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Overview

The Keyword Research skill helps you discover high-value keywords and build a prioritized keyword strategy for your App Store listing. It uses a systematic approach to find keywords that balance search volume, competition, and relevance.
For implementing keywords into metadata, see Metadata Optimization. For auditing current keyword performance, see ASO Audit.

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When to Use

Use the Keyword Research skill when you need to:
  • Discover new keyword opportunities
  • Evaluate keyword difficulty and search volume
  • Prioritize which keywords to target
  • Find keyword gaps vs competitors
  • Build a complete keyword strategy
  • Refresh your keyword strategy (recommended quarterly)

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How It Works

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Initial Assessment

The skill starts by gathering context:
  1. Checks for app-marketing-context.md for app context, competitors, and goals
  2. Asks for your App ID (to understand current rankings)
  3. Asks for target country (defaults to US)
  4. Asks for seed keywords — 3-5 words that describe the app’s core function
  5. Asks about intent: Are you optimizing for downloads, revenue, or brand awareness?

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Research Process

The keyword research follows a systematic 4-phase approach:
1

Phase 1: Seed Expansion

Expand seed keywords using multiple methods:
  • Apple Search Suggestions: Autocomplete variations like “[keyword] app”, “[keyword] for [audience]”, “best [keyword]”
  • Competitor Keywords: Keywords competitors rank for that you don’t
  • Category Analysis: Terms used by top apps in your category
  • Synonym & Related Terms: How users describe the problem (not just the solution)
2

Phase 2: Keyword Evaluation

Evaluate each keyword candidate across 5 signals:
SignalWhat to CheckWhy It Matters
Search VolumeVolume score (1-100) or traffic estimateHigher volume = more potential impressions
DifficultyCompetition score (1-100)Lower difficulty = easier to rank
RelevanceHow closely it matches app functionIrrelevant traffic doesn’t convert
IntentIs the searcher looking to download?“how to edit photos” vs “photo editor app”
Current RankWhere you currently rank (if at all)Easier to improve existing rank
3

Phase 3: Opportunity Scoring

Calculate an Opportunity Score for each keyword:
Opportunity = (Volume × 0.4) + ((100 - Difficulty) × 0.3) + (Relevance × 0.3)
This formula balances volume (40%), ease of ranking (30%), and relevance (30%).
4

Phase 4: Keyword Grouping

Organize keywords into strategic buckets:
  • Primary Keywords (3-5): Highest opportunity, must appear in title or subtitle
  • Secondary Keywords (5-10): Good opportunity, target in subtitle and keyword field
  • Long-tail Keywords (10-20): Lower volume but specific intent, easier to rank
  • Aspirational Keywords (3-5): High volume/difficulty, long-term targets

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Keyword Evaluation Criteria

Measured on a 1-100 scale, indicating monthly search frequency:
  • 80-100: Very high volume (10K+ monthly searches)
  • 60-79: High volume (5K-10K)
  • 40-59: Medium volume (1K-5K)
  • 20-39: Low volume (100-1K)
  • 1-19: Very low volume (under 100)
Higher volume means more impressions, but often comes with higher competition.
Competition level on a 1-100 scale:
  • 80-100: Extremely difficult (dominated by top apps)
  • 60-79: High difficulty (requires strong app authority)
  • 40-59: Medium difficulty (achievable with optimization)
  • 20-39: Low difficulty (good opportunity)
  • 1-19: Very low difficulty (easy to rank)
Note: Difficulty is inverted in the opportunity score—lower difficulty gives a higher score.
How closely the keyword matches your app’s function (1-100 scale):
  • 90-100: Exact match (“photo editor” for a photo editing app)
  • 70-89: Close match (“image editor” for a photo editing app)
  • 50-69: Partial match (“selfie camera” for a photo editing app)
  • 30-49: Tangential (“instagram photos” for a photo editing app)
  • 1-29: Weak relevance (traffic unlikely to convert)
Whether the searcher is looking to download an app:
  • High intent: “photo editor app”, “best photo editor”, “instagram photo editor”
  • Medium intent: “photo editor”, “edit photos”, “photo filters”
  • Low intent: “how to edit photos”, “what is photo editing”, “photoshop tutorials”
Prioritize high-intent keywords even if volume is lower.

