Choosing the first 50 keywords for a new app

A new listing ranks for nothing. Here is how to build a pool worth measuring in an afternoon.

Start from the listing, not from a brainstorm

Extract the one-, two- and three-word terms from your own title and descriptions in the listing's language, with root matching so inflected forms count once. That list is what Play can already connect you to; it is the first 20 keywords.

Harvest what users type

Take your two or three most generic terms as seeds and run an autocomplete harvest in the target store and language. Keep the suggestions that describe your app; drop the ones that describe a different product. Suggestions are the only public trace of real search behaviour.

Borrow from a comparable app

Pick two competitors of similar size, not the category leader. The terms they rank in the top 10 for are proven winnable at their weight; those they rank 11 to 30 for are the ones a good listing can take. Add the relevant ones.

Measure before you decide

Every candidate is measured overnight: your rank, popularity and, once the top apps are known, difficulty. After the first measurement, keep the terms where you rank anywhere, the ones with low difficulty, and a handful of head terms as long-term targets. Prune the rest. Fifty is a pool, not a promise.