Getting your app discovered can be the biggest uphill battle of app development. You’ve assembled the development team, hit the right test markets, and worked out all the bugs. But, just like a tree falling in the woods, if your app isn’t visible, is it really even there? The Apple App Store has over 1.3 million apps, so finding the right keywords to make your app stand out is an essential part of the process. Here are some of the best tips for keyword optimization to help your app pops up in searches.
1.) Brainstorm keywords yourself
This seems obvious, but you know your app better than anyone. Literally write down anything that comes to mind when thinking about your app. Think about the functionality, the places it’s used, the problems it solves, its tools, etc. Go deep and write down keywords related to its appearance such as skins, themes, design, etc. The App Store’s algorithm supports both singular and plural words in its search results, so make sure to hit both of those as well.
2.) Look at competitors’ keywords
There is nothing wrong with looking up your competitors and seeing what keywords they are using. Explore elements of similar functionality and visual theme. Look up apps with the same target audience. You can even look at programs and apps that are exclusively used for looking at competitors. Just search “keyword spy” or “competitors’ keywords.” Consider doing this before the app’s release so you can home in on apps competing for users.
3.) Use Google Keyword Planner/Intelligent Suggestions Tools
Google’s Keyword Planner is incredible for generating new keywords and finding keywords that are related to your existing ones. Do this step after you’ve brainstormed your own keywords and searched your competitors’ keywords and you’ll have even more key phrases generated. Since you are still in the brainstorming phase, you may want to consider putting those keywords on a spreadsheet to weed out repeated terms and keep a clean, concise list of words you know will generate hits.
4.) Use a thesaurus
Using a thesaurus will help you come up with alternative keywords. Even if you consider yourself to have a diverse vocabulary, you may be forgetting certain words, especially regional vernacular and slang. Most online thesauruses only allow you to search one word at a time, therefore generating the most relevant keywords.
5.) Search for keywords within the description
Now that you’ve used a few methods to brainstorm keywords, dive further by looking at descriptions from similar apps as well as your own content. For example, if the app is an action game, use material from verbs used to describe how you play the game, adjectives about its design, and nouns such as “moves” or “lives.”