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The Art of Filling the 100-Character Keyword Field: Say Goodbye to Keyword Stuffing, Achieve Intelligent Coverage
2025-12-05
When we face the app store backend's meager 100-character keyword field, a strong urge to "make the most of every bit" always surges within us. So we strive to fill every available space, separating every conceivable word with commas—even including seemingly relevant competitor keywords and popular traffic-driving terms. The result? The app's reach metrics look impressive, but its actual download numbers remain stagnant.
Behind this lies a harsh truth: mechanically stuffing keywords is the most common—and most fatal—pitfall in ASO optimization. It stems from a fundamental misunderstanding of the underlying logic of app store search algorithms. In this article, we'll combine insights into the underlying logic of ASO algorithms to deconstruct the core methodology behind filling 100 characters with keywords, helping you adopt scientific strategies to boost keyword rankings and organic downloads.
Part 1: Breaking the Impasse - Three Cognitive Traps Regarding Keyword Domains
Before mastering the correct methods, we must first dispel those deeply ingrained misconceptions.
Trap 1: Broad coverage equals high-quality traffic.
Many optimizers are obsessed with pursuing the absolute number of covered keywords. However, a thousand irrelevant users or traffic that fails to drive conversions are virtually worthless. At the heart of the algorithm is matching user intent with product value. Precise coverage far outweighs aimless breadth.
Trap 2: Commas are the only tool for achieving overrides.
Treating commas as the sole delimiter for keyword fields and simply splitting words is a huge waste of the 100-character resource. A common mistake is writing "Word A, Word B, Word C…"—a format that only triggers exact-match keyword matching, completely disregarding the app store algorithm's capabilities for Chinese word segmentation and semantic combination, reducing keywords to isolated information islands. Instead, depending on the language, commas should be used as strategic pauses rather than mere delimiters, striking a balance between character efficiency and coverage.
Trap 3: Keyword optimization is a "one-time project" that requires no further effort.
The market is changing, user needs are changing, and competitors are also changing. If you set up your keyword domains and then ignore them, you're giving up the opportunity to continuously optimize and seize new opportunities. Keywords that were effective just a quarter ago may now be fiercely competitive or have lost their popularity altogether. Keyword optimization is a dynamic process that requires continuous tracking, analysis, and iteration.
Part 2: Liben - The Four Core Principles of "Intelligent Coverage"
Moving away from piling up features means we need to establish a completely new guiding philosophy. Here are the four core principles for achieving intelligent coverage.
Principle 1: Relevance is the undisputed cornerstone.
This is the iron rule of all optimization. Whenever you're considering adding a keyword, the crucial question you must ask yourself is: "Will a user who searches for this keyword be satisfied after downloading my app?" If the answer is no—or even if you're hesitant—drop it without hesitation. Irrelevant traffic will only lead to disappointment and negative Reviews.
Principle 2: Use search volume data as a strategic compass.
Your character space is extremely valuable, and must be prioritized for keywords that actual users are searching for. Use AppFast's ASO tools in the backend to check the search volume index for keywords, ensuring that your optimization efforts are directed toward where the fish are biting. At the same time, strike a careful balance: high search volumes often come with intense competition, while long-tail keywords with medium or low search volumes may yield higher conversion rates.
Principle 3: Understand word segmentation and combination matching to achieve intelligent coverage.
This is the technological core behind achieving "intelligent coverage." The App Store's search engine will perform word segmentation on all the keywords you enter, breaking them down into independent semantic units (root words) and creating an index.
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For example, when you enter "video editing" and "music addition," the algorithm will not only match these two separate phrases, but may also identify longer-tail combinations such as "video and music editing."
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Strategic insight: You should prioritize entering basic root words that describe the product's core features, attributes, and use cases, rather than fixed, lengthy phrases. By leveraging the algorithm's combinatorial matching capabilities, you can effectively cover a vast number of long-tail search terms that haven't been directly entered but are semantically related.
Principle Four: Based on comprehensive competitiveness, formulate a differentiated strategy.
Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles. You need to understand the competitive intensity of your target keywords. For fledgling apps or those with limited resources, launching a direct assault on super-competitive keywords like "video editing" is often futile. A smarter strategy is:
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Target "blue ocean keywords": Look for keywords with moderate search volume, low competition, and high relevance.
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Flanking attack: Prioritize capturing long-tail scenario keywords related to core functionalities, establish a local advantage, and then aim for further gains.
Part 3: Practical Application - 4 Core Steps to Perfect Your 100 Characters
The core logic of intelligent keyword coverage is: within 100 characters, use "core keywords as anchors, long-tail keywords as extensions, and related keywords as supplements," achieving "less but refined" coverage through scientific selection and combination—ensuring that keywords are highly relevant to the app's functions, reaching more potential search scenarios, and complying with ASO algorithm rules. Specifically, this can be broken down into 4 core steps.
Hierarchical keyword filtering: Lock in high-value keywords; reject indiscriminate keyword stuffing.
The key to intelligent keyword coverage is "choosing the right keywords," not "choosing as many keywords as possible." We recommend using a professional ASO tool (such as AppFast) to perform hierarchical screening of keywords based on four dimensions: "search volume, competitiveness, relevance, and conversion rate," and ultimately retain 20-30 high-value keywords.
Then select from these the combinations that fit within 100 characters:
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Core keywords (1-2): Industry-leading keywords with high popularity (40+), extremely high relevance (fully aligned with the app's core functions), and representing the primary scenarios for user searches;
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Optimization tip: Core keywords should be prioritized and placed at the forefront, occupying the core position in the keyword field to enhance algorithmic matching weight.
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Long-tail keywords (3-4 words): Extended terms derived from core keywords, with moderate popularity (10-40), low competition, and precise alignment with specific user needs;
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Core advantages: More precise user targeting, and higher conversion rates compared to broad keywords.
