AppHitlist

// Keyword research

App Store Keyword Research: Popularity and Difficulty

Type a term and see how many people want it and who holds the top spots. Then decide if it earns a place in your listing.

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// WHAT IT IS

AppHitlist's Keyword Explorer shows how popular a keyword is and how hard it is to rank for it. Popularity comes from the latest US Apple Ads score when one exists, and from search suggestion signals when it does not. Every lookup also lists the top-ranking apps and related keywords, so you choose your terms before you write a word of your listing.

// WHAT YOU GET

What you can do once you can see the data

Pick keywords with room to rank

Popularity sits right next to difficulty. A popular term with low difficulty is a far better bet for a new app than one that is hard to rank for.

See who owns a keyword

The top apps table lists rank, app, publisher and rating. When the first spots belong to apps with huge rating counts, you know the climb is steep.

Find terms you would not have typed

Related keywords come back with every lookup. One search often turns into a short list of phrases worth testing in your title or subtitle.

Know what you are reading

Each popularity value carries a source label, Apple Ads or Estimate, so you always know which kind of score sits in front of you.

// HOW IT WORKS

From first search to a decision in three steps

  1. 01

    Search a keyword

    Type a term of 2 to 60 characters in Keyword Explorer, choose the country and press Explore.

  2. 02

    Read popularity, difficulty and the top apps

    Check the source label next to popularity, compare it with difficulty and open the apps that rank at the top. Scan related keywords for alternatives.

  3. 03

    Add the keyword to Your Apps

    Send a keyword you like to Your Apps. AppHitlist then checks where your app ranks for it once a day.

// WHO IT IS FOR

Built for people who ship small apps and need to choose well

Developers writing a store listing

You have a title, a subtitle and a keyword field to fill. Test candidate terms before you submit the update.

Makers testing a niche by search demand

You want to know whether people search for the thing you plan to build, and who they find when they do.

Indie marketers doing ASO

You compare terms for a client or your own app and need a fast read on which ones deserve the chase.

// GOOD TO KNOW

What to keep in mind before you rely on it

Popularity is not a count of searches. It is the latest US Apple Ads score. When Apple has none, it is an estimate built from search suggestions, and the label on each result tells you which. Difficulty is a model, not a promise that you will rank. Keyword Explorer is part of the paid plan and covers the Apple App Store only. Apple search is sometimes busy, and then a lookup asks you to try again in a few seconds.

// RELATED

Other jobs you can do with the same data

Track your app

Add your app and follow its App Store search rank for every keyword you choose. Ranks refresh daily, so you see whether each listing change worked.

Competitor tracking

See where rival apps out-earn and outrank you. Compare revenue, ratings, ads and keyword gaps, and get an email the day a competitor makes a move.

Chart rankings

Follow App Store charts, catch climbers and new entries the day they move, and read any app's full rank history. Charts are saved every day.

// READ NEXT

Three guides that go deeper

6 min read

App Store Keyword Research: A Beginner's Guide

App Store keyword research from zero: how search finds apps, popularity vs difficulty, long-tail terms, and how to track your ranks over time.

6 min read

How to Find Profitable App Ideas That Already Make Money

Find app ideas that already earn: read the grossing charts, check app age, mine 1-star reviews, look at Meta ads, then pick one gap you can fill.

6 min read

How App Store Revenue Estimates Work (and Why They Err)

How App Store revenue and download estimates are built from chart rank, why category, country and pricing change them, and where the errors come from.

// FAQ

Questions people ask before they start

How do I check how popular a keyword is?

Open Keyword Explorer, type the keyword and press Explore. You get a popularity value, a difficulty value, the top-ranking apps and related keywords. A label tells you whether popularity is an Apple Ads score or an estimate. Compare several terms and the strongest candidates for your listing stand out quickly.

Where does AppHitlist's keyword popularity data come from?

Popularity is the latest US Apple Ads score for the keyword. When Apple has no score, AppHitlist estimates popularity from search suggestions and labels the result Estimate. The page also shows the date of the lookup, so you know how fresh the number is. Use it to compare terms, not as a search count.

What does keyword difficulty mean?

Difficulty tells you how hard it is to rank near the top for a term. Read it together with the top apps table: if the leading spots belong to apps with very large rating counts, a new app has a harder climb. Use difficulty to choose between terms and aim your title at the ones you can win.

Can I track my app's rank for a keyword I find?

Yes. Use Add to Your Apps on a lookup and the keyword joins your tracked list. AppHitlist then shows your app's rank in store search for that term and updates it once a day. If your app is outside the first 200 results, it shows as not in the top 200.

// START

See the data for yourself

A free account shows app profiles, ratings, prices and rank history. Revenue estimates, ads and complaint themes are on the paid plan.

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