Keyword research is where ASO is won or lost. Pick the right terms and the store sends you a steady stream of high-intent users for free. Pick vanity terms you can't rank for (or terms nobody searches) and even a beautiful listing stays invisible. This guide gives you a repeatable process for both the App Store and Google Play.
The three metrics that matter
Every keyword decision comes down to three inputs:
- Relevance: does this term accurately describe what your app does? This is the most overlooked metric and arguably the most important. A high-volume, low-difficulty keyword is worthless if the users it brings bounce immediately, because high bounce rates hurt your rankings across the board.
- Search volume: how many people search this term each month. More volume means more potential installs, but usually more competition too.
- Difficulty: how hard it is to crack the top results, based on how many strong apps already rank for it.
The winning zone is high relevance, decent volume, low-to-moderate difficulty. That's where a new app can realistically land on page one.
The RVD scoring method
Once you have a candidate list, score each term with RVD: rate relevance, volume, and difficulty on a 1–10 scale, then compute *relevance × volume ÷ difficulty*. Higher scores are higher priority. It's simple, but it forces you to stop chasing big numbers and start chasing winnable, relevant traffic.
Step-by-step keyword research
1. Brainstorm seed keywords
Write down 15–20 seed terms from three angles: your features ("expense scanner"), your category ("budget app"), and the problems you solve ("stop overspending"). Think in the user's words, not your internal product language.
2. Expand to 50–100 candidates
Grow each seed using:
- Store autocomplete: start typing a seed in the App Store or Play search bar and harvest the suggestions; these are real queries people type.
- Long-tail expansion: add modifiers ("budget app for couples," "offline expense tracker").
- Competitor mining: see which terms similar apps rank for and where they have gaps.
3. Pull volume and difficulty
For each candidate, check search volume and difficulty by country: a term can be easy in one market and brutal in another. ReachFront's Keyword Research tool shows live store rankings with 0–100 difficulty scoring by country so you can sort candidates fast. If you set up a (free, no-spend) Apple Search Ads account, Apple's keyword planner also reveals relative search popularity.
4. Score and prioritize
Run RVD across your list. You'll typically end up with:
- A core set of 20–40 keywords the app should consistently rank for.
- An extended list of 100–200+ for testing and future updates.
5. Map keywords to your metadata
Placement matters as much as selection:
- Title: your single highest-priority keyword (plus brand).
- Subtitle (iOS, 30 chars) / short description (Android, 80 chars): your next strongest terms.
- Keyword field (iOS, 100 chars): individual terms, comma-separated, no spaces, no duplicates. Don't repeat words already in your title.
- Full description (Android): Google Play indexes this, so weave terms in naturally.
The ASO Generator optimizes your entire listing around a chosen target keyword while enforcing each platform's character limits.
6. Track and re-test
Keywords aren't set-and-forget. Monitor your live rankings, keep the winners, and swap out terms that don't move on your next release. ASO keyword research is a loop, not a one-time project.
iOS vs Android keyword mechanics
The strategy is the same; the mechanics differ:
- App Store: a dedicated 100-character keyword field plus title and subtitle. Never waste characters repeating a term across fields.
- Google Play: no keyword field; Google indexes your short and full descriptions, so density and natural placement in the copy do the work.
Common keyword research mistakes
- Optimizing for volume over relevance. Irrelevant installs bounce and drag down your rankings.
- Repeating keywords across the title and keyword field (you only need a term indexed once).
- Ignoring long-tail. Specific, lower-volume phrases convert better and are winnable on day one.
- Researching once. Search behavior shifts; re-run the loop every release.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find keywords for my app?
Start with 15–20 seed keywords based on your features, category, and the problem you solve. Expand them to 50–100 candidates using store autocomplete and competitor listings, then score each by relevance, search volume, and difficulty to pick the ones you can realistically rank for.
What is keyword difficulty in ASO?
Keyword difficulty measures how hard it is to rank in the top results for a term, based on the strength and number of competing apps. The sweet spot is moderate-to-high volume with low-to-moderate difficulty, which gives you the best chance of ranking on page one.
Should I target high-volume or long-tail keywords?
Both, but start long-tail. Long-tail keywords have lower volume but much less competition and higher intent, so they're realistic wins for a new app. Layer in higher-volume head terms as your app gains ratings and authority.
Is keyword research different for iOS and Android?
Yes. On iOS you have a dedicated 100-character keyword field, so you optimize that plus the title and subtitle. On Android, Google Play indexes your short and full descriptions, so you weave keywords naturally into the copy instead of a separate field.
Next steps
Put it into practice: research live keyword rankings, then feed your target term into the ASO Generator. For the bigger picture, read the complete ASO guide.