App discovery is one of the biggest challenges of the App Store. iOS 8 tried to make the process easier, but the size of the App Store will always make app discovery difficult. Add to that the primitive search engine the App Store uses and you’ll understand why the keywords in your app name and in-app purchases names are as important as ever. Your app depends on them to get to the search results. But how do you find the right keywords? Here are some ideas.
Brainstorm
The first step is to think of all the possible relevant keywords for your iPhone app or game. Sit down with a piece of paper and write everything that comes to mind when you think of your app or game. Then put yourself in your users’ place and think what are the most likely search terms you would use. It also helps to describe your app to friends and ask them to give you a few search terms they would use. When done, select the best matches and the keywords you think the most promising.
Do your research
Your next step is to research your keyword ideas. You can use Google’s Keyword Planner to see what people search for on the web and how many searches each keyphrase gets per month. The Keyword Planner will also give you some ideas on the competition. And Google’s autocomplete for search can also give you some insightful suggestions.
Another thing you should do is spy on your competitors and see what sort of keywords they are using. You don’t necessarily have to repeat them, but it’s always good to know what the enemy is up to and if it’s working or not.
In the end, research can only help you narrow down some keywords. Remember that your keywords have to be relevant, searched for, and not 100% copycat. And keep your initial brainstorming list – you might use some ideas later on when you are doing your keyword optimization (KWO).
