> Every text field an app store gives you is either indexed for search, shown to users for conversion, or both. This category covers the metadata fields themselves, the science of keyword research, and the strategies for optimizing what goes where.
Metadata Fields
Indexed Fields
- App Title — the single most important metadata field on every platform
- Subtitle — iOS-only 30-character supplement to the title
- Keyword Field — Apple's hidden 100-character keyword input
- Short Description — Google Play's 80-character indexed tagline
- Full Description — critical split: not indexed on Apple, fully indexed on Google
- Promotional Text — iOS 170 chars, not indexed but editable without review
Non-Indexed / Supplementary Fields
- wiki:whats-new — release notes, not indexed on any platform
Field Optimization
- Metadata Optimization — complete workflow for managing all fields across platforms
- Custom Product Page Expansion — NEW Apple doubled CPP limit from 35 to 70 pages with manual keyword assignment
Keyword Research & Analysis
Research Process
- Keyword Research — the 6-step pipeline from seed to monitoring
- Search Volume — estimating demand; Apple SAP scores (5–100 logarithmic)
- Keyword Difficulty — estimating competition on a 0–100 scale
- Keyword Relevance — algorithm-level and user-level relevance scoring
- Keyword Ranking — position tiers and their traffic impact
Advanced Research
- Search Ads Intelligence — using Apple Search Ads data as ASO research input
- Autocomplete Suggestions — mining search autocomplete for keyword ideas
- Long-tail Keywords — 3+ word phrases with lower volume but higher intent
Indexing Mechanics
- Keyword Indexing (iOS) — how Apple builds its keyword index from metadata fields
- Description Indexing (Google Play) — positional weighting, semantic indexing, density rules
- Backlink Indexing (Google Play) — external web links influencing Play Store keyword indexing
- Semantic Search — Google's intent-based search (Feb 2025 shift) vs Apple's exact-match model
Competitive & Strategic
- Keyword Gap Analysis — finding keywords competitors rank for that you don't
- Competitor Keyword Matrix — structured keyword-vs-competitor comparison framework
- Keyword Tracking — monitoring rankings over time, detecting algorithm shifts
- Seasonal Keywords — cyclical volume patterns and metadata planning around peaks
- Category Optimization — selecting and optimizing for the right app store category
Dependency Map
graph TD
KR[Keyword Research] --> SV[Search Volume]
KR --> KD[Keyword Difficulty]
KR --> KRel[Keyword Relevance]
KR --> AC[Autocomplete Suggestions]
KR --> SAI[Search Ads Intelligence]
SV --> KGA[Keyword Gap Analysis]
KD --> KGA
KR --> LTK[Long-tail Keywords]
KGA --> CKM[Competitor Keyword Matrix]
AT[App Title] --> KI[Keyword Indexing iOS]
SUB[Subtitle] --> KI
KF[Keyword Field] --> KI
FD[Full Description] --> DI[Description Indexing GP]
SD[Short Description] --> DI
DI --> SS[Semantic Search]
KI --> KRank[Keyword Ranking]
DI --> KRank
KRank --> KT[Keyword Tracking]
KT --> SK[Seasonal Keywords]
MO[Metadata Optimization] --> AT
MO --> SUB
MO --> KF
MO --> FD
MO --> SD
CO[Category Optimization] --> Browse[Browse Optimization]
CO --> TC[Top Charts]