App Store Keyword Research: How to Find Keywords That Actually Drive Downloads
A practical guide to App Store keyword research. Learn how to find, evaluate, and prioritize keywords using free and paid tools. Includes cross-locale strategies, long-tail tactics, and common mistakes.
Most developers pick their App Store keywords by guessing. They type a few words that describe their app, paste them into the keyword field, and hope for the best. Then they wonder why their app has zero organic downloads.
Keyword research is not guessing. It is a systematic process of finding the terms real users search for, evaluating whether you can realistically rank for them, and strategically placing them across your metadata. Done well, it is the difference between an app that nobody finds and one that gets a steady stream of organic installs every day.
This guide covers the entire keyword research process: brainstorming, tools, evaluation frameworks, placement strategy, cross-locale tricks, and the mistakes that trip up most developers. For the broader ASO context, see our complete ASO guide.
Why Keyword Research Matters
65% of App Store installs come from search. When a user types “budget tracker” into the search bar, Apple’s algorithm decides which apps to show. If your app does not contain relevant keywords in the right places, you will not appear.
But not all keywords are created equal:
| Keyword | Estimated Search Volume | Top 10 Competition | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| ”photo editor” | Very High (80+) | Extremely competitive | Low for small developers |
| ”photo editor collage” | Medium (40-50) | Competitive | Moderate |
| ”photo editor watermark remove” | Low-Medium (20-30) | Low competition | High for niche apps |
| ”photo background eraser” | Medium (35-45) | Moderate | High if relevant |
A medium-volume keyword where you rank in the top 5 will drive significantly more downloads than a high-volume keyword where you rank 150th. The goal is not to target the biggest keywords. It is to find the best keywords for your specific app and competitive position.
Free Tools for Keyword Research
You do not need expensive tools to start. Several free methods provide valuable keyword data.
App Store Search Suggestions
Type a seed keyword into the App Store search bar. Apple will suggest completions based on what real users actually search for. These suggestions are gold because they reflect actual user behavior.
For example, typing “meditation” might suggest:
- meditation app
- meditation timer
- meditation music
- meditation for sleep
- meditation for beginners
Each suggestion is a real keyword that real users search for. Collect them systematically.
Competitor Keyword Analysis
Look at your top competitors’ titles, subtitles, and screenshot captions. The keywords they target are likely relevant to your app too. Do not just copy their keywords. Understand their strategy and find gaps they have missed.
Apple Search Ads Discovery Campaigns
If you have even a small budget ($5-10/day), Apple Search Ads discovery campaigns will show you exactly which keywords drive downloads for your app. Set a broad match campaign, let it run for two weeks, and analyze the search terms report. This is the most accurate keyword data you can get.
Google Trends and Related Searches
While Google search and App Store search are different, Google Trends can reveal seasonal patterns and rising terms that often translate to the App Store. If “AI photo editor” is trending on Google, it is likely trending on the App Store too.
Paid ASO Tools
For serious keyword research, paid tools provide search volume estimates, keyword difficulty scores, and competitor tracking that free methods cannot match.
| Tool | Keyword Data | Competitor Tracking | Price (Monthly) | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor Tower | Excellent | Excellent | $79+ | Enterprise apps |
| AppTweak | Excellent | Good | $69+ | Mid-market apps |
| ASOdesk | Good | Good | $29.99+ | Budget-conscious |
| AppFollow | Good | Excellent | $111+ | Review-focused |
| Keyword Tool | Basic | None | $69+ | Quick research |
| SearchAds.com | Good | Limited | Free tier | Apple Search Ads users |
No tool has perfect data. Apple does not share exact search volumes, so every tool’s numbers are estimates based on their own models. Use them for relative comparisons (keyword A has more volume than keyword B), not absolute numbers.
For a comprehensive comparison, see our ASO tools comparison guide.
How to Evaluate Keywords: The Difficulty vs. Volume Framework
Every keyword has two critical dimensions: how many people search for it (volume) and how hard it is to rank for it (difficulty). The best keywords have high volume and low difficulty. Those are rare. Most keyword decisions involve tradeoffs.
