ASO Techniques: How to Optimize Your Keywords in 2021

APP keywords is the foundation of ASO optimization, this foundation if built in line with the planning, reasonable, then for the future optimization work will be much easier, but also easier to achieve the desired effect. On the contrary, if the APP keyword selection is not reasonable, then in the future optimization process will be difficult, the following summary of the ASO keyword coverage process can help the APP operators of some common problems.

How to optimize app store keywords

Since the App Store search engine doesn't scan the App Description, all you have to work with is the 100-character Keyword field, the App Name and the IAP Display Names. You could even work with the Publisher Name, but only if you haven't published in the App Store yet.

Your app will only appear in the search results for keywords and key phrases present in those fields, so it's a hard decision to make. For instance, each one of my games required hours of keyword optimization study. There are, of course, some best practices that can help you make the most of keywords. Here are some things to consider when choosing your keywords:

Keyword relevancy -- When it comes to choosing your keywords, it's important to keep it simple and relevant. Your conversion rate on keywords impacts the algorithm, so if you're using keywords that are off-target and not resulting in conversions, Apple will lower your rankings for that keyword.

Narrow it down -- Don't be afraid to start with an extensive list of keywords, but when it comes time to actually use them in your ASO, you need to choose the best of the best -- and use them in the right places. App Samurai says you shouldn't reuse your keywords, so you need to use the right keyword in the right field.

Target keywords with less competition -- We all know how important it is to rank highly in search results but apptamin says, "top 3 search results grab over 75% of the total organic downloads on a branded search and nearly 50% for searches using generic terms." So, it's wise to choose keywords with less competition whenever possible.

Track your keyword performance -- Once you've decided on your keywords and put them to work in your ASO strategy, don't forget to monitor their performance. After 3-4 weeks you should be able to get metrics from the app stores and see how your strategy is working.

Give your Keywords a chance to work -- It might be tempting to keep tinkering with your keywords, but if you change them too often it can impact your conversion rates, and lead to lower rankings in the app store.

The App Store keyword splitting and word formation principle

Background keywords added by Apple developers when submitting applications for review in the background, up to a total of 100 characters, so called 100 characters.

Because Apple keyword coverage is mainly by splitting 100 characters and then combining them to form coverage volume.

The App Store will split 100 characters into the smallest units and then group them together, and the closer the words are, the higher the probability of being grouped together.

Therefore, it is recommended that very important keywords are placed in front and comma, other keywords do not add a comma to let Apple's own word grouping. Fully understand Apple's rules, you can reduce the waste of characters and cover more words.

App Store: The character limit for keywords is 100 characters. Apple's search algorithm will automatically group keyword phrases so it's best to incorporate as many single keywords as possible. 

Google Play: There is not a keyword field in the Google Play Store like there is in the Apple App store. Once you've identified your keywords, they should be incorporated into the title and description.

However, Google treats keyword spamming in their app store the same way they treat it on the web. Never list out your keywords. They should be used in context and repeated with good frequency throughout your description (instead of lumping them together in one area).

Some industry experts advise using your top keyword 4-5 times in the description. However, that advice should be taken with caution. Using a keyword five times in a description that's only 100 words long may come across to Google as keyword spamming.

Remove all spaces

This is a common mistake. Afraid the App Store will read all their keywords as a giant nonsensical keyword, some developers use spaces and commas to separate words. This is unnecessary and reduces the number of keywords you can use, since spaces are counted as characters.

The App Store algorithm reads both spaces and commas as separators. So, next time you're filling the Keywords field, don't write your keywords as "magic, amazing, to, do, list." Follow the iTunes Connect tip and write them as "magic,amazing,to,do,list."

No human will be reading this list, so you can skip the spaces between keywords and save yourself a few characters. As long as you separate your keywords with a "," Apple will see them as separate keywords. What you save in spaces can easily add up to one or more additional keywords.

In our example, stripping all the spaces after the commas saved 7 characters, bringing our character-count to just 56. But there's still more to squeeze out.

Don't use unnecessary keywords

The App Store indexes applications automatically by additional keyword searches. For example, if your application is in the Free Games category, your set of keywords is going to be automatically added with such keywords as "free" and "games." You will not need to add them one more time in your metadata.

This as well relates to the words in other categories and subcategories that your application belongs to. For instance, let's assume that your application is in two categories in the same time: Tools and Entertainment. It is going to be indexed by these queries even if you haven't added them in your metadata yourself.

Brand searches

According to the App Store and Google Play regulations, you can't use and mention the names of famous brands and trademarks. So, what do you do, if you really want your application to be searched by the name of your direct competitors?

On the App Store, you can use minor tricks and add brand names. Also, you can use competitor names' variations written with typos, or use several of the first letters from a brand's name.

But, before adding such keywords to your texts, make certain to check if users actually use such queries. And keep in mind that such work with brand name queries is nonetheless an indirect breach of markets' regulations and competitors can file a complaint against you. By no means should you add brand names and trademarks into the name, subtitle, and descriptions.

Keyword optimization requires patience and attention to detail. For instance, when deleting a keyword, check and make sure you're not losing good key phrases that use it. These tips will help you use all available character spaces to their fullest extent, getting you the best results within the limits we have as iOS developers.