Research-backed titles, subtitles, keyword fields and descriptions for every market you ship in, on both stores. We iterate monthly on real ranking data and keep keyword changes separate from creative ones, so every result is readable.
Included in Growth and Full-Stack · Month-to-month · No long-term contracts
Almost 65% of App Store downloads happen directly after a search (Apple Ads, 2022 data). On iOS you compete for those searches with 160 indexed characters: a 30-character name, a 30-character subtitle and a hidden 100-character keyword field. Google Play reads a 30-character title, an 80-character short description and the 4,000-character full description. Keyword optimization means deciding what goes in each of those characters, then proving it with ranking data.
What you get
Keyword research per market, scored on search popularity, difficulty and relevance.
A metadata plan for every indexed field on both stores, with no wasted characters and no word used twice.
Monthly metadata iterations for iOS and Android, timed to your release schedule.
Rank tracking on your target terms, re-checked every three to four weeks.
Competitor watch: who moved into your terms, and what they changed.
Rename and rebrand support that protects the branded searches you already get.
What's included
Every indexed field on both stores, researched, written and tracked.
Keyword research
We expand 20–30 seed terms roughly tenfold using App Store autocomplete, competitor metadata and Apple Ads data, then score each on Apple's 5–100 popularity scale, difficulty and relevance.
App Store metadata
Name, subtitle and keyword field, written as one budget. Commas with no spaces, one form of each plural, no competitor names. Check drafts with our free keyword field optimizer.
Google Play metadata
Head terms in the title, a short description written for installs, and a full description that uses target phrases naturally, with no single keyword above about 5% of the words.
Localized keyword fields
Every localization has its own name, subtitle and keyword field, and many storefronts read several. We fill the extra fields with distinct terms. See localization.
Rank tracking & iteration
iOS ranks settle about four weeks after a new version; on Google Play we wait six to eight weeks between changes. We judge each change on its own window. Spot-check any term with our keyword rank checker.
Renames & rebrands
Renaming in place keeps your ratings and history. We keep the old name in your keyword field, watch rankings daily for two weeks and weekly to day 90.
How we choose a keyword
Every candidate term is judged on three numbers. A term needs all three to earn one of your 160 characters.
Signal
What it tells you
What we look for
Popularity
How often people search the term, on Apple's 5–100 scale
For most apps, roughly 20 or higher
Difficulty
How hard the current top results are to displace
For indie and mid-size apps, under about 60
Relevance
Whether searchers who find you actually install and keep the app
Non-negotiable: irrelevant installs churn and hurt behavioral ranking
Where each word goes
The stores don't weigh every field equally, and some fields aren't indexed at all. Apple names four text inputs for App Store search: the app name, subtitle, keyword field and primary category. The name carries the most weight on both stores.
On iOS, keywords change only with a new app version. If the same release also swaps your screenshots, you can't tell which change moved the result. We separate keyword updates from creative tests and judge each on its own window: about four weeks on iOS, six to eight on Google Play.
How an engagement runs
The first two weeks map where you stand and ship the biggest fixes. After that, metadata moves with your releases and gets judged on real ranking data.
01 · Week 1
Keyword audit
Current rankings, how your indexed characters are spent, and what your top competitors target that you don't.
02 · Week 2
First metadata update
A keyword plan per market and the highest-impact metadata changes, ready for your next release.
03 · Each release
Iterate
New keyword sets tested against the last, one variable at a time, on both stores.
04 · Monthly
Rank report & next set
Rankings, impressions and installs from search, plus the terms we'll add, keep or drop next.
Pricing
Keyword and metadata optimization is part of our Growth plan: monthly metadata iterations on iOS and Android for one app, with conversion testing and ratings management alongside. Month-to-month, cancel anytime.
ASO keyword optimization is choosing the search terms an app should rank for and placing them in the fields the stores index: on iOS the name, subtitle and keyword field; on Google Play the title, short description and full description. It's then tested against ranking data and repeated as competitors and search behavior change.
How many keywords can an app target on the App Store?
You have 160 indexed characters: a 30-character name, a 30-character subtitle and a 100-character keyword field. In practice that's one strong head term plus roughly 10 to 15 mid-tail terms, with no word repeated across fields, because Apple de-duplicates.
Is the App Store description indexed for search?
Not for App Store search. Apple lists the name, subtitle, keyword field and primary category as its text inputs. The description does feed web search, so write it for people and Google. On Google Play, the full description is indexed.
How long do keyword changes take to work?
On iOS, keyword changes go live with a new app version and rankings settle in about four weeks. On Google Play, listing edits need no new build but can take from a few hours up to seven days to process, and specialists wait six to eight weeks between changes before judging them.
Can we use competitor names as keywords?
No. Apple doesn't allow names of other apps or companies in the keyword field, even though users can't see it, and App Review can modify inappropriate keywords. If a competitor's brand matters, bid on it with Apple Search Ads instead.
How much does keyword optimization cost?
Keyword and metadata optimization is included in our Growth plan at $3,990 per month for one app on iOS and Android, with conversion testing and ratings management. Full-Stack at $7,990 per month adds localization for up to 10 markets. Both are month-to-month.
Keyword guides
The research method, the keyword field rules, and how to spend your 30 title characters.
Book a free 30-minute call. We'll look at your current rankings and metadata before we talk and show you the terms your competitors hold that you don't. No commitment.
