Unlocking Growth: Effective Use of Keywords in App Store Product Copy

Chosen theme: Effective Use of Keywords in App Store Product Copy. Welcome to a practical, story-driven guide on turning precise keyword choices into discoverability and downloads. Read on, ask questions, and subscribe for fresh, field-tested ASO insights.

How App Store Search Understands Your Words

Indexed fields that truly matter

Apple primarily indexes the App Name, Subtitle, and the 100‑character Keywords field. Additional signals, like developer name and in‑app purchase names, can help. Focus your strongest, most relevant terms where indexing is guaranteed and conversions naturally follow.

Character limits and why they shape strategy

You have tight constraints: App Name up to 30 characters, Subtitle up to 30, Keywords field 100, Promotional Text 170, and Description up to 4,000. These limits force clarity, prioritization, and ruthless trimming of filler that dilutes intent and confuses indexing.

How queries become combinations across fields

Apple can form phrase matches by combining words across indexed fields. That means a core noun in the App Name and a modifier in the Subtitle can work together. Craft fields deliberately so complementary words create powerful, relevant, search-friendly pairings.

Building Your Keyword Universe

Interview customers, scan reviews, and read support tickets to capture real phrases. People rarely search for your internal feature names; they search for outcomes. Ground your keyword universe in honest user vocabulary before layering technical or brand terms.

Building Your Keyword Universe

Leverage Apple Search Ads suggestions, competitor listings, category charts, and external ASO tools. Cross-check relevance and estimated volume. Add long‑tail phrases with clear intent that competitors ignore, then prune anything misleading, irrelevant, or trademark risky.

Title and Subtitle That Discoverability Loves

Pair a succinct brand with a high-intent head term, like “Acorn — Budget & Expense Tracker.” Avoid fluff and repetition. Every character should clarify purpose, drive relevance, and invite taps from users who instantly recognize their problem in your name.

Title and Subtitle That Discoverability Loves

Use the Subtitle to add a distinct, complementary keyword such as “Spending insights, bill reminders, and savings goals.” Do not duplicate words from the App Name. Create useful combinations that broaden coverage while staying honest and conversion focused.

Format for maximum density and clarity

Separate words with commas, avoid spaces, and skip duplicates. No need for phrases; Apple can create combinations. Drop stop words like “and” or “the.” Choose singular or plural based on user behavior and available space, but avoid redundant variants.

Avoid duplication and create smart pairings

Do not repeat words already present in the App Name or Subtitle. Use the Keywords field to add missing high‑intent modifiers. Think in complementary building blocks that combine naturally with title elements to amplify relevant query coverage.

Localize per market, not just translate

Create locale-specific keyword sets informed by regional language, idioms, and competitors. A literal translation misses nuanced search behavior. Partner with native speakers or experienced ASO translators to capture culturally true phrases that genuinely convert.

Descriptions That Convert Without Stuffing

Lead with outcomes: “Cut overspending by 15% in the first month.” Reinforce with concise features and social proof. Use priority terms naturally for clarity, not indexing. Better conversions still boost search performance by improving install velocity and relevance.

Descriptions That Convert Without Stuffing

Share a short success story: “Maya stopped bill surprises by setting alerts and categories in one evening.” Realistic, specific outcomes build trust, turning curious searchers into confident installers without resorting to spammy repetition or overblown promises.

Descriptions That Convert Without Stuffing

We replaced a features list with a concise benefits-first paragraph and saw a double‑digit conversion lift. Users skim; clarity wins. Invite readers to comment with their best converting lines so we can feature them in the next roundup.

Compliance, Pitfalls, and Sustainable Wins

What to avoid in your keywords

No competitor names, brand names you don’t own, or irrelevant trending terms. Skip emojis, special characters, and claims you cannot substantiate. Misleading metadata may get rejected and erode user trust you cannot easily rebuild.

The subtle art of not over-optimizing

Keyword stuffing hurts readability and can backfire on conversions. If a phrase feels awkward out loud, it probably is. Keep the experience coherent: users should feel understood, not targeted. Clarity and honesty win sustained rankings over time.

Join the conversation and keep learning

Post your toughest keyword trade‑off below—reach versus relevance—and we’ll workshop it in a future update. Subscribe for monthly ASO experiments, real datasets, and teardown stories that show exactly how small metadata choices create big, compounding gains.