Optimising for installs only
Downloads go up, but active users don't.
Launching an app is the easy part. Getting the right people to download it, open it and keep using it is where most apps stall. We grow apps with Apple Ads, Google App campaigns, Meta app ads and App Store Optimisation, all tracked to the in-app actions that matter.
Apple App Store and Google Play, paid and organic.
Sign-ups, subscriptions and purchases, not just installs.
Set up for Apple’s App Tracking Transparency rules.
Month-to-month. We earn your business every month.
By John Conigliaro, Director and Lead Consultant, Anahaw Media. Updated September 2026
There are millions of apps across the App Store and Google Play. Most never find an audience, not because they’re bad, but because nobody planned how people would discover them, why they’d download and what would make them stay.
We fix that from both sides. App Store Optimisation makes your store listings rank for the right searches and convert more visitors into downloads. Paid app campaigns on Apple Ads, Google and Meta put your app in front of the people most likely to use it. And we track everything through to the in-app actions that grow your business.
Because we also build mobile apps, we think about marketing from day one: tracking built into the app, store listings ready before launch and a plan for the first 90 days. Already built your app with someone else? We can market it too.
App marketing has its own traps. These are the ones we see most.
Problem 01 of 06
What usually happens
Installs from people who never open the app twice.
How we do it
We optimise for sign-ups, subscriptions and purchases.
Problem 02 of 06
What usually happens
Ads send people to a store page that doesn't convert.
How we do it
We fix the listing first, so every paid tap works harder.
Problem 03 of 06
What usually happens
The app ranks for nothing in store search.
How we do it
ASO keyword research built into titles, subtitles and keyword fields.
Problem 04 of 06
What usually happens
iOS privacy rules leave campaigns flying blind.
How we do it
SDKs, SKAdNetwork and in-app events set up and tested properly.
Problem 05 of 06
What usually happens
The same video on Apple, Google and Meta.
How we do it
Creative made for each store and each feed.
Problem 06 of 06
What usually happens
The app goes live and nobody notices.
How we do it
A launch plan with pre-registration, waitlists and launch campaigns.
Great apps still need a plan. The good news: most of these problems are quick to fix.
We measure app marketing on the users who stick, not the downloads that don’t.
And like everything we do, it’s month-to-month. We earn your business every month.
A cheap install is only cheap if that person signs up, subscribes or buys. We optimise campaigns towards the in-app events that make you money.
Every paid campaign lands on your store listing. We improve it first, so your ads convert better from day one.
Privacy rules on iOS limit what can be tracked. We combine platform data, SKAdNetwork and your own analytics to give you a realistic picture, without over-claiming.
We report paid and organic app growth together, so you can see what each channel really contributes.
How many store visitors download your app.
What each download costs, by channel.
What each sign-up, subscription or purchase costs.
Where your app ranks in App Store and Google Play search.
Your rating trend and review volume.
How many new users are still active after 7 and 30 days.
Four parts, one goal: more of the right users, at a cost that makes sense.
SEO for the app stores. More visibility in store search, and more visitors turning into downloads.
We find the searches your future users type into the App Store and Google Play.
Every character counts. App Store titles and subtitles are limited to 30 characters each, and Google Play has a 30-character title and an 80-character short description.
Store visuals that show the value of your app in seconds.
Smart in-app review prompts and replies that lift your rating.
Custom product pages on the App Store and custom store listings on Google Play for different audiences.
A/B tests with Apple’s product page optimisation and Google Play store listing experiments.
Apple Ads, formerly Apple Search Ads, puts your app in front of people browsing and searching the App Store.
Appear at the top of App Store search results for the keywords that matter.
Reach people before they search, as they browse the App Store.
Show up in the suggestions on related apps’ product pages.
Brand, category and competitor keywords, each with its own bids.
Match each ad group to a store page built for that audience.
Bids and budgets tuned to your target cost per install and cost per action.
One campaign type that runs across Google’s biggest properties.
Your ads can run across Google Search, Google Play, YouTube, Discover and the Google Display Network.
Optimise for downloads, or for the actions that matter, like sign-ups and purchases.