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Related terms (1-2): Supplementary terms that are strongly associated with the core functionality, have moderate search volume and medium relevance, and are used to broaden coverage;
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Filtering principle: Stay true to core functionality while reaching out to potential user groups.
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During screening, three types of keywords should be excluded: keywords with low search volume and weak relevance, keywords with extremely high competition (where top-tier apps dominate the top 10 rankings), and keywords unrelated to the app's functionality, to avoid wasting character resources.
If you're confused about keyword selection, unsure which keywords are high-value core keywords, or don't know how to strike a balance between search volume and competition level, contact our customer service immediately to receive our "100-Character Keyword Optimization Guide." This guide will help you quickly identify precise keywords and avoid the pitfall of indiscriminate keyword stuffing.
Semantic association combinations: maximizing character utilization, unlocking algorithm matching rules
After selecting high-value keywords, the key is "how to maximize coverage within 100 characters." To do this, first understand the App Store's keyword separation rules: if there are multiple keywords, separate them with commas without spaces. You can use spaces to separate words within keyword phrases. For example: property, housing, real estate.
By leveraging the different characteristics of Chinese and English keywords, efficient character utilization can be achieved through the following techniques:
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Chinese keywords: no delimiters, rely on word segmentation algorithms for automatic term expansion
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In Chinese, simply concatenate keywords without any separators; the App Store will automatically parse and combine semantically related terms.
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Example: Enter "stock securities account opening software," and the system will automatically cover multiple search terms such as "stock," "securities," "account opening," "stock software," and "securities account opening," eliminating the need for separate listing.
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Advantages: Saves characters occupied by delimiters, allowing more core semantics to be accommodated within the same 100 characters, while leveraging algorithms to achieve "one word covering multiple meanings."
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English keywords: Separate with commas, disable spaces to omit characters.
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English uses English half-width commas to separate keywords, and there are no spaces before or after the commas;
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Correct example: “image compression, photo compressor”;
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Core keyword frontloading + semantic linking: enhancing matching relevance
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The algorithm assigns higher weights to the first half of the keyword field; core keywords should be placed at the very beginning, while long-tail and related keywords should be arranged according to semantic relevance.
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Example in Chinese: "Photo editing, free photo retouching, image beautification, filter tools, batch photo editing" (the core keyword "photo editing" is placed at the beginning, with coherent semantics and no redundancy);
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"pdf editor,batch merge" (the core keyword "pdf editor" is placed first, with commas separating the terms and no spaces).
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To maximize the number of words within this character limit, please avoid using:
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Plural forms of words already included, such as "climbs" and "climb," have been excluded because these are considered redundant.
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Generic terms that are too broad for your App or category, such as "App" or "Game".
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Filler words (such as "the" and "to"), as these words carry no additional value.
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Special characters (such as # or @), unless they are included in your brand identity.
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Improper use of keywords is a common reason why apps are rejected by the App Store. Do not include:
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Unauthorized trademark terms, celebrity names, or other protected words and phrases.
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Words unrelated to the App.
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The name of the competing app.
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Inappropriate, offensive, or repulsive words.
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Avoid the algorithmic minefield: Ensure compliance and optimization to build a solid foundation for rankings.
Improper use of keywords is a common reason why apps are rejected by the App Store. Do not include:
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Unauthorized trademark terms, celebrity names, or other protected words and phrases.
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Words unrelated to the app: Avoid蹭 irrelevant trending keywords.
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The name of the competing app.
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Inappropriate, offensive, or repulsive words.
Data-driven iteration: Continuous optimization to improve keyword rankings
Optimizing the 100-character keyword field is not a static closed-loop process; rather, it requires continuous dynamic adjustments based on data feedback. The core objective is to strategically allocate character resources to cover more high-value keywords within a limited space, thereby achieving a two-way improvement in exposure and conversion. Specifically, this can be implemented according to the following dimensions:
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Ranking dimension adjustment: When the rankings of core keywords continue to decline, first investigate whether the keyword relevance has changed or if there have been algorithmic updates on the platform. If there's no improvement, replace the core keywords with mid-competition long-tail keywords, freeing up character space to add 1-2 new potential keywords. If a long-tail keyword's ranking climbs into the top 10, slightly adjust its position within the character field to enhance its weight, while reducing the character proportion of lower-ranked keywords and incorporating new niche-scenario keywords to broaden coverage.
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Conversion dimension adjustment: Regularly filter conversion data, retain keywords with conversion rates higher than the industry average, and eliminate low-efficiency keywords with low conversion rates. Replace these with high-conversion long-tail keywords, and additionally incorporate 1 new high-potential related keyword, achieving dual coverage through "replacement + addition."
Concluding remarks: The mental transformation from "stacker" to "strategist"
The core of optimizing the 100-character keyword field is "precision," not "quantity." Piling up keywords is an inefficient practice that goes against the algorithm's logic. Instead, adopting a professional approach—featuring "hierarchical filtering, efficient combination, compliance and risk avoidance, and data iteration"—can maximize the customer-acquisition value of every single character, creating a positive cycle of "precise exposure - efficient conversion - improved ranking."
In the low-cost user acquisition arena on ASO, intelligent keyword coverage is a highly cost-effective strategy. By continuously optimizing according to the methods outlined in this article, your app can steadily capture high-quality traffic from organic search results.
If you encounter any obstacles during implementation, feel free to consult our one-stop ASO services, including keyword coverage and metadata optimization. Click 【Get Metadata Diagnostic Report】 now to obtain your current ASO keyword coverage status, unlock practical tips for getting your core keywords onto the app store homepage, and turn characters into powerful tools for acquiring customers.
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