Keyword Research Strategy

Keywords are the foundation of ASO. The right keywords connect your app with users who are actively searching for what you offer. This guide shows you how to build a keyword strategy from scratch.

Why Keywords Matter

Over 65% of app installs come from store searches. When a user searches "budget tracker" or "photo editor", the store algorithm decides which apps to show. Your keyword strategy determines whether your app appears in those results.

Step 1: Brainstorm Your Seed Keywords

Start by listing every term a potential user might search to find your app:

• Core function — what does your app do? (e.g., "expense tracker", "habit builder")
• Category terms — what category is it in? (e.g., "fitness app", "productivity tool")
• Problem keywords — what problem does it solve? (e.g., "save money", "stay organized")
• Feature keywords — specific features (e.g., "barcode scanner", "offline maps")
• Competitor names — apps users might compare yours to

Write down 20-30 seed terms. Don't filter yet — quantity first, quality later.

Step 2: Expand with Suggestions

Use AppRankr's keyword suggestion tool to expand your seed list:

1. Go to Keywords in your dashboard
2. Enter each seed keyword to get related suggestions
3. Use AI suggestions to discover terms you might have missed
4. Check Google Play's autocomplete by typing partial terms in the store search bar

This should give you 50-100 candidate keywords.

Step 3: Evaluate Keywords

Not all keywords are equal. Evaluate each one on three dimensions:

Relevance

Is this keyword directly related to your app? A fitness app ranking for "recipes" might get views but won't convert to installs. Irrelevant traffic hurts your conversion rate, which in turn hurts your ranking.

Rule: If a user searching this keyword wouldn't be happy finding your app, skip it.

Traffic (Search Volume)

How many people search for this term? AppRankr estimates traffic on a relative scale. Generally:

• High traffic — broad terms like "games" or "photo editor" (very competitive)
• Medium traffic — specific terms like "budget planner with categories" (good targets)
• Low traffic — niche terms like "plant watering schedule app" (easy wins if relevant)

Competition (Difficulty)

How hard is it to rank for this keyword? Competition depends on:

• How many apps target the keyword
• The quality and authority of top-ranking apps
• Whether top results are from major publishers

The sweet spot: Medium traffic + low competition. These keywords are searched often enough to matter but aren't dominated by big players.

Step 4: Prioritize Your Keywords

Create three tiers:

Tier 1: Primary Keywords (3-5)

These go in your title and first description sentence. They should be:

• Highly relevant
• Medium-to-high traffic
• Keywords you can realistically rank for

Tier 2: Secondary Keywords (10-15)

These go in your description and App Store keyword field. They should be:

• Relevant
• Medium traffic
• Moderate competition

Tier 3: Long-Tail Keywords (10-20)

These are specific, multi-word phrases that get less traffic but are easier to rank for:

• "free budget tracker for couples"
• "plant care reminder with photos"
• "workout timer with voice alerts"

Long-tail keywords often convert better because they match specific user intent.

Step 5: Implement in Your Listing

Place your keywords strategically:

• Title — primary keyword (most weight)
• Short description — primary + secondary keywords
• Full description — all tiers, repeated naturally 3-5 times each
• App Store keyword field — tier 1 and 2 keywords not already in your title

Important: Never keyword-stuff. Your listing must read naturally. The algorithm penalizes obvious manipulation, and users won't install an app with a spammy description.

Step 6: Track and Iterate

Keywords aren't "set and forget". Use AppRankr to:

• Track rankings daily — see how your positions change after listing updates
• Monitor trends — some keywords are seasonal (e.g., "tax calculator" peaks in April)
• Watch competitors — if a competitor starts ranking for your keywords, analyze what they changed
• Refresh monthly — add new keywords, remove ones that aren't working

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Targeting only high-traffic keywords — you'll never rank if every major app targets the same term
2. Ignoring relevance — ranking for irrelevant keywords hurts your conversion rate
3. Not tracking results — you can't improve what you don't measure
4. Copying competitors exactly — find gaps they're missing instead
5. Updating too frequently — give changes at least 2-3 weeks before measuring impact
6. Forgetting localization — keyword strategy should differ by language and market

Putting It All Together

Here's your keyword research workflow:

1. Brainstorm 20-30 seed keywords
2. Expand to 50-100 using AppRankr suggestions
3. Score each for relevance, traffic, and competition
4. Sort into 3 tiers
5. Place strategically in your listing
6. Track rankings and iterate monthly

The best ASO practitioners treat keyword research as an ongoing process, not a one-time task. Markets shift, competitors change their strategy, and new search trends emerge. Stay on top of your keywords, and your app will stay on top of search results.