RankDeck guide
How App Store search ranking works
Apple does not publish its ranking formula. It does say that App Store search considers text relevance and user behaviour. In practice, that means two things you can work on: the words in your metadata, and how people respond when they see your app.
Text relevance: the fields you control
- App name, up to 30 characters. The strongest place for the phrase that best describes your app.
- Subtitle, up to 30 characters. A second chance for a core phrase, written for people.
- Keyword field, up to 100 characters, hidden from users. Separate terms with commas, skip spaces after commas and avoid repeating words already in your name.
Apple's guidance is to use terms that accurately describe your app and to avoid competitor names, trademarks and irrelevant terms. Keyword field changes go live with a new app version, so plan them with a release. Write the description for people deciding whether to download.
User behaviour: ratings, downloads and conversion
Apple lists user behaviour, such as downloads and the number and quality of ratings, among the factors in search. For a phrase where established apps have tens of thousands of ratings, a new app usually ranks lower even with a perfect title. That is why RankDeck's difficulty estimate looks at the rating counts of the apps already ranking.
Your product page also matters after a search. Icon, screenshots and the first lines people see decide whether they tap and download, and those downloads feed back into behaviour signals.
Choosing phrases you can win
Look for phrases where the top results genuinely match what your app does and the competing apps are not all far ahead on ratings. A narrower phrase you can rank for usually beats a broad one where you sit on page five. RankDeck's demand and difficulty estimates help you compare phrases in the same market, and every score shows the apps behind it.
Measuring a change
- Save a baseline rank for your phrases and storefronts before you change metadata.
- Change one thing at a time where you can, such as the subtitle or the keyword field.
- Recheck once the new version is live and give results a few days to settle.
- Compare against App Analytics in App Store Connect to see whether search impressions and downloads moved too.
Read Apple's App Store search guidance for Apple's own description.
RankDeck by Notchbird costs $39 USD once, with updates included and activation on up to two Macs. It needs an Apple silicon Mac with macOS 14 or later. See the purchase details, the keyword research guide and the 14-day refund policy.
Common questions
Does the app description affect App Store search ranking?
Apple's guidance focuses on the app name, subtitle and keyword field for search. Write the description to help people decide to download.
How long does a metadata change take to affect rankings?
Keyword field changes go live with a new app version. After release, recheck over the following days, since results can take time to settle and also move for other reasons.
Should I put competitor names in my keywords?
No. Apple's guidance asks developers not to use other apps' names or trademarks in metadata, and it can lead to rejection.