Apple publishes Search Match and Impression Share—not a free SOV guess

Apple Ads Help defines Search Match as an automatic matching feature for search results campaigns, and defines Impression Share as a reporting metric for how often your ad appeared for a search term. Apple does not publish a free-floating “Search Match share of voice” industry benchmark in these docs. Search Match; Reporting definitions.

What exists in Apple’s reporting

Search Match uses App Store metadata, similar apps and other search data. Match Source tells you whether an impression came from Search Match or a bidded keyword. Impression Share is available in predefined reports and on Recommendations, with a capped display above 90%. Rank places your app relative to others on Impression Share.

None of those fields is a substitute for inventing SOV from Search Match spend share or from a partner deck that lacks Apple’s metric names.

Buy only defined metrics

Our recommendation is to quote Impression Share (and Rank) when Apple’s report actually returns them, and to treat Search Match as a matching setting plus Match Source dimension—not as an industry SOV number.

Inspect the evidence

Download the source-population and comparability card. The extraction separates documented facts from our analysis and unknowns.

Further reading in the existing archive: Apple Ads-related change logs in the expansion slate; The UA reading list: reports and benchmarks that matter. These links provide background; this check does not independently verify their full contents.