Live Keyword List Teardown #ASO

Videos

Ariel

Feb. 26

In this live stream, Ariel conducts a detailed teardown of keyword lists submitted by app developers, offering technical tips and real-time optimizations to improve App Store visibility. He also answers audience questions about ASO best practices, keyword focus, and localization strategies.

I'm going to do something interesting today that I don't think I've ever done before. While I've done a lot of teardowns, I've never done a keyword list-only teardown, so this is going to be fun.

Today, we're going to talk about what I think is the most neglected part of your metadata that can really ruin your downloads—and I see this every single day. We're doing something interesting: I asked people to submit their app and also submit their keyword list, something I've never asked before. In the past, I guessed about keyword lists, but today we're going to look at real keyword lists and find issues with them.

I have tools to show you, processes to share, tricks I've learned in some really strange ways, and more. We're going to do all of those. I'll go over a guide I wrote years ago but recently updated with brand new information that actually negates what I said back in 2021 about the keyword list. It's really important, so if you're here, pay attention.

We'll go through what I call tips, mistakes, or just things you have to know—some technical stuff that's really simple. I'll show you a tool I use to correct all the common mistakes, and then we'll look at actual apps and actual keyword lists to see what's happening in there.

Why the Keyword List Matters in App Store Connect

The keyword list is not the most important thing in your metadata, but it's the second-and-a-half most important. You have the name, the subtitle, and then your keyword list. This is specifically for App Store Connect. (Google Play will have a separate live stream where we'll analyze the long description in the context of the name and short description.)

The problem with these three fields is that you don't get many characters, and Apple gives you zero directions—especially for the keyword list. You have to have a name and subtitle that make sense, but when you submit your app, especially for the first time, you see that you need to put in a keyword list. Most people don't know what to do with this, and that's where mistakes happen.

I've gone through many keyword lists, all the documentation Apple has to offer, and analyzed everything to put it into this guide. We'll go through this quickly, but if you have any questions, drop them in the chat. I'm watching!

Common Keyword List Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Here are the most common mistakes I see, along with some updated advice that even contradicts what I wrote in my original guide from 2021:

1. Not Using Single Words:
   The algorithm splits your keyword list into individual words. For example, "shopping app" is treated as "shopping" and "app." Don't waste space by repeating phrases.

2. Remove All Spaces:
   Spaces don't help the algorithm and just waste your limited character count.

3. Don't Pluralize Words (Usually):
   The algorithm handles plurals for you in English. Only use plurals if the plural form is extremely competitive and essential, but even then, it's better to put it in the name or subtitle, not the keyword list.

4. Eliminate Stop Words:
   Words like "on," "the," and especially "app" are ignored by Apple. Don't include them. If you need a list of stop words, you can find one in my guide or generate one for other languages using your favorite LLM.

5. Don't Include Your App Name, Company Name, or Category:
   These are already indexed from your app name, company, and category fields.

6. Simplify Complicated Words:
   Use simple, user-friendly language. Avoid jargon or overly complex terms.

7. Don't Always Use All 100 Characters:
   This is a big update. I used to recommend filling all 100 characters, but now I advise only doing so if your keywords are tightly focused. If you cram in unrelated keywords, you dilute your ranking potential.

8. Keyword Sequence Matters:
   The order of your keywords is important. In English, keywords on the left get more weight from the algorithm. This is especially true if you're using all 100 characters.

Technical Optimization: Tools and Processes

You can manually apply these tips, but mistakes still happen. That's why we built a free tool in Appfigures where you can drop in your keyword list, and it will optimize it for you—removing duplicates, unnecessary spaces, and showing you the keyword combinations being generated.

Q&A: Advanced Keyword List Strategies

Let's tackle some audience questions before diving into live teardowns:

• What if all relevant keywords are already in the title and subtitle?
  Use the keyword list for secondary keywords or long-tail variations that don't fit in the title or subtitle. Focus each localization on a narrow set of keywords.

• How do you handle irregular plurals in non-English languages?
  The algorithm is less sophisticated outside English. Use the form (plural or singular) that matches actual search behavior in that language.

• Should you remove "app" from keywords like "free to do app"?
  Yes. "App" is a stop word and should be avoided. Also, be cautious with "free"—Apple often rejects metadata with this word.

• Can you use different focuses across localizations?
  Absolutely. Each localization is its own island. Tailor your name, subtitle, and keyword list for each region.

• Does the order of title and subtitle matter?
  Yes. The algorithm reads left to right (or right to left, depending on language). Put your most important keywords at the beginning.

