claude-skills-reference/marketing-skill/app-store-optimization/references/keyword-research-guide.md

Keyword Research Guide

Systematic approach to discovering, evaluating, and selecting keywords for app store optimization.

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Table of Contents

• Keyword Research Methodology
• Keyword Evaluation Framework
• Competitor Keyword Analysis
• Keyword Mapping Strategy
• Keyword Tracking and Iteration

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Keyword Research Methodology

Phase 1: Seed Keyword Generation

Start by generating initial keyword ideas from multiple sources.

Source 1: Core App Functions

List every action or problem the app solves:

Example for a task management app:
- Create tasks
- Set reminders
- Track deadlines
- Organize projects
- Collaborate with team
- Plan daily schedule

Source 2: User Language Mapping

Match developer terminology to user searches:

Developer Term	User Search Terms
Task management	todo list, task app, tasks
Project organization	project planner, project tracker
Deadline tracking	due date reminder, deadline app
Time blocking	schedule planner, calendar app
GTD methodology	getting things done, productivity system

Source 3: App Store Autocomplete

Type seed keywords into App Store/Play Store search and record suggestions:

"todo" → todo list, todo app, todo list app, todolist widget
"task" → task manager, task planner, task list, tasks to do
"remind" → reminder app, reminder, reminders widget, remind me

Source 4: Competitor Analysis

Extract keywords from top 10 competitors in category (detailed in section below).

Phase 2: Keyword Expansion

Expansion Techniques:

Technique	Example (seed: "todo")
Add modifiers	free todo, best todo, simple todo
Add actions	make todo list, create todo, organize todo
Add platforms	todo app iphone, todo for mac, todo widget
Add audiences	todo for students, business todo, family todo
Add features	todo with reminders, todo calendar, todo sync
Add problems	forgot tasks todo, procrastination todo

Keyword Matrix Template:

Core Term	Modifier 1	Modifier 2	Full Keyword
todo	free	app	free todo app
todo	best	iphone	best todo iphone
task	manager	simple	simple task manager
reminder	daily	widget	daily reminder widget
planner	weekly	calendar	weekly planner calendar

Phase 3: Keyword Filtering

Remove irrelevant or low-quality keywords:

Exclusion Criteria:

Criterion	Reason	Example
Competitor brand names	Policy violation	"todoist alternative"
Unrelated categories	Low conversion	"todo games"
Plural duplicates (iOS)	Wasted space	"tasks" when "task" exists
Single characters	No search value	"to do" vs "todo"

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Keyword Evaluation Framework

Keyword Scoring Model

Evaluate each keyword on four dimensions:

1. Search Volume (0-100)

Volume Level	Score	Monthly Searches
Very High	80-100	50,000+
High	60-79	10,000-49,999
Medium	40-59	1,000-9,999
Low	20-39	100-999
Very Low	0-19	<100

2. Competition (0-100, inverted)

Competition	Score	Top 10 App Ratings
Very Low	80-100	Average <4.0 stars
Low	60-79	Average 4.0-4.2 stars
Medium	40-59	Average 4.3-4.5 stars
High	20-39	Average 4.6-4.8 stars
Very High	0-19	Average 4.9+ stars

3. Relevance (0-100)

Relevance	Score	Criteria
Exact Match	90-100	Keyword describes core function
Strong Match	70-89	Keyword describes major feature
Moderate Match	50-69	Keyword describes secondary feature
Weak Match	30-49	Keyword tangentially related
No Match	0-29	Keyword unrelated to app

4. Conversion Potential (0-100)

Intent	Score	User Query Type
Transactional	80-100	"best [app type]", "[app type] app"
Commercial	60-79	"free [app type]", "[app type] for [use]"
Informational	40-59	"how to [action]", "what is [concept]"
Navigational	20-39	"[brand name]", "[specific app]"

Composite Score Calculation

Keyword Score = (Volume × 0.25) + (Competition × 0.25) +
                (Relevance × 0.35) + (Conversion × 0.15)

Score Interpretation:

Score Range	Priority	Action
80-100	Primary	Target in title and keyword field
60-79	Secondary	Include in subtitle/description
40-59	Tertiary	Use in long description only
0-39	Deprioritize	Do not target

Keyword Evaluation Worksheet

KEYWORD EVALUATION

Keyword: "task manager app"
Date: [Date]

SCORES:
├── Search Volume: 72/100 (High - ~25,000/month)
├── Competition: 45/100 (Medium - 4.4 avg rating in top 10)
├── Relevance: 95/100 (Exact match to core function)
└── Conversion: 85/100 (Transactional intent)

COMPOSITE SCORE: 74.5/100

RECOMMENDATION: Secondary Priority
- Include in subtitle or short description
- Not competitive enough for title (dominated by Todoist, Any.do)
- Consider long-tail variant: "simple task manager app"

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Competitor Keyword Analysis

Competitor Identification

Step 1: Direct Competitors Apps solving the same problem for the same audience.

Step 2: Indirect Competitors Apps solving related problems or targeting overlapping audiences.

Step 3: Category Leaders Top 10-20 apps by downloads in primary category.

Competitor Keyword Extraction

From App Title:

Competitor: "Todoist: To-Do List & Tasks"
Keywords: todoist, to-do list, tasks, to do

From Subtitle (iOS):

Competitor subtitle: "Task Manager & Planner"
Keywords: task manager, planner

From Description (First 100 words): Identify frequently used terms:

"Todoist is the world's favorite task manager and to-do list app.
Organize work and life, hit your goals, and find productivity..."

