How to Find the Right ASO Keywords for Your App
In the app market, achieving a high ranking for your app is influenced by many factors, with keyword coverage being one of the most critical. For mobile apps and games, selecting the right keywords is a pivotal part of ASO keyword optimization, and the quality of your strategy directly impacts your results. Choosing the wrong keywords can be futile and even waste advertising investments.
Three Stages of Keyword Optimization
-
Early Stage: If your app has a limited keyword inventory, initially focus on long-tail keywords. These keywords have considerable heat but low competition, precisely catering to the needs of target users. For example, a fitness app could target phrases like "Office Worker Indoor Fat-Loss Workout Plan App". Based on coverage optimization, gradually accumulate advantages. As app traffic grows, introduce competitive and industry keywords to enhance competitiveness.
-
Mid-Stage: Based on early search investigation results, lock in keywords with outstanding performance and focus on them. Replace underperforming keywords with industry terms and competitor keywords. Through multiple rounds of fine screening and adjustments, continuously expand keyword coverage.
-
Mature Stage: At this point, keyword coverage and traffic absorption reach a certain level, shifting the focus to improving keyword rankings. Leverage tools like integral walls to focus on popular keywords, such as those reflecting user preferences, behavioral characteristics, and functional attributes, weaving a keyword matrix tailored to your app.
II. Precisely Targeting Keywords
-
Ensure Relevance: Keywords must closely relate to your app and users. Keywords with attractive rankings but unrelated to your product will attract traffic that is difficult to convert into downloads, making them futile.
-
Analyze Competitors: Identify potential users and competitors, search for competitors in the app store rankings, and compile a broad keyword library containing potential associations. Different ASO tools offer varying recommendations, requiring manual screening to filter out usable keywords.
-
Diverse Mining Channels: The app name often contains important keywords, serving as an optimization entry point. Incorporate high-traffic, high-difficulty keywords to boost weight. Study competitor app descriptions, even though store algorithms may not fully consider them for ranking, as they may contain potential keyword clues. High-rated content from competitors, especially five-star reviews, often contains keywords reflecting users' direct needs. Google Trends provides keyword search volume trends and suggestions to aid in keyword selection.
III. Selecting High-Quality Keywords
Ideal keywords should meet the three criteria of "relevance, manageable difficulty, and traffic." Relevance is the foundation; keywords popular but unrelated to your app are hard to convert. Difficulty relates to ranking ease; the goal should be to rank in the top 20, with overly competitive keywords difficult to break through. Traffic determines search heat and potential downloads, with tools providing precise insights into competition and traffic data. Notably, app weight affects optimization results, with newly launched or recently updated apps having advantages, while downgraded or blocked apps face restrictions, including demotions, warnings, and removal.
IV. Keyword Layout and Application
-
iOS System: The Apple App Store only allows two opportunities for keyword insertion. It is recommended to prioritize placing the most optimal keywords within the 50-character long title, which holds higher ranking efficiency than the 100-character keyword field. If the title is already utilized, there is no need to repeat the keywords in the keyword field. Fill the remaining keywords into the field, separated by commas, without leaving any spaces.
-
Google Play Store: Keywords can be inserted in the title, short description, and long description. Similarly, prioritize placing the primary keywords in the 50-character title, and distribute the remaining keywords across the short and long descriptions. Ensure that each keyword appears at least three times to compete for a higher ranking.
V. Continuous Monitoring and Maintenance
After app launch, monitor keyword ranking performance, reviewing ranking fluctuations with each update. Remove keywords that consistently fail to rank in the top 20 and replace them with promising new ones. Through dynamic adjustments, rankings are likely to climb, driving download growth. Leverage ASO tools like AppFast to manage Apple's 100-character limit, aiding in covering more keywords and gradually improving rankings. After all, keyword rankings are positively correlated with user downloads, with higher rankings leading to more traffic and download conversions.