Text, images and videos that Google mixes into the best-performing combinations.
Target cost per install, cost per action or return on ad spend.
Build demand for Android apps before launch.
In-app events connected so Google optimises for real users.
Reach potential users on Facebook and Instagram with scroll-stopping app creative.
Campaigns built to drive installs and in-app actions.
Tracking set up so Meta can find people who use your app, not just download it.
Campaigns set up to work within Apple’s privacy rules.
Short, vertical videos that show your app in action.
Bring lapsed users back with timely reminders and offers.
New hooks and formats tested every week or two.
| Apple Ads | Google App campaigns | Meta app ads | ASO | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where | App Store | Search, Play, YouTube, Display | Facebook, Instagram | Both app stores |
| Best for | High-intent iOS users | Scale on Android and beyond | Discovery with great creative | Free, long-term downloads |
| How you pay | Per tap or impression | Per install or action | Per impression or result | No media cost |
| Speed | Fast | Fast | Fast | Builds over months |
Store page first, then paid growth. Here’s what the first three months look like.
We review your store listings, analytics and campaigns, and check your SDKs and in-app events.
You will see: working tracking and a clear plan.
We improve titles, keywords, screenshots and review prompts.
You will see: a store page ready to convert paid traffic.
We launch Apple Ads, Google and Meta campaigns with controlled budgets.
You will see: your first installs and in-app events by channel.
We shift budget to the channels and creatives that bring users who stay.
You will see: a falling cost per action.
We grow what works, keep testing store pages and bring lapsed users back.
You will see: steady, profitable growth.
Crowded categories cost more per install.
A weak listing makes every channel more expensive.
Users who struggle in the first minutes rarely come back.
Without good in-app events, optimisation is guesswork.
We’ll give you honest expectations up front, including when your app needs product changes before more marketing.
You’ll see the whole journey, from first impression to paying user.
We connect store data, ad platforms and in-app analytics so you can see which channels bring users who stay and pay.
ASO and paid campaigns are reported side by side, so you can see how each lifts the other.
A monthly summary of what worked, what didn’t and what we’re doing next.
It’s the first question most app owners ask. The honest answer: you need both, in the right order.
Paid campaigns on Apple Ads, Google and Meta put your app in front of the right people quickly, and you control the budget.
Best for: launches, fast growth and reaching new audiences.
Better rankings and better store pages bring free downloads that keep coming, and make every paid download cheaper.
Best for: long-term, sustainable growth.
Fix the store page first, then buy traffic. Building a new app? Our mobile app development team plans the marketing with you from day one, so tracking, store listings and launch campaigns are ready when your app is.
If your business has an app, or is about to, we can help it grow.
Grow trials and paid subscribers, not just downloads.
Drive installs from shoppers and repeat purchases in the app. See eCommerce marketing.
Grow bookings for clinics, trades, venues and services.
Reach people ready to build new habits, within advertising rules.
Attract learners and keep them coming back.
Get customers to download, sign in and redeem.
Reach travellers while they plan.
Grow active business users. See SaaS marketing.
New to marketing an app? Here’s how it all fits together, without the jargon.
App Store Optimisation, or ASO, is SEO for the app stores. It improves where your app ranks when people search the App Store and Google Play, and how many store visitors go on to download it.
The main levers are your app title, subtitle or short description, keywords, screenshots, preview videos, and your ratings and reviews.
Apple Ads, previously called Apple Search Ads, shows your app in the App Store: at the top of search results, on the Search tab, on the Today tab and on other apps’ product pages. For search results, you typically pay when someone taps your ad.
Google App campaigns take your text, images and videos and show ads across Google Search, Google Play, YouTube, Discover and the Google Display Network. You set a goal, such as installs or in-app actions, and Google’s system finds the best placements. Our Google Ads experts in Perth set these up alongside your Search campaigns.
Meta’s app promotion campaigns show your ads on Facebook and Instagram to people likely to install and use your app. Installing the Meta SDK and sending in-app events lets Meta optimise for users who actually engage.
On iPhone, apps must ask permission before tracking people across other apps and websites. Many people say no, so traditional tracking is limited. Apple’s own measurement frameworks, such as SKAdNetwork, report results in a privacy-safe way.