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Output Format

The keyword research delivers a comprehensive report:

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Summary

Total keywords analyzed: 147
High-opportunity keywords found: 23
Estimated total monthly search volume: 485K

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Top Keywords by Opportunity

KeywordVolumeDifficultyRelevanceOpportunityCurrent RankAction
photo editor85729574.915Primary
image editor68459071.5—Primary
picture editor62389572.3—Primary
photo editing app583510071.58Secondary
collage maker71557564.0—Secondary

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Keyword Strategy

Title (30 chars):     Photo Editor - Image Edit
Subtitle (30 chars):  Picture Editing & Collage
Keyword Field (100):  filters,effects,retouch,beauty,selfie,enhance,crop,adjust,light,color,art

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Competitor Keyword Gap

KeywordYour RankCompetitor 1Competitor 2Competitor 3Gap?
photo filters—3712Yes
selfie editor—59—Yes
beauty camera45248Yes

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Recommendations

  1. Immediate changes: Add “image editor” to title, target “photo filters” in subtitle
  2. Keywords to track: photo editor, image editor, picture editor, photo editing app, photo filters
  3. Content opportunities: Users searching for “collage maker” and “photo grid”—consider adding this feature
Don’t repeat keywords across title, subtitle, and keyword field—Apple indexes each field separately.

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Best Practices

No Repetition

Don’t repeat keywords across title, subtitle, and keyword field. Apple indexes each field separately.

Singular Forms

Use singular forms—Apple automatically indexes both singular and plural.

No Spaces

No spaces after commas in the keyword field—save characters.

Avoid Waste

No “app”, category names, or brand names in keyword field—Apple already knows these.

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Update Frequency

  • Update quarterly: Search trends change with seasons and culture
  • Track weekly: Monitor rank changes to measure impact
  • Refresh after major updates: New features may open new keyword opportunities
  • Monitor competitors: Watch for new entrants and keyword shifts

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Example Usage

User: Help me find the best keywords for my meditation app

Agent: I'll help you discover high-value keywords. Let me gather some context:

1. What's your App ID?
2. Target country? (default: US)
3. What are 3-5 seed keywords that describe your app's core function?
   Examples: meditation, mindfulness, sleep, relaxation, breathing

[After collecting info]

Phase 1: Expanding seeds... Found 147 keyword candidates
Phase 2: Evaluating volume, difficulty, relevance...
Phase 3: Calculating opportunity scores...
Phase 4: Grouping into strategy tiers...

Top 5 Keywords by Opportunity:
1. meditation app (Vol: 82, Diff: 65, Opp: 73.1) - PRIMARY
2. mindfulness app (Vol: 71, Diff: 52, Opp: 70.3) - PRIMARY
3. sleep meditation (Vol: 68, Diff: 45, Opp: 71.5) - PRIMARY
4. guided meditation (Vol: 64, Diff: 58, Opp: 64.2) - SECONDARY
5. meditation timer (Vol: 48, Diff: 32, Opp: 66.8) - SECONDARY

Keyword Gap vs Calm:
- "sleep sounds" (they rank #3, you don't rank)
- "breathing exercises" (they rank #5, you don't rank)

[Continues with full strategy and recommendations]

Metadata Optimization

Implement the keyword strategy into actual metadata

ASO Audit

Broader audit that includes keyword performance

Competitor Analysis

Deep dive into competitor keyword strategies

Localization

Keyword research for international markets

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Tips for Success

  • Start with 3-5 strong seed keywords, not generic terms
  • Think about how users describe their problem, not your solution
  • Don’t ignore long-tail keywords—they often convert better
  • Consider seasonal trends (“tax app” spikes in April)
  • Look at competitor reviews to find how users talk about features
  • Test different keyword combinations before committing
  • Track rankings weekly to catch issues early

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