Scaling the Perfect Apology Generator: Insights on App Search Ads, Monetization, and Analytics

Introduction: Lessons from Launch & Growth

The journey of the Perfect Apology Generator (PAG) has been an exciting challenge—merging the power of AI-driven communication with a real-world need for effective apologies. Since launching, the app has gone through multiple iterations, refining both its user experience and monetization strategy. The goal? To help people craft meaningful apologies while ensuring that the business model remains sustainable.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve made major strides in four key areas:

Launching App Search Ads to test discoverability.
Monetizing with AdMob banners while balancing the user experience.
Improving the Freemium model with a non-consumable in-app purchase.
Analyzing App Store performance to refine the strategy based on real user behavior.

So, how have these initiatives impacted downloads, revenue, and user engagement? Let’s dive into the data and lessons learned.

1. App Search Ads: A Strategic Experiment

One of the biggest questions for any new app is discoverability—how do you get in front of the right audience? While PAG had already gained organic rankings on Page 1 for terms like AI apology and business apology, we decided to test Apple Search Ads to see if a paid boost could improve installs and conversions.

Early Results:

Campaign Budget: $100 free credit from Apple, set at $5/day.
Day 1-2 Results:
2,400+ impressions in a single day (up from 92 the day before).
36 product page views (up from 10).
3 installs ($4 spend, averaging $1.36 per install).

At first glance, these numbers seem promising—but conversions are still low. This raises important questions:

Are users downloading the app but not using their free apology?
Are we targeting the right keywords to attract motivated users?
Is it worth increasing the ad budget or tweaking the messaging?

We will continue monitoring performance and adjusting our keyword strategy to focus on high-intent searches.

2. AdMob Integration: Balancing Monetization & User Experience

With monetization in mind, we introduced AdMob banner ads on two screens:

The Completed Apology screen (post-generation).
The Purchase Options screen (where users consider buying more apologies).

Early Revenue Insights:

Total earnings to date: $0.27 CAD
Impressions: 34
eCPM (revenue per 1,000 views): $6.46 CAD

While this is still early-stage revenue, it’s clear that ads provide a small but steady income stream. The challenge is ensuring ads don’t disrupt the user experience, and so far, keeping them out of the main flow of the apology generation process seems like the right balance.

A Minor Concern: Accidental Impressions

One unintended issue: testing the live app generates ad impressions. We have taken steps to avoid this, including:

Blocking test devices in AdMob.
Using Airplane Mode during non-essential testing.

So far, AdMob performance is not a major revenue driver—but it does offset costs slightly.

3. The Freemium Model & RevenueCat Integration

One of the most critical refinements has been the new way PAG tracks freemium users. Originally, free users were tracked only by device storage, meaning they could delete and reinstall the app to get another free apology.

To prevent abuse, we implemented a non-consumable in-app purchase:

Users now “purchase” a free product (com.perfectapology.freemium) to claim their free apology.
This registers their Apple ID in RevenueCat, preventing them from redownloading for extra free credits.

Did It Work?

Yes! Since implementation:

Only one user has claimed freemium access (tracked in RevenueCat).
41 downloads but no in-app purchases - users are waiting to use their free apology.
No reports of users redownloading to exploit free access.

This was a critical improvement to ensure fairness while keeping the app user-friendly.

Future Enhancement: Entitlements for Influencers - one new possibility: granting temporary entitlements to influencers or reviewers. This would allow us to give select users access without needing them to make a purchase.

4. Key Takeaways from App Store Analytics

With App Store Connect tracking impressions, page views, and installs, we’ve been able to identify trends in user behavior.

Notable Observations:

Huge jump in impressions:
92 on Feb 23 → 2,400 on Feb 24 → 3,000 on Feb 25
This directly correlates with Apple Search Ads launching.
Page views increased from 10 → 36 → 43 → but installs remain low.
Total downloads: 18 since v1.4 launched, but only 1 freemium purchase.

What This Tells Us:

Users are finding PAG through search (organic + paid).
Many users download but don’t immediately generate an apology.
The free apology may be perceived as valuable enough to “save for later.”

Possible next steps:

Make freemium access feel more urgent (e.g., “Limited-Time Free Apology”).
Consider charging for the app instead of offering a free apology.
Improve onboarding messaging to encourage immediate use.

Conclusion: Where Do We Go from Here?

These recent updates have been major milestones in PAG’s evolution. As we move forward, our focus remains on:

Optimizing Search Ads to drive quality installs.
Testing new pricing strategies (e.g., paid app vs. in-app purchases).
Refining the onboarding process to boost engagement.
Expanding influencer outreach with entitlements.

PAG is in a unique position—apologies are not an everyday utility like a game or social media app. Users may download now and use it later, which means we need a longer-term strategy for conversion and retention. This is only the beginning. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to refine the science of AI-powered apologies.

Final Thoughts: Join the Conversation!

Are you an indie developer exploring monetization strategies? Have you experimented with Apple Search Ads or freemium tracking? We’d love to hear about your experience! Drop a comment or connect with us at PerplexiTeam Blog.

See other PAG posts:

Perfect Apology Podcast - An Overview and Discussion of PAG's Features

Perfecting the Perfect Apology Generator v2.1: Revolutionizing the Art of Apologizing Across Languages and Cultures