Have you ever wondered what affects app store ranking especially when it comes to keywords? Well, you’re in good hands because today, you’ll exactly know the factors that would affect keyword rankings both in the App Store and Google Play Store.When it comes to app success, simply publishing your app isn’t enough. In fact, developing your app is just half of the work. You need to make sure that people discover your app.Consider this: according to BuildFire, the App Store has about 2.2 million apps while the Google Play Store has 2.8 million apps. As you can see, you are up for a huge competition.Remember, with millions of apps available in the App Store and Google Play, your newly published app can easily sliver down to oblivion.So, what do you do? You need to ensure you rank high in search results. You must focus on targeting relevant keywords. To achieve a high app keyword ranking, you need to be familiar with the different factors that affect its effectiveness.That’s why in this post, let us take a look at some of the most crucial factors that affect app keyword rankings and therefore, improve your app’s discoverability both in the App Store and Google Play.

Keyword relevance

Obviously, when it comes to improving your keyword ranking, you must use the right keywords. Without the right keywords, you would be an archer shooting everywhere with no real target.

So, how can you find the right keywords for your app? Here are a few things you can do:

Brainstorm
Check competitors’ keywords
Use the App Store and Google Play autocomplete suggestions
Take advantage of Apple Search Ads
Balance between broad and specific keywords
Use app store keyword research tools
Use app ranking tracker

When choosing keywords for your app, you need to ask yourself, “Are my keywords relevant to my niche?” If you can answer yes, then it is more likely that you will have better rankings.

It is best to have a long list of targeted keywords as it gives you a place to start with. However, as you actually use keywords in your App Store or Google Play Store listings, you need to think of relevance. Trim down your list of keywords and only use the best of the best.

Keyword placement

Another factor that affects your keyword ranking is the placement of your keywords. Both the App Store and Google Play put great importance on where you put your keywords.

Where do you put your keywords in the App Store?

App name

In the App Store, the most important place to ensure you get your primary keywords is the app name. In the eyes of the App Store ranking algorithm, the app name is the strongest indicator of what your app is all about.That’s the reason that app developers don’t simply use their app name field as a place where they put their name, but also their keywords, which describe what their app is all about. Remember that the app name field can only allow up to 30 characters.

App subtitle

It was just a few years ago that Apple added app subtitles and sure enough, it affects app store keyword ranking. Be sure to add your keywords here. Choose the strongest and most descriptive keywords you can ever find and place them in the app subtitle.

App Store Connect Keyword Field

This is specifically created in the App Store to allow developers to add as many focused keywords as possible. Of course, please note that this field is only limited to 100 characters. So, choose your keywords wisely.It’s worth noting that the keyword field and the keywords you add to it is not visible in the App Store. This means that your keyword field will not affect your app’s conversion rate, but rather it only impacts your keyword ranking. Moreover, the app name has the weightiest bearing in app ranking. This is followed by the app subtitle. The least would be the keyword field. Keep this in mind as you prioritize your keyword planning.