The answer is a mix: platform reporting, Apple’s measurement frameworks, your own in-app analytics and trends over time.
Paying for installs that never return is the most expensive mistake in app marketing. Onboarding, notifications and re-engagement campaigns are just as important as getting the download.
App Store Optimisation. SEO for the app stores.
Cost per install.
Cost per tap, used by Apple Ads.
An action inside your app, like a sign-up or purchase.
Apple’s privacy-safe way of measuring app ad results.
App Tracking Transparency, Apple’s tracking permission prompt.
An alternative App Store page for a specific audience or ad.
The share of users still active after a set number of days.
Every paid campaign sends people to your store listing. If the screenshots are confusing or the rating is low, you pay for visitors who never download.
So we start with the store page: clearer screenshots, sharper keywords and a healthier rating. Then every dollar you spend on ads goes further.
We see the same problems in most app accounts we audit. Flip a card to see the fix, and tick any that sound like you.
Downloads go up, but active users don't.
Store visitors can't see the value, so they leave.
The app is invisible in store search.
Ad platforms can't tell good users from bad.
A falling rating quietly drags down conversions.
Campaigns judged on incomplete iPhone data.
Users drift away after the first week.
Ask these questions before you spend on app installs.
We’re happy to answer every one of these on a strategy call.
Straight answers to the questions business owners and marketing managers ask us most.
ASO is SEO for the app stores. It improves where your app ranks in App Store and Google Play search, and how many store visitors download it.
It depends on your category, goals and channels. We recommend a starting budget after a free audit, and we always improve your store page first so ad spend goes further.
Apple Ads reaches people in the App Store, while Google App campaigns reach people across Search, Google Play, YouTube and the Display Network. Most apps on both platforms use both.
Yes. We cover the Apple App Store and Google Play, with ASO and paid campaigns for each.
Absolutely. We market apps built by any team. We’ll review your tracking and store listings as part of the audit.
Yes. See our mobile app development service. When we build and market an app, tracking and launch plans are included from the start.
We combine platform data, Apple’s privacy-safe measurement, your in-app analytics and trends over time to give you a realistic picture.
Store page improvements can lift conversion rates within weeks. Keyword rankings usually build over two to three months.
Yes, and it’s the best time. We prepare store listings, tracking, pre-registration and launch campaigns before your app goes live.
No. Our agreements are month-to-month.
About the author
Director and Lead Consultant, Anahaw Media
John Conigliaro is the Director and Lead Consultant at Anahaw Media, a Perth digital marketing agency focused on performance. A Filipino-Australian digital marketer now based in Perth, WA, with more than 15 years’ experience across Singapore and Australia, he has led agencies in Australia on technical execution and growth strategy, founded a globally recognised eCommerce brand, and managed almost 300 campaigns, from small businesses to multinational brands, including Canon, Uniqlo, Benefit Cosmetics, Asiana Airlines, Changi Recommends, APM and Golfbox. He completed an MBA and a dissertation on Digital Transformation, holds a specialisation in Computer Applications from De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLSU-CSB), and is also a consumer tech critic and publisher. His mission is to use his talent and passion for digital marketing to change businesses for the better, in how they win customers and how they build their brand.
Get a free audit of your store listings, tracking and campaigns. We’ll show you the quickest ways to grow active users.
Free guides
Plain-English, step-by-step guides from our team. Use them to do it yourself, or to know what good looks like before you hire anyone. See all guides
How to Market a Mobile App (Get It Found, Downloaded and Used)A step-by-step plan to get your app found, downloaded and used, from pre-launch and ASO to Apple Ads, Google, Meta, tracking and…Read the guide 
How Much Does It Cost to Build an App in Australia? (And How to Budget for It)How to work out the cost to build an app in Australia, from cost drivers and phases to store fees, running costs…Read the guide 
How to Run Facebook and Instagram Ads That Make MoneyA step-by-step Meta ads guide for Australian businesses: tracking, objectives, Advantage+, account structure, creative testing, lead quality and scaling.Read the guide