Live Keyword List Teardowns

Let's analyze some real keyword lists submitted by the community.

App 1: Surf Tracking

• App Name: Surf Tracking
• Subtitle: Waves and Fitness Tracker

Analysis:

• The keyword list repeats "surf" multiple times, which is a cardinal sin in ASO. Repetition confuses the algorithm and weakens your ranking.
• "Surf tracking" as a keyword has a low popularity (5), but that's okay if it's your niche.
• Remove all repetitions and focus on surf-related keywords. Avoid mixing in "fitness" unless it's a core focus, as it confuses the algorithm.
• Use the optimizer tool to clean up the list—removing duplicates and unnecessary spaces can save up to 20% of your character count.

Pro Tip:
If your niche is small, focus on all relevant variations of your main keyword, but don't lose focus by adding unrelated terms.

App 2: Panorama Scroll Carousel Maker for Instagram

• App Name: Panorama Scroll Carousel Maker
• Subtitle: Photo Collage for Instagram

Analysis:

• The keyword list is technically clean but lacks focus. It includes competitor names and unrelated terms.
• Don't waste characters targeting competitor app names—you won't win those downloads.
• "Insta" is an important keyword; if possible, move it to the beginning of your keyword list or into the name/subtitle.
• Focus on keywords that combine well with your app's core functionality and have reasonable popularity and competition.

Pro Tip:
The more keywords you include, the less weight each gets. Use only what you need to avoid confusing the algorithm.

App 3: Tasks Timeline Daily Organizer by Day Planner

• App Name: Tasks Timeline Daily Organizer
• Subtitle: By Day Planner

Analysis:

• The keyword list includes competitor names and unnecessary repetition.
• Use the optimizer tool to remove duplicates and spaces, saving valuable characters.
• Avoid targeting competitor names unless you have evidence it works for your category.

App 4: Spend Atlas Travel Budget App

• App Name: Spend Atlas Travel Budget
• Subtitle: App

Analysis:

• The keyword list repeats "expenses" and "expense tracker," which are already in the app name.
• Remove these from the keyword list to avoid redundancy.
• Consider splitting focus keywords like "Nomad," "Solo," and "Expat" into separate localizations if they don't combine well with your main keywords.

Pro Tip:
If a keyword doesn't combine naturally with your app name to form a popular search term, move it to a different localization.

App 5: Exist – Middle-Aged Community Journaling Motivation Grief

• App Name: Exist
• Subtitle: Middle-Aged Community Journaling Motivation Grief

Analysis:

• Too many focuses in both the subtitle and keyword list (journaling, motivation, grief, etc.).
• Split these into separate localizations for better focus.
• In the keyword list, avoid competitor names and unrelated terms.
• For related keywords (e.g., journaling and motivation), put the most important in the subtitle and the secondary in the keyword list. Use another localization to swap their positions for broader coverage.

Additional Audience Q&A

• Does the algorithm remove special characters like "+"?
  Generally, yes, if they're not attached to a word.

• Will you get penalized for low install conversion on a keyword?
  On Google Play, yes. On the App Store, not directly, but competitors with better conversion may get a boost.

• Should you sacrifice characters for long-tail keywords?
  Only if those long-tail keywords have meaningful popularity and low competition. Analyze your competitors before deciding.

• Do these rules apply to paid ASO keywords (Apple Search Ads)?
  Not directly. Apple Search Ads can show your app for keywords not in your metadata, but alignment helps, especially with low bids or small campaigns.

Final Tips and Takeaways

• Technical Optimization: Use tools to remove repetition, unnecessary spaces, and stop words from your keyword list.
• No Repetition: Never repeat keywords from your app name or subtitle in your keyword list. This is the most important takeaway.
• Stay Focused: Focus on one main topic per localization. Don't try to cover everything at once.
• Leverage Localizations: Use different localizations to target different keyword focuses.
• Use the Free Optimizer Tool: It's available in Appfigures under Optimize > Tools > App Keyword List Optimizer.

If you make changes based on these tips and see results—good or bad—let me know! I love hearing about your experiences and learning what works (or doesn't) in the real world.

If you have any questions, drop them in the comments and I will get back to them. Otherwise, I'll see you in a couple of weeks for another live stream. Make sure you subscribe to the newsletter to see what I'm going to be talking about and when. See you in the future—enjoy the rest of your day!

✨ This transcript was generated and enhanced by AI and may differ from the original video.