKAdNetwork-oriented approach for both installs and in-app event measurement.

Install measurement

If you’re measuring installs with SKAdNetwork, you'll be able to view reporting data by following the instructions below:

1. In your Google Ads account, click the Campaigns icon .
2. Click the Campaigns drop down in the section menu.
3. Click Campaigns.
4. Click the Reports icon at the top of the page.
5. Click Other.
6. Click SKAN conversions.

In-app event measurement

Set up your SKAdNetwork conversion value schema to measure in-app event performance and more effectively optimize your campaigns for post-install actions or a target return on your ad spend. Your schema is a means to designate which in-app events or buckets of in-app revenue matter to your business. Learn how to set up your SKAdNetwork conversion value schema.

Keep the following in mind when implementing your conversion value schema strategy:

1. Review how SKAdNetwork values are implemented in Apple's documentation.
2. Start by ideating on the sequence of in-app events and values that matter most to your business. You can use a funnel approach, starting from the beginning of your user’s journey and listing all the priority in-app events from upper to lower funnel.
3. Ensure that your conversion value schema is inclusive of the in-app events you plan on optimizing your App campaigns for and that these events are also present as biddable conversion events within your Google Ads conversion settings.
4. If in-app purchase revenue is a priority for your business, utilize some of your conversion values to indicate buckets of in-app purchase revenues that may be relevant.
5. Set up your conversion value schema through either Google Analytics, a third-party App Attribution Partner, or the Google Ads API directly. It’s highly recommended that advertisers choose one place to set up their conversion value schema.

Get best practices on configuring your schema for Google Ads in our video below:

Configuring your SKAdNetwork schema

Get a step-by-step walk through of analyzing your SKAdNetwork report in Google Ads in our video below:

Evaluating your iOS SKAdNetwork report

5. Implement best practices for iOS App campaign measurement and optimization

For better app measurement:

• Evaluate if it makes sense to set up your app within the SKAdNetwork framework.
  • For install measurement, integrate your app with SKAdNetwork for installs. Our Google Analytics solution helps you integrate and register your app for SKAdNetwork attribution so that you can measure “first open” conversions. You can also configure SKAdNetwork install measurement with another measurement SDK, like an App Attribution Partner, or manually.
  • For post-install event measurement, set up your conversion value schema. You can do this through Google Analytics, a third-party App Attribution Partner, or the Google Ads API directly. When setting up your schema, ensure that it’s inclusive of the biddable events you plan on optimizing your App campaigns for.
• Consolidate your iOS App campaigns for install to run 8 or fewer campaigns. This will ensure optimal performance and support accurate SKAdNetwork campaign reporting, as more campaigns may obscure measurement within SKAdNetwork.

For better campaign optimization and performance:

• Review Apple’s documentation and evaluate if implementing the ATT consent prompt is right for your app. You may also decide to create and display a warm-up, or explainer, screen before asking for consent with the ATT prompt. The explainer screen allows you to give users more context on how your app uses information for advertising purposes. Users who accept the prompt will increase your observed conversions, improving conversion modeling and campaign optimization. Learn more about creating and displaying an explainer screen by using the Google Analytics for Firebase SDK.
• If your app has significant user sign-in and collects consented email and phone number data, activate on-device conversion measurement through the Google Analytics for Firebase SDK. This solution boosts observable conversions available for iOS campaign optimization. It works without any user-identifying information ever leaving a user’s device or being disclosed to external parties, including Google.
• If you are using target cost per action (tCPA) or target return on ad spend (tROAS) bidding types, we encourage you to prompt for ATT consent and/or implement on-device conversion measurement to enable optimal performance. If you don’t plan to implement the ATT consent prompt or on-device conversion measurement, we recommend utilizing target cost per install (tCPI) bidding. 

6. Apply general App campaign best practices

• Set up your iOS App campaigns around your advertising goals for optimal focus and performance.
• Take a focused approach to bidding based on your conversion goal, for example, app installs or in-app activity. Learn more about bidding in App campaigns.
• Follow creative asset best practices.
• Track first opens, in-app purchases, or custom events by importing events from Google Analytics or by linking your Google Ads account with a third-party analytics tool.
• Use Universal Links for iOS to send mobile device users directly to relevant pages in your app. Learn more about deep links.
• Adjust your bid and budget based on campaign performance. Learn to evaluate performance based on your goal.