Writing the name, subtitle and keyword field
Thirty, thirty and a hundred characters, weighted in that order, with rules that decide which of them count.
The name (30 characters) weighs most, the subtitle (30) next, the keyword field (100) least, and within each the earlier words weigh more. Use all thirty of the name: a seven-letter brand alone ranks for nothing, "Noto: Notes & Daily Journal" ranks for three things. The subtitle is a second line of terms, not a slogan; "Your daily companion" ranks for nothing either.
The keyword field is a list of single words separated by commas. Apple builds the phrases: "habit,tracker" ranks for "habit tracker" and for each word alone, so never spend characters on a phrase. No space after a comma. No word that already appears in the name or subtitle, because a repeat is ignored rather than strengthened. No plurals of words already there, Apple matches them. No filler words ("the", "to", "app", "free"), Apple drops them.
Your developer name and your primary and secondary category are indexed on their own, and promoted in-app purchases appear in results under their own names, so none of those belong in the field either. Everything you save that way is another term.
Both visible fields are read by people before the index reads them. A name that is a keyword pile converts worse than one that reads as a product, and conversion is half of the ranking.
In the US store, read October 4
- 83% of the searched US top 10s have most of their apps updated within six months. A listing that has not shipped in a year is competing with ones that have.