App Store Keyword Research:
A Realistic ASO Framework for iOS & Android

Why most ASO keyword research is misleading

Many ASO tools make keyword research look simple:

• Search volume number
• Difficulty number
• Green = good

The problem is that these numbers are often relative, overly optimistic, or disconnected from real App Store behavior.

In reality:

• Most app store keywords have limited demand
• Competition is usually stronger than it appears
• Generic head terms are almost never realistic entry points

Popularity is non-linear (and usually overestimated)

App Store search demand follows a compressed distribution.

A small number of mainstream keywords absorb most of the traffic. Everything else lives in long-tail territory.

Realistic scoring means:

• Scores above 80 are extremely rare
• Most viable keywords sit between 25–55
• Plausible-sounding phrases often collapse below 25

Global availability does not equal global demand.

Difficulty reflects ecosystem pressure

Difficulty should measure how entrenched competitors are — not just how many apps appear in search results.

A keyword becomes hard when:

• Major brands dominate results
• Incumbents have strong ratings and retention
• The category is saturated with mature apps

But niche isolation can meaningfully reduce pressure — especially when mainstream apps don't truly satisfy the search intent.

Opportunity is not volume minus difficulty

The relationship between popularity and difficulty is non-linear.

A medium-demand keyword with controlled competition can outperform a high-demand keyword dominated by incumbents.

Strong ASO decision-making requires:

• Conservative demand estimates
• Upward bias on competition realism
• Clear verdict thresholds
• Hard caps when competition becomes entrenched

For a deeper breakdown of how popularity and difficulty are combined into a final verdict, read how our ASO keyword scoring model works.

iOS vs Google Play keyword behavior

Apple and Google Play behave differently.

• iOS emphasizes title, subtitle, and a compressed keyword field as outlined in Apple's App Store Connect documentation.
• Google Play behaves closer to traditional search indexing, as detailed in Google Play Console guidelines.

A keyword that feels reasonable on Android may behave differently on iOS. Platform context matters.

What realistic ASO research should give you

Not a dashboard full of inflated numbers.

It should give you:

• Clear signals of real demand
• Conservative competition modeling
• Protection against false optimism
• A decisive verdict

If you're serious about validating demand, run structured ASO keyword research instead of guessing.

Most keywords in the App Store are not attractive opportunities. Knowing that early is a competitive advantage.