How to Research App Store Keywords for ASO? 6 Essential Steps

How to Do App Store Keyword Research? 6 Steps

The primary goal of app store keyword research is to build a comprehensive list of keywords that accurately reflect the app's features, functionalities, and target audience. Before getting down to the research itself, it’s vital to understand its  six steps of app keyword research in the context of app store optimization:

1. Primary Research and Keywords Brainstorming

The app keyword research process often begins with brainstorming a creative exercise to generate a list of potential keywords and phrases that describe the app's features, functionalities, and target audience. By brainstorming a diverse range of keywords, app marketers lay the foundation for a comprehensive keyword strategy that resonates with users and aligns with the app's goals. When brainstorming keywords for your app, divide them into various subcategories to streamline further evaluation and optimization. Here are some key subcategories to have:

• Core features and functionalities
• Unique selling proposition (USP)
• Search terms specific to your target audience
• Keywords used by competing apps
• Trends, buzzwords, and popular search terms relevant to your app's category or niche
• Brand keywords, including your company name, app name, developer name, etc.

2. Research Your Main App Store and Language

Start by identifying the primary app store and language for your app. This step ensures that your efforts are aligned with the specific marketplace and target audience to yield more relevant results.

Never underestimate cultural and regional differences. User preferences, language nuances, and search trends can vary across various markets. Developers targeting international audiences must conduct localized keyword research to identify region-specific keywords and optimize app metadata accordingly. Investing in a professional translator is recommended, especially if you’re working with a foreign culture. 

3. Check Your Current Search Visibility

Start by choosing a specific criteria you want to track: search volume, difficulty, rank dynamic, etc. Your goal here is to understand the keywords you’re currently ranking for and if they align with what you’re trying to accomplish. Only then can you research general volumes and decide what you will target and where. 

Use the insights of your research to come up with new long-tail keywords, long-tail keywords offer a more targeted and niche-focused approach. By incorporating specific phrases that align with user intent, you can reach a highly relevant audience segment and increase the likelihood of app downloads.

4. Analyze Competitor Keywords

Competitor keywords refer to the search terms and phrases that your competitors (within your app's niche or category) are targeting in their app store listings. These keywords are crucial in determining the visibility and discoverability of competing apps in app store search results. Thus analyzing competitors' keywords helps one gain insights.

5. Refine Features and Functionality Keywords

It’s time to narrow down the list of all the words that describe your app's unique features and functionalities. Look at your app reviews and those of your competitors within both Google Play and the App Store.

You can streamline this tedious process with the help of Genplayers. With its help, you can get services as well as knowledge through the genplayers blog.

6. Utilize AI and Other Keyword Sources

When researching keywords for your app, it’s reckless not to leverage a free app keyword tool powered by AI to generate additional ideas based on your app's information and competitor data. 

Conclusion

Researching app store keywords is a fundamental aspect of ASO that can significantly impact an app's success. From brainstorming to utilizing AI-powered tools, each step is vital in building a comprehensive keyword strategy that resonates with users and aligns with the app's goals. By investing time and effort into keyword research, developers can increase their app's chances of being discovered by potential users, leading to higher engagement and downloads in the competitive app marketplace