---
title: Apple Ads account structure — the two starter campaigns
slug: apple-ads-campaign-structure
summary: The two-campaign Apple Ads setup (Max Conversion discovery + single-keyword exact campaigns) App Masters runs at $7K–$85K/month, and how they work together.
domain: mobile-apps
tags: [user-acquisition, apple-ads, campaign-structure]
related: [apple-ads-max-conversion-campaign, apple-ads-single-keyword-ad-groups, apple-ads-attribution-without-mmp, app-break-even-cpi-and-revenue-per-install, apple-ads-as-first-paid-channel]
sources: [yt:q3JuNLUKL1U]
updated: 2026-10-23
---

# Apple Ads account structure — the two starter campaigns

## TL;DR
- Launch two Search Results campaigns per country: **Max Conversion ("MaxCon")** for discovery and **SKAG** (single keyword ad groups) for exact-match control.[^1][^2]
- Run them **in parallel** and let Apple's algorithm pick which one serves; don't force it.[^3]
- Name campaigns `<type>_<country>_<yyyy-mm>` (e.g. `maxcon_US_2026-06`, `SCAG_US_2026-06`) to remember launch dates.[^1][^4]
- Start in the **US**; in App Masters' largest account nearly all of the ~$85K/month is US.[^5]
- Target **new users only**, no demographic targeting, both campaigns.[^6]

## Details
**The two campaigns.**

| | Max Conversion | SKAG |
|---|---|---|
| Bidding | target cost-per-acquisition (CPA) goal | Manual max CPT bid per keyword |
| Keywords | a few top-traffic terms, broad, **search match on** | 1 keyword per ad group, **exact**, search match off |
| Purpose | discovery | control + keyword-level data |
| Setup | [[apple-ads-max-conversion-campaign]] | [[apple-ads-single-keyword-ad-groups]] |

Steve has seen better results from MaxCon because he tells it his target CPI (~$3.50), but keeps SKAG running alongside.[^3] One client also runs App Masters' private "Basic Plus" campaign (similar to MaxCon, shared only in their paid community) alongside MaxCon.[^7]

**Reported results with this setup (May 2026, Steve's accounts):**
- Client spending ~$85K/month, ROAS positive.[^5]
- Client at ~$12K/month on the same structure.[^5]
- Own app: ~$7K/month spend, ~$40K MRR per RevenueCat; another owned app ($6K spend in May) runs SKAG only — inherited from the previous owner — at ~$6 revenue per install.[^5][^8]
- A UK client's MaxCon went ROAS-negative once CPI rose from ~$3 to $3.50; the fix is lowering CPI toward ~$3 or finding the spend level (maybe ~$15K) where it breaks even.[^9]

**Simplest tracking:** if you only run ASO + Apple Ads, compare weekly spend against weekly revenue and adjust spend — that's all Steve does for his own app (see [[apple-ads-attribution-without-mmp]]).[^10]

## Disagreements / caveats
- Results are from App Masters' own and client accounts (small, self-selected sample).
- Keep SKAG small (5–10 keywords) — more becomes hard to manage.[^11]

## See also
- [[app-break-even-cpi-and-revenue-per-install]] — how to set the CPA goal and bids
- [[apple-ads-as-first-paid-channel]]

[^1]: yt:q3JuNLUKL1U @ 08:11 — Steve P. Young
[^2]: yt:q3JuNLUKL1U @ 13:25 — Steve P. Young
[^3]: yt:q3JuNLUKL1U @ 15:42 — Steve P. Young
[^4]: yt:q3JuNLUKL1U @ 14:54 — Steve P. Young
[^5]: yt:q3JuNLUKL1U @ 05:24 — Steve P. Young
[^6]: yt:q3JuNLUKL1U @ 11:12 — Steve P. Young
[^7]: yt:q3JuNLUKL1U @ 06:24 — Steve P. Young
[^8]: yt:q3JuNLUKL1U @ 13:25 — Steve P. Young
[^9]: yt:q3JuNLUKL1U @ 07:20 — Steve P. Young
[^10]: yt:q3JuNLUKL1U @ 12:20 — Steve P. Young
[^11]: yt:q3JuNLUKL1U @ 18:04 — Steve P. Young