How to do keyword research, step by step
Follow these steps in order. Each one is something we do on client work.
- Write seed terms. What the app does, for whom.
- Expand with suggestions. App Store autocomplete.
- Mine reviews. Words users use.
- Check competitors' visible metadata. Names and subtitles.
- Score terms. Relevance, popularity, difficulty.
- Assign to fields. Name, subtitle, keywords.
App Store keyword research: key rules and context
1. Seeds. Write 10–20 words a user would type to find your app's main job.
2. Expand. Use App Store and Play search suggestions, competitors' names and subtitles, and Apple Search Ads popularity if you have access. Third-party ASO tools estimate volume: see ASO tools.
3. Score. Relevance (1–5), popularity, and difficulty (how strong the top results are). Drop low-relevance terms even if popular.
4. Place. Strongest in name, next in subtitle, rest in keyword field (keywords guide). Check with the title checker.
5. Re-check. Measure rankings and impressions after 2–4 weeks and swap weak terms. See ASO search volume.
Worked example (hypothetical)
This example is illustrative. The app is made up, and so are any numbers in it.
Say DreamJournal seeds "dream journal", expands to "dream diary" and "lucid dreaming", and finds users write "sleep notes" in reviews. We'd put "Dream Journal" in the name and "lucid" plus "diary" in keywords.
Common mistakes
- Skipping reviews. Real language.
- Only high-volume terms. Hard to win.
- No scoring. Random choices.
- Not assigning fields. Wasted space.
If you want this handled for you, our pricing page lists every fixed package.
App Store text fields and their limits
These are the limits App Store Connect enforces today. Plan your copy against them before you write a word.
| Field | Limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| App name | 2–30 characters | Shown on the product page and in search |
| Subtitle | 30 characters | Appears under the name |
| Keywords | 100 bytes | Comma-separated, each keyword more than two characters; don't repeat app or company name; no other app or company names |
| Promotional text | 170 characters | Above the description; can change without a new submission |
| Description | 4,000 characters | Plain text, no HTML |
| What's New | 4,000 characters | Required for every version after the first |
How we measure the result
Here is how we judge whether App Store keyword research work is paying off. Search changes move slowly and the daily numbers are noisy, so we read trends over weeks rather than single days. App Analytics in App Store Connect breaks impressions and product page views down by source, and App Store Search is one of those sources.
Checklist
Copy this list into your release notes or ticket and tick each item off before you ship.
- Seeds
- Suggestions
- Review mining
- Competitor metadata
- Scores
- Field plan
Sources
- Apple: Search on the App Store (accessed 26 October 2026)
- Google Play Console Help: Create and set up your app's store listing (accessed 26 October 2026)
- Apple: App Review Guidelines (accessed 26 October 2026)
- Apple App Store Connect Help: App information (accessed 26 October 2026)
- Apple App Store Connect Help: Platform version information (accessed 26 October 2026)
Questions
Free keyword research?
Store autocomplete and competitors' listings.
How many keywords?
As many distinct relevant words as fit.
Target high-volume terms?
Only if relevant and winnable.
How often to update?
Every few months or after big changes.
Can you do it?
Yes, 40+ terms in the ASO package.
How many keywords should I target?
As many relevant terms as fit naturally in the name, subtitle and 100-byte field.