ASO keyword research in 6 steps

Step 1: Collect your users’ language

Read reviews of your app and of similar apps. Pay attention to how people describe their problem. They do not write “vocabulary trainer with spaced repetition” but “learn words I won’t forget again”. Those are the phrases for your list.

Step 2: Use the stores’ suggestions

Type your terms into the App Store and Google Play search and note the suggestions. They show what people really type. Do this with a device or account in the relevant country, because suggestions differ by market.

Step 3: Look at the competition

Search for each term and look at the top results:

Are they apps like yours? If not, the term probably does not fit.
Are there only huge brands with enormous rating counts? Then the term is out of reach for now.
Are there small apps with few ratings too? That is your chance.

Step 4: Rate with three questions

Question	What you check
Relevance	Does someone searching for this get exactly that from you? If not, delete it.
Demand	Does the term appear in suggestions? ASO tools and Apple Ads offer further hints.
Reachability	How strong are the top apps? Do you have a realistic chance?

Relevance comes first. A big term that disappoints users after install brings bad ratings and hurts you twice.

Step 5: Spread the terms across the fields

On the App Store: the most important term goes in the name, the second in the subtitle and the others in the keyword field. Separate with commas and avoid duplicates. Single words are often enough, because terms from the fields can combine.

On Google Play: the most important term goes in the title, the next ones in the short description and the rest, written naturally, in the description. Pure keyword lists break the policies.

The exact limits are in App Store vs Google Play. The title remains a name first: it has to be memorable and easy to say.

Step 6: Measure and adjust

Before each change, note your positions and conversion rates. Change as little as possible at once, or you will not know what worked. App Store Connect and the Play Console show where users come from. Give a change a few weeks before judging it, because positions fluctuate.

Common mistakes

Aiming only for the biggest word in the category
Using literally translated keywords
Using terms the app does not deliver on
Optimising once and never looking again

If you want support, see ASO with tob-apps.