Keyword source
Organic Apple Search
Paid Apple Search Ads placements are not included in organic rank checks.
✦ Pricing
Blog hubs
3 guides
ASO hub
ASO Keyword Research Hub
This hub replaces scattered keyword listicles with one canonical workflow for finding keywords, checking rank, estimating difficulty and comparing competitors.
Direct answer
ASO keyword research means finding, validating and tracking the organic Apple Search terms that can make an iOS app more discoverable. The strongest workflow combines keyword rank checks, difficulty scoring, suggestions, app profiles and competitor gaps.
Core metric
Country-specific rank
Keyword visibility can differ by storefront and localization.
Competitor angle
Keyword gaps
Find terms where competitors rank and your app is missing or weaker.
ASO keyword workflow
| Resource | Why it matters | Open |
|---|---|---|
| ASO Tools Overview | Choose a tool by keyword, ranking or competitor objective. | Open |
| Keyword Ranking Tracker | Save keyword ranks and build history. | Open |
| Keyword Difficulty Score | Estimate competition from public App Store search results. | Open |
| Keyword Suggestions | Generate candidate terms from Apple Search and app metadata. | Open |
| Keyword Gap Tool | Find competitor keywords your app is missing or weaker on. | Open |
| App Keyword Profile | Summarize keyword visibility for a selected app. | Open |
| ASO AI Agent | Turn app-specific keyword and ranking evidence into a source-labeled strategy chat. | Open |
| Best AI for ASO | Evaluate ASO AI by evidence, storefront context, limits and measurable actions. | Open |
| ASO AI Agent vs ChatGPT | Compare connected App Store evidence with a general-purpose AI workflow. | Open |
Reviewed guides
Published articles in this topic, reviewed by Tobias Krenn.
ASO, Keywords and Rankings · 5 min read
App Store Optimization for Beginners: Complete ASO Guide
ASO improves qualified visibility and conversion through relevant metadata, realistic keywords, strong creative, localization and continuous measurement.
Read guideASO, Keywords and Rankings · 13 min read
Best AI for ASO: How to Choose an Agent That Actually Helps
The best AI for ASO is not the system that writes the most metadata. It is the system that connects app-specific keyword, ranking, competitor and metadata evidence to transparent recommendations that a team can verify before publishing.
Read guideASO, Keywords and Rankings · 13 min read
ASO AI Agent vs ChatGPT for App Store Optimization
ChatGPT is a flexible general assistant for reasoning and writing, while an ASO AI agent is designed to prepare App Store metadata, keyword, ranking and competitor evidence before it recommends an action. The better choice depends on whether you already have reliable ASO data or need the data workflow connected to the conversation.
Read guideFrequently asked questions
What is an App Store keyword ranking?+
It is the organic position where an app appears for a search term in a specific Apple storefront.
Is keyword difficulty an official Apple metric?+
No. Keyword difficulty is a modeled score based on public search results, competitor strength and rating signals.
Can rankings change by country?+
Yes. Each country storefront can produce different organic results for the same keyword.
Where should a beginner start?+
Start with the Free Rank Checker, then use Keyword Suggestions and Keyword Difficulty before saving ongoing trackers.