Start here

What to aim for

First 20 minutes

Basic clicks

• Add an app: Click Select App in the sidebar, click Add New App, search by name or App Store ID, then select your app.
• Choose a country: Use the country button in the toolbar or the country selector in the Add Keywords sheet. Start with one country where users can actually pay.
• Add keywords: In Keywords, click the round + button. Type one keyword and press Enter, or paste a comma-separated list, then click Done.
• Read the table: Sort by estimated downloads, difficulty, position, top-5 downloads, or top-5 MRR. Double-click a keyword to open the detail view.
• Find competitors: Open Competitors, search for an app, and look at its revenue, downloads, ratings, screenshots, keyword rankings, and similar apps.

Deeper guides

After the first keyword pass, use these guides to go deeper: practical ASO rules, screenshots that sell the search intent, and countries where localization and pricing can change the outcome.

Keyword rules

• Popularity is only a filter: A keyword matters when ranking for it can bring real downloads.
• Keep it relevant: Only add keywords that describe your app or a problem it clearly solves.
• Read keyword and country together: The same keyword can be useless in one country and profitable in another.
• Do not kill terms too early: Wait for enough taps, installs, or rank movement before you remove a keyword.
• Use winners in ASO and Apple Ads: Paid traffic on the same terms can help organic rankings and gives you faster revenue feedback.

Niche analysis

Before you rewrite metadata, understand the market around the keyword. Use competitor pages to spot the gap your app can actually take.

• Revenue: If the top apps make real money on a keyword, the niche is worth studying.
• Downloads: Downloads tell you there is demand. Revenue tells you whether that demand is valuable.
• Ratings: Recent rating volume gives you a quick read on how hard the keyword will be to beat.
• Screenshots: If competitors sell the promise better, your ASO traffic and ad spend will leak.
• Price localization: Check how competitors price by country before you judge a market.

Metadata checklist

• Name: This carries the most keyword weight. Put the most important keyword early. Put the brand first only if people already search for it.
• Subtitle: Use this for the next important words and combinations.
• Keyword field: Use the 100 characters for relevant words you did not already use in the name or subtitle.
• No duplication: Do not repeat the same word across name, subtitle, and keyword field. If "affirmations" is already used once, spend the next slot on a different useful word.
• Best phrase wins: Use pairs where both words matter. If "daily affirmations" has more demand and fits the app, it is a better way to target "affirmations" than a weak pair like "kind affirmations".
• One topic: A focused metadata set usually beats a messy list of unrelated keywords.

Conversion fixes

Keywords get people to the listing. The listing still has to sell. If people do not tap or install, rankings and Apple Ads both get harder.

• Screenshots: Use simple text, strong contrast, one clear promise, and no design fluff.
• A/B tests: Test screenshots in App Store Connect when traffic is high enough.
• Ratings: More reviews and a better average rating can help both ranking and conversion.
• Rating prompt: Ask after a positive moment, ideally after a paying user finishes a useful action.

Apple Ads loop

• Start with Search Results: It has the clearest intent. Skip Today tab, Search tab, and Product Pages at first.
• Keep countries clean: Separate countries when LTV, language, or purchasing power is very different.
• Use manual bids: Start with a bid you are comfortable losing. If nothing spends, raise it slowly.
• Disable Search Match: Add keywords manually and start with Exact match while you learn.
• Watch revenue: Judge keywords by trials, paid conversions, revenue, and return on ad spend. CPI is not enough.
• Move winners: After a few days of signal, move the few promising keywords into tighter Exact campaigns.

Weekly routine

Setup guides

Troubleshooting

• License key fails: Check for pasted spaces, then make sure the subscription is active.
• Localizations do not load: Confirm the App Store Connect key has App Manager access for the selected app.
• Apple Ads fails: Use a separate Apple Account with API Account Manager access and verify the public key was saved in Apple Search Ads.
• Position is missing: The app may not rank in the top 200 for that keyword yet.