Tap-through rate (TTR) of search results ads
Tap-through rate (TTR) measures the share of ad impressions that result in a tap (TTR = taps ÷ impressions).
For search results ads, TTR is one of the clearest early signals of how well your keyword targeting and ad presentation align with user intent at the moment of search.
- Per MobileAction’s Apple Ads data, the 2025 average search results ads TTR was 8.08% in 2025, compared to 9.07% in 2024 (a 0.99 percentage point shift year over year).
- Looking at the quarterly pattern in 2025, TTR rose from 8.16% in Q1 to 8.32% in Q2, dipped to 7.86% in Q3, then stabilized at 7.99% in Q4. In other words, 2025 showed a modest mid-year peak, a seasonal softness in Q3, and a slight recovery toward year-end.
- In a longer-term view, search results ads TTR had been tracking at a higher plateau in 2023 (9.00%) and 2024 (9.07%), while 2025 (8.08%) moved closer to the 2021–2022 range, yet still remained above the 2020 average (7.80%) and 2022 average (7.87%).
- With a lower overall TTR baseline versus 2024, tighter query-to-message alignment becomes even more important, especially across broad and generic keyword clusters.
- The 2025 low in Q3 (7.86%) reinforces the value of seasonal creative/offer alignment and stronger intent segmentation ahead of mid-year shifts.
- The rebound to 7.99% indicates improved engagement toward year-end, often a window where refined keyword hygiene (negatives, match type structure) and clearer positioning can help recover tap volume efficiently.
- Category-level TTR remains a strong indicator of how well ad relevance (keyword targeting + product page alignment) aligns with user intent in search results, particularly as advertisers expand their coverage to broader and more competitive queries.
- Food & Drink remained the highest-TTR category in 2025 at 12.55%, keeping its lead even as it cooled from 13.86% in 2024, which still signals consistently strong intent alignment on high-frequency, “need-state” searches.
- The top of the leaderboard stayed crowded: Games reached 11.46%, and Weather hit 11.29% in 2025, keeping both categories among the strongest performers and reinforcing that highly specific intent can translate into more decisive taps when ads match the query context.
- Lifestyle was the standout mover, rising to 9.50% in 2025 from 4.59% in 2024. This jump suggests advertisers are doing a better job connecting creatives and messaging with narrower intent clusters rather than relying on broad keyword coverage.
- Education also gained momentum, increasing to 8.44% in 2025 from 5.50% in 2024, which often aligns with tighter keyword-to-value-prop mapping and more disciplined segmentation inside Apple Ads account structures.
- Several categories recorded softer engagement compared to 2024, led by Sports (7.11% in 2025 vs 10.11% in 2024) and Productivity (6.98% in 2025 vs 9.57% in 2024), which can be a sign that competition is expanding faster than creative differentiation, making ad relevance and ad group intent mapping even more important in these spaces.
- Utilities posted 9.79% in 2025 versus 10.47% in 2024, a small pullback that still keeps it in the upper tier, typically reflecting the category’s high-volume, functional searches where incremental gains often come from tighter intent segmentation and more deliberate use of tap destinations.
The data in this report has been gathered using MobileAction and SearchAds.com tools.*
“In search results campaigns, tap-through rate is the fastest ‘reality check’ on relevance. When we see TTR shift from 9.07% in 2024 to 8.08% in 2025, it does not automatically mean demand disappeared. It usually means the bar for earning the tap moved up, either because competition expanded, user expectations tightened, or more advertisers pushed into broader, generic queries. The biggest opportunity in a lower-TTR baseline is focus. The teams that rebound fastest are the ones that treat TTR as a signal to tighten keyword hygiene, align ad groups to real intent themes, and ensure the tap destination supports the promise of the keyword.”
Saegan Hillard
Client Success Director @MobileAction