Extracted: task manager, to-do list, organize, goals, productivity

Competitor Keyword Matrix

Keyword	Comp 1	Comp 2	Comp 3	Comp 4	Comp 5	Coverage
task manager	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	100%
to-do list	✓	✓	✓	✓		80%
planner	✓	✓		✓	✓	80%
reminder	✓	✓	✓			60%
productivity	✓		✓	✓		60%
checklist		✓		✓	✓	60%
project	✓	✓				40%
habit			✓		✓	40%

Analysis:

• 100% coverage = Highly competitive, essential keyword
• 60-80% coverage = Important category term
• 40% coverage = Potential differentiator
• <40% coverage = Unique opportunity or irrelevant

Keyword Gap Analysis

Identify keywords competitors miss:

KEYWORD GAP ANALYSIS

Underserved Keywords (Low competitor coverage, decent volume):
1. "daily planner widget" - 2/10 competitors, 5,000 searches
2. "task list for teams" - 3/10 competitors, 3,500 searches
3. "todo with calendar sync" - 1/10 competitors, 2,800 searches

Opportunity Assessment:
- "daily planner widget" → Add widget feature, target keyword
- "task list for teams" → Already have feature, update metadata
- "todo with calendar sync" → Feature gap, add to roadmap

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Keyword Mapping Strategy

Keyword Placement Map

Assign each keyword to specific metadata locations:

KEYWORD PLACEMENT MAP

PRIMARY (Title + Keyword Field):
├── task manager (Score: 82)
├── todo list (Score: 78)
└── planner (Score: 75)

SECONDARY (Subtitle + Short Description):
├── reminder app (Score: 68)
├── daily tasks (Score: 65)
└── organize (Score: 62)

TERTIARY (Full Description):
├── checklist (Score: 55)
├── productivity (Score: 52)
├── schedule (Score: 48)
├── deadline (Score: 45)
└── project management (Score: 42)

iOS Keyword Field Strategy

100 Character Optimization:

STEP 1: List all target keywords
task,manager,todo,list,planner,reminder,organize,daily,checklist,
productivity,schedule,deadline,project,goals,habit,widget,sync,
team,collaborate,notes,calendar

STEP 2: Remove duplicates from title
Title: "TaskFlow - Todo List Manager"
Remove: task, todo, list, manager

STEP 3: Remove plurals
Keep: reminder (not reminders)
Keep: goal (not goals)

STEP 4: Prioritize by score and fit
Final 100 chars:
planner,reminder,organize,daily,checklist,productivity,schedule,
deadline,project,goals,habit,widget,sync,team,collaborate

Character count: 98/100

Android Description Keyword Integration

Natural keyword placement in 4,000 characters:

PARAGRAPH 1 (Hook - 300 chars):
Keywords: task manager, todo list, organize
"TaskFlow is the task manager trusted by 2 million users. Create
your perfect todo list and organize everything that matters..."

PARAGRAPH 2 (Features - 800 chars):
Keywords: reminder, checklist, deadline, project
"Set smart reminders that notify you at the right time. Build
checklists for any project. Never miss a deadline with..."

PARAGRAPH 3 (Benefits - 600 chars):
Keywords: productivity, schedule, goals
"Boost your productivity with proven planning methods. Schedule
your day in minutes. Track goals and celebrate..."

PARAGRAPH 4 (Differentiators - 500 chars):
Keywords: widget, sync, team, collaborate
"Beautiful widgets keep tasks visible. Sync across all devices
instantly. Invite your team to collaborate on..."

Total keyword coverage: 14 keywords naturally integrated

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Keyword Tracking and Iteration

Ranking Tracking Cadence

Frequency	Action
Daily	Track top 5-10 primary keywords
Weekly	Full keyword set review
Monthly	Competitor keyword comparison
Quarterly	Full keyword research refresh

Keyword Performance Metrics

Metric	Target	Action if Below
Top 10 ranking	3+ keywords	Increase keyword weight
Top 50 ranking	10+ keywords	Maintain current strategy
Ranking velocity	Improving trend	Continue optimization
Conversion rate	>5%	Review relevance alignment

Iteration Process

Monthly Keyword Audit:

1. EXPORT current rankings
   - List all tracked keywords
   - Record current position
   - Note 30-day trend (up/down/stable)

2. IDENTIFY opportunities
   - Keywords improving but not top 10
   - Keywords declining from previous position
   - New high-volume keywords in category

3. PRIORITIZE changes
   - Boost: Keywords at position 11-20
   - Maintain: Keywords at position 1-10
   - Replace: Keywords at position 50+ with no improvement

4. IMPLEMENT updates
   - Adjust keyword field (iOS)
   - Update description (Android)
   - Modify subtitle if needed

5. DOCUMENT changes
   - Record what changed and why
   - Set reminder for 2-week check-in

Keyword Testing Log Template

KEYWORD TEST LOG

Test ID: KW-2025-001
Date Started: [Date]
Keywords Changed:
  - Added: "habit tracker" (replacing "goals app")
  - Added: "daily routine" (replacing "schedule planner")

Rationale:
- "habit tracker" has 3x volume of "goals app"
- "daily routine" trending up 40% in category

Baseline Rankings:
- "habit tracker": Not ranked
- "daily routine": Position 87

30-Day Results:
- "habit tracker": Position 34 (+53)
- "daily routine": Position 28 (+59)

Conclusion: Test successful - retain new keywords
Next Action: Target subtitle position for "habit tracker"