HOW TO TARGET KEYWORDS IN METADATA OF APP STORE OPTIMIZATION

In this blog, we will give you useful tricks and tips of target keywords in metadata of app, which include, title, short description, subtitle, keyword field, long description, developer name, in-app purchases and package name.

TARGETING KEYWORDS IN TITLE OF APP

In both the App Store and Google Play, the search algorithms treat the app title as the most weighted metadata element. Therefore, including a keyword in your app title will give you the highest possible chance of getting a meaningful ranking for that keyword. Game or App titles on both Google Play and App Store can be up to 30 characters long. Store guidelines are that app titles should be unique, and distinctive and an explanation of what the app is about. You should not mislead users by misleading app titles, and references to app performance, such as “best,” “#1,” or “leading,” must be avoided. 

Read More: How To Prioritize Keywords For App Store Optimization?

You should use search terms with high volumes and very high relevance to your app title. Well-placed keywords and a combination of keywords can help you significantly uplift your app’s visibility. Try to use the exact placement of the keywords, as these can help with search term conversion and also help apps or games rank better when searching by the user.

There is limited space for the title, Some marketers skip the app name altogether in favor of increasing the character space available for keywords. For apps with strong brands, this is generally not a good idea, as you could lose identification and perhaps even the first-ranking position for branded searches if trademark protections don’t stop other apps from using the brand name in their titles or subtitles.

Other methods to save space add only targeting root words (e.g., “race” vs “racing”), leave out commas, and other less crucial grammatical technicalities (such as using a a(:) rather than the traditional dash (–) to separate an app name and tagline, or an ampersand (&) in place of the word “and”)

additionally, to increase visibility, adding keywords in the app’s title is also a positive way of conversion rate optimization, because it can quickly and effectively convey your app’s value proposition. It is said, while a keyword-rich title can help you better communicate your app’s value proposition, a keyword-stuffed title can reduce the app’s conversion rate and therefore also decrease the app’s keyword rankings.

How To Add Target Keyword in Subtitle?

Next to the title, Apple allows you to add a subtitle. This subtitle can be up to 30 characters long and shows both in the search results and on the App Store page under the title. The basic rule is “The more visible the metadata, the more important it is” the subtitle has more weigh than the iOS keyword field but less than the title. Go through your starred keyword list and must add keywords with high volume and low competition that describe the main features of the app.

HOW TO OPTIMIZE iOS KEYWORD FIELD?

For each localization you select, you can provide a list of keywords in the keyword field on App Store Connect. On the app product page this keyword field is hidden and helps the App Store algorithm for a detailed understanding of what your app is about and which keywords it should be ranked your app for. The keyword field can only be up to 100 characters long, hence it is significant to carefully follow best practices to make the most of the space available.

Before you add any keywords to the keyword field, it is significant to understand. You must find out how Apple uses these keywords to index apps: Apple’s algorithm combines keywords added to the keyword field, title, and subtitle to rank apps for long-tail combinations of keywords. For the 100-character keyword field, when selecting keywords from your backlog, select the keywords at the top of your priority list while also Thinking about the keywords with the most potential to create many long-tail combinations.

BEST PRACTICE FOR iOS KEYWORD FIELD

• Use commas instead of spaces to separate keywords.
• Do not repeat keywords in the keyword field. Duplicating keywords will not increase their ranking and is a wastage of space.
• Do not repeat keywords that are in the app’s title or subtitle. You won’t give extra importance to keywords by adding them both to keyword field and your title/subtitle. 
• Keyword placing order does not matter. A keyword at the start of your keyword field is just as important as one at the end.
• Break down phrases or long-tail keywords into individual words or phrases: For example, add “blood,pressure” instead of “blood pressure” because Apple automatically creates combinations of all the words which are added in app metadata. You’ll also have an equal chance to rank for “blood pressure” by adding “blood,pressure” instead of “blood pressure.”
• Try to add singular keywords: Apple recommends that you include only singular keywords in the keyword field. 
• It is recommended that avoid using “free” words: Stop words e.g., the, a, by, etc.

HOW TO WRITE PERFECT SHORT DESCRIPTION & LONG DESCRIPTION

There are two types of descriptions available on Google Play, a short description which is a maximum of 80 characters long and other is long description a 4000 characters long space. While long descriptions also exist on the App Store, however, they aren’t indexed by the algorithm of the App Store. It is said, it is still significant to add some keyword optimization logic to the full description of the App Store, as it is indexed on the web.

A short description is limited to 80 characters on the Play Store, Compared to the App Store, it gives marketers more flexibility in communicating an app’s value proposition. Keywords added in the short description are indexed by Google’s algorithm but, over time, It is found by experts that they have less of an impact on ranking than keywords in the title or high-density keywords in the long description. In order to try and maximize the impact of the short description on the keyword rankings, you should try to repeat your most valuable title keywords. 

In spite of the generous character limit (4,000 characters), On Google Play app pages long descriptions are not very visible. Nevertheless, the long description does give an opportunity to promote your app and Highlight your app’s key differentiators.

BEST PRACTICE FOR GOOGLE PLAY STORE LONG DESCRIPTION

Keep the following tips in mind when writing long description:

• Write content in easy-to-read paragraphs with clear sub-headings. This makes it easier for store visitors to scan your content and find the information that is most relevant to them. 
• Make the first lines easy to read and understand. Few users are going to scroll all the way to the bottom to read the entire long description. Make sure you get their attention and use the first few lines to convey app’s main message.
• Similarly, to increase the impact of keywords in full description, try to add your most valuable high-volume keywords in the first few lines.