The Keyword Scoring Matrix
| Low Difficulty | Medium Difficulty | High Difficulty | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Volume | Perfect targets (rare) | Strong targets | Long-term targets |
| Medium Volume | Quick wins | Core targets | Selective targets |
| Low Volume | Easy wins if relevant | Only if highly relevant | Skip |
How to assess difficulty:
- Search for the keyword in the App Store
- Look at the top 5 results
- Check their download counts, ratings, and age
- If the top results are established apps with millions of downloads, difficulty is high
- If you see apps with fewer than 1,000 ratings in the top 5, difficulty is moderate to low
How to assess volume:
- Use an ASO tool’s search volume score
- Check Apple Search Ads for suggested bid prices (higher bid = higher volume)
- Look at Search Ads impression counts for broad match campaigns
- Cross-reference with Google Trends for directional data
The Keyword Field: Maximizing 100 Characters
Apple gives you a hidden keyword field of exactly 100 characters. No more. Every character counts, and most developers waste a significant percentage of them.
Rules for the keyword field:
| Rule | Why | Example |
|---|---|---|
| No spaces after commas | Spaces waste characters | budget,tracker,expense not budget, tracker, expense |
| No repeating title/subtitle words | Already indexed | If title has “budget,” skip it in keywords |
| Singular forms only | Apple indexes both | tracker covers “tracker” and “trackers” |
| No special characters | Not indexed | Skip #, @, etc. |
| No competitor brand names | Violates guidelines | Apple may reject your update |
| Short words over long phrases | More coverage | finance,money > financial management |
Example keyword optimization:
Say your app is “BudgetPal - Expense Tracker” with subtitle “Smart Money Management.”
Words already indexed from title and subtitle: budget, pal, expense, tracker, smart, money, management.
Your 100 characters should target words NOT in your title/subtitle:
finance,spending,bill,receipt,income,savings,planner,debt,credit,wallet,personal,monthly,categoryThat is 94 characters covering 13 additional keywords. Combined with title and subtitle words, your app is now indexed for 20+ unique terms.
Cross-Locale Keyword Strategies
One of the most underused ASO tactics is cross-locale keyword targeting. Apple combines keywords from multiple localizations for search indexing. The two most impactful combinations:
| Primary Locale | Bonus Locale | Combined Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| English (US) | English (UK) | US keyword field + UK keyword field |
| English (US) | Spanish (Mexico) | US English + Mexico Spanish searches |
| English (UK) | English (Australia) | UK keyword field + AU keyword field |
| French (France) | French (Canada) | France + Canada keyword fields |
For the US market specifically: If you set keywords for both English (US) and Spanish (Mexico), Apple will index both keyword fields for US users. This effectively doubles your keyword capacity from 100 characters to 200 characters.
Not every locale combination works this way. Test carefully and monitor your rankings after making cross-locale changes. For related localization strategies, see our screenshot localization guide.
Long-Tail Keywords: The Indie Developer’s Advantage
Long-tail keywords are specific, multi-word phrases with lower search volume but also lower competition. For indie developers without the download velocity to compete on generic terms, long-tail keywords are where you win.
Examples:
| Generic Keyword | Long-Tail Variant | Volume | Competition | Ranking Potential |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ”workout" | "home workout no equipment” | Lower | Much lower | High |
| ”calendar" | "shift work calendar” | Lower | Much lower | High |
| ”notes" | "handwriting notes app” | Lower | Much lower | High |
| ”recipe" | "meal prep recipes weekly” | Lower | Much lower | High |
How to find long-tail keywords:
- Start with your core keyword
- Add modifiers: features (free, offline, pro), use cases (for work, for students), contexts (at home, on the go)
- Check Apple Search Ads suggestions for multi-word completions
- Look at the questions users ask in competitor reviews
- Use Google’s “People also ask” for related queries
The keyword field is where long-tail keywords shine. You do not need to fit the entire phrase in one place. Apple’s algorithm combines individual words across all your metadata. If your title has “recipe” and your keyword field has “meal,prep,weekly,” you are indexed for “meal prep recipes weekly.”
