How to Write App Store Keywords
That Actually Rank

Why keywords matter more than most developers think

Over 65% of App Store downloads start with a search. When someone types "budget tracker" or "focus timer" or "language learning", the apps that appear at the top of results get the downloads. The ones below position 10 are invisible.

Your keyword strategy determines your visibility for every search in your category. Get it right and you get free, recurring organic downloads. Get it wrong and you depend entirely on paid acquisition or word of mouth.

The good news: most apps have mediocre keyword optimization. There is real opportunity for anyone willing to spend two hours doing it properly.

How the App Store keyword field works

Apple gives you exactly 100 characters in a hidden keyword field that users never see. These keywords are indexed by the App Store algorithm and used to determine which searches your app appears in.

The algorithm also indexes your app name and subtitle for keyword matching. Keywords that appear in the name carry the most weight, followed by the subtitle, then the keyword field.

Separate keywords with commas and no spaces. "focus,timer,productivity" uses 3 fewer characters than "focus, timer, productivity". Over 100 characters this adds up to one or two extra keywords.

Step 1: Start with your core use cases

Write down every way a user might describe what your app does. Be specific. Not "productivity app" but "focus timer for remote workers" or "pomodoro technique app". Think like the user searching for a solution, not like the developer who built it.

For a fitness tracking app, this list might include: workout tracker, gym log, exercise diary, fitness journal, strength training log, weight lifting tracker, personal record tracker, workout planner.

From this list, extract individual keywords and short phrases: workout, gym, exercise, fitness, training, strength, weight lifting, personal record, planner, tracker, log, diary.

Step 2: Analyze your top 5 competitors

Search for your main category term in the App Store. Look at the top 5 results. For each app, note the exact words in their name and subtitle. These are the keywords they are ranking for.

You cannot see their keyword field directly. But you can infer it. Search for specific terms and see which apps appear. If an app you know well appears for a term not visible in their name or subtitle, they have that term in their keyword field.

Finding the gaps

The strategic opportunity is in the gap: keywords your competitors are not targeting that still have search volume. These are terms where you can rank in the top 3 without competing against apps that have 10,000 ratings.

• Look for synonym keywords competitors have missed
• Look for long-tail phrases (3-4 words) with lower competition
• Look for use-case terms that describe who uses the app, not just what it does
• Look for seasonal or trending terms in your category
• Look for misspellings of high-volume terms (the algorithm indexes these)

Step 3: Evaluate volume vs competition

Every keyword has two variables: search volume (how many people search for it) and competition (how many strong apps rank for it). The ideal keyword has medium volume and low competition.

High-volume keywords like "productivity" or "meditation" are dominated by apps with millions of downloads and ratings. You will never rank in the top 10 for these terms without massive traction. They are not worth targeting early.

A keyword with 500 monthly searches where you can rank 2nd drives far more downloads than a keyword with 50,000 searches where you rank 200th. Prioritize achievable rankings over impressive volume.

Step 4: Build your keyword list

You have 100 characters. Use every single one. A typical optimized keyword field looks like this (for a focus timer app):

Notice what is not there: "focus" and "timer" are already in the app name "FocusFlow: Deep Work Timer". Adding them to the keyword field would waste 11 characters.

Rules for the keyword field

• No spaces after commas (saves characters)
• No words already in your name or subtitle
• No competitor brand names (violates guidelines)
• No irrelevant keywords (can hurt ranking quality)
• Singular and plural only if they have different search intent
• No special characters except commas
• 100 character limit is exact, not approximate

Step 5: Optimize your app name and subtitle

The keyword field alone is not enough. Your primary keyword should be in your app name. Your second most important keyword phrase should be in your subtitle.

App name format that works: "[Brand name]: [Primary keyword phrase]". Keep the total under 30 characters to avoid truncation in search results. Example: "FocusFlow: Deep Work Timer" places the brand, the keyword "deep work" and the category "timer" all in the name.

The subtitle (30 characters) should target a different keyword from the name. If the name contains "focus timer", the subtitle might target "pomodoro technique" or "study productivity". Do not repeat words from the name.

Step 6: Monitor and iterate

Keyword rankings change. New competitors appear. Search volume shifts with trends. ASO is not a one-time task.

After each update, review your impressions in App Store Connect. If impressions for a specific term drop, a competitor may have moved into that ranking. If a new feature opens up a new use case, add keywords for it.

• Review keyword performance every 30 days
• When adding a major feature, update keywords before release
• After a version update, check if ratings reset (they do on major versions) and adjust strategy
• Test one keyword change at a time so you know what caused any movement
• Track which search terms drive actual downloads, not just impressions

Google Play keywords: a different approach

Google Play does not have a separate keyword field. All keywords must appear in your app title, short description (80 chars) or full description (4,000 chars).

The full description is fully indexed by Google Play's algorithm. Keyword density matters here in a way it does not on the App Store. Your primary keyword should appear 3-5 times naturally in the description. Secondary keywords 1-2 times each.

The short description (first 80 characters) acts similarly to the App Store subtitle. Include your second most important keyword phrase here.