Implement Keywords in Your App Store Listing
After you’ve decided on your keyword set, it’s time to implement them in your app store listing or app information. This is how you tell the App Store and Google Play algorithm to rank your app for specific keywords. Although you can edit your app information in App Store Connect and Google Play Console, there’s a much easier way to do so. Let’s learn how.
A Quick Review
At this point you have narrowed down your app keywords using their search volume and difficulty values. Remember, if your app is new you should be aiming for lower values for both metrics. When your app has already established some success, you can go for the higher search volume and difficulty keywords.
You can track keywords and see their search volume and difficulty in App Radar.
Placing Keywords in Your App Store Listing
The next step is to place your chosen keywords into your app store listing. Let’s keep in mind that for ranking weight for both app stores.
Ranking Weights for Different App Metadata Fields
Apple App Store
- App Name: 30 characters
- Subtitle: 30 characters
- Keyword Field: 100 characters
Google Play
- App Title: 30 characters
- Short Description: 80 characters
- Long Description: 4000 characters
These are the most important app information fields, ordered from highest ranking weight to lowest. Another aspect to keep in mind is whether or not to repeat keywords.
- For App Store, you never want to repeat keywords across any fields.
- For Google Play, you need to be repeating keywords at least 3-5 times across all fields.
Using the App Radar Store Listing Editor
The Store Listing Editor feature in App Radar makes updating and cycling out keywords a simple task. We’re going to go through the process for iOS apps first, then Android apps.
Implement Keywords for iOS Apps on App Store
If you have an iOS app, you’ll need to put your keywords in the following fields in the Store Listing Editor:
Start by populating the App Name first. Naturally, the name of your app will go there. If you see that there are still characters left, don’t waste them! Keywords in the App Name have the strongest ranking weight, so put your priority keywords here. You can also place the keywords with higher search volume and difficulty in your App Name to boost your chances of ranking for them.
Try to max out the character count whenever you can. The same goes for Subtitle and Keyword Field.
Your subtitle should still make sense. It shouldn’t look like a random string of keywords.
Source: App Radar App Store Optimization tool
When you get to the Keyword field, the App Radar Store Listing Editor will automatically separate keywords with a comma and no spaces to save on character count.
Also, you should be inputting single keywords. Apple’s ranking algorithm is smart enough to make combinations on its own. By using only single words, you maximize the combination keyword possibilities.
Again, do not repeat keywords for iOS apps. The Store Listing Editor will tell you if you have any duplicate keywords that need to be taken out.
Source: App Radar App Store Optimization tool
If you’re app has multiple localizations, then you can use the Bulk Editor instead. Here you’ll be able to edit every app metadata field for every locale in one page. It saves you a lot of time because you no longer have to switch back and forth between different locales.
Source: App Radar App Store Optimization tool
Once you’re happy with the edits you’ve made and the keywords you’ve implemented, you can publish the changes directly to App Store Connect!
Don’t forget to add release notes with every update as these are required from Apple.
Implement Keywords for Android Apps on Google Play
For those of you who have an Android app on Google Play, you’ll need to put your keywords in the following fields in the Store Listing Editor:
Start with your App Title. In addition to including, of course, your brand name, you want to use the additional characters for some other keywords. Use the ones that are most important and most related to your app. The App Title has the strongest ranking weight, making it easier to start ranking for your priority keywords. Higher search volume and difficulty ones can also be placed here to increase your chances of ranking for them.
The Short Description is an 80 character excerpt of your Long Description. It’s what people will see above the fold before pressing on read full description. So it’s important that what you put here is enticing to your target audience. Repeat at least 1 keyword from your App Title here.
Source: App Radar App Store Optimization tool
The Long Description is crucial to ranking in the Google Play Store. That’s because you have the most space here to tell Google what your app is about and what keywords your app should be ranking for. Again, repeat keywords that you’ve put in both your App Title and Short Description here. However, be careful not to overdo it. Aim to repeat keywords 3-5 across all fields. You can also use emojis to make the description more exciting.
If you’re app has multiple localizations, then you can use the Bulk Editor instead. Here you’ll be able to edit every app metadata field for every locale in one page. It saves you a lot of time because you no longer have to switch back and forth between different locales.
Source: App Radar App Store Optimization tool
Once you’re happy with the edits you’ve made and the keywords you’ve implemented, you can publish the changes directly to Google Play Console!
Identify App Updates that had an Impact on Growth
After you’ve made your App Store Optimization update with new keywords, you can keep track of the impact in App Radar.
The Timeline feature shows you not only your app updates but also those of your competitors. Note down when the updates occurred and compare the dates with your App Metrics. See if impressions, store views, installs, or revenues increased due to the changes that you made.
Source: App Radar App Store Optimization tool
By pinpointing effective updates, you’ll be able to replicate and improve the strategy more easily.
Tracking Your App Store Rank After Updating Keywords
The last step of implementing keywords is tracking your app store rank. App Radar will send out weekly updates on the biggest and smallest movers straight to your inbox. But I know that you would rather not wait. The simplest way to see if your new keywords are effective is to watch their daily rankings in the Keyword Tracking feature.
Source: App Radar App Store Optimization tool
Here you can also produce a Live Search. The Live Search gives you the same search results you’d get if you were to search that keyword in the App Store or Google Play right now. It also shows you the app ad that would appear along with the search results. Use this to qualify any movements in app ranking that you see.
When your app is still not ranking for a keyword after a couple weeks, cycle it out for another one. It’s always easier to improve your ranking from 100 than to start ranking from 0.