OCR Keywords: The Hidden Keyword Field
Since 2024, Apple reads text from your screenshots using OCR and adds those words to your search index. This is essentially bonus keyword space that most developers do not optimize for.
Key facts:
- Apple’s Vision framework extracts all visible text from every screenshot
- Extracted words are tokenized and added to your keyword index
- Caption text, UI text, and even decorative text is indexed
- The OCR signal is weaker than the keyword field but still meaningful
This means your screenshot captions are doing double duty: convincing users to install AND improving your keyword coverage. Write captions that include relevant keywords naturally. For the full OCR optimization playbook, read our OCR screenshot strategy guide.
Common Keyword Research Mistakes
Mistake 1: Targeting Only High-Volume Keywords
If your app has 500 downloads and you are targeting “photo editor” (dominated by apps with millions of downloads), you will never rank. Start with keywords you can actually win, build download velocity, then graduate to harder keywords.
Mistake 2: Not Using the Full 100 Characters
Many developers use 60-70 characters when they could use 95-100. Every unused character is wasted keyword coverage. Fill the field.
Mistake 3: Repeating Words from Title and Subtitle
If “budget” is in your title, putting it in your keyword field wastes characters. Apple already indexes it from the title.
Mistake 4: Using Phrases Instead of Individual Words
“personal finance tracker” uses 24 characters. “personal,finance,tracker” uses 24 characters but “personal,finance” uses 16 characters (since “tracker” might be in your title). Apple combines words algorithmically, so individual words give you more flexibility.
Mistake 5: Never Updating Keywords
Search trends change. New competitors appear. Keywords that worked six months ago might be saturated now. Review and update your keywords every 4-8 weeks based on ranking data.
Mistake 6: Ignoring Cross-Locale Opportunities
If you only set English (US) keywords, you are leaving 100+ characters of keyword space on the table. Use the cross-locale strategy described above to double your coverage.
Building Your Keyword Strategy: Step by Step
- Brainstorm 50+ seed keywords from your app features, user problems, competitor listings, and search suggestions
- Score each keyword on volume (1-5) and difficulty (1-5) using ASO tools and manual research
- Prioritize using the matrix: high volume + low difficulty first, then medium/medium
- Map keywords to metadata fields: highest-value keywords go in the title, next-best in subtitle, rest in keyword field
- Optimize screenshot captions to include remaining target keywords naturally
- Set up tracking in your ASO tool or a spreadsheet
- Review weekly, update monthly based on ranking changes and new opportunities
The apps that consistently rank well for their target keywords are the ones that treat keyword research as an ongoing process, not a one-time task. Build the habit of checking your rankings, exploring new keywords, and making small adjustments every month.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many keywords should I target? With your title, subtitle, keyword field, and OCR-indexed screenshot text, you can realistically target 30-50 unique keywords. Focus on 10-15 primary keywords for tracking and optimization, with the rest as supporting terms.
Do I need an ASO tool for keyword research? Not necessarily. You can get started with App Store search suggestions, competitor analysis, and Apple Search Ads discovery campaigns for free. Paid tools become valuable when you need search volume estimates and systematic competitor tracking, typically once your app has traction and you need to optimize at scale.
How quickly can I rank for a new keyword? Apple typically indexes new keywords within 24-72 hours. However, ranking in the top 10 depends on your overall app authority (downloads, ratings, retention). For low-competition keywords, you might rank within a week. For competitive keywords, it can take months of building download velocity.
Should I include common misspellings in my keywords? Generally no. Apple’s search algorithm handles common misspellings automatically. However, if you notice a specific misspelling that consistently appears in search suggestions (indicating real user behavior), it might be worth including.
What is more important: keyword volume or keyword difficulty? For new or small apps, difficulty matters more. A top-5 ranking for a low-volume keyword will drive more downloads than a position-200 ranking for a high-volume keyword. As your app grows and gains authority, gradually shift toward higher-volume targets.