Long-tail keyword (App Store)

Head terms often have strong apps in the top 10, which shows as high keyword difficulty. A long-tail phrase can have a lower search volume and a weaker top 10, so a smaller app can reach the first page. Searchers using it also say what they want, which helps your page convert.

For a hypothetical habit tracker:

LocalASO labels a keyword Push or Hard from rank, volume and difficulty, and its estimates come from the rating counts of apps ranking for a term. They are not Apple counts, so use them to compare terms, not to predict exact numbers.

Apple separates keywords with commas and no spaces, but spaces may separate words within a phrase. The field holds 100 bytes, and a phrase like morning routine checklist costs 25 bytes. Often the individual words already cover the phrase when they sit across your app name, subtitle and keyword field. Apple does not document how it combines words from different fields, so test the exact phrase in search before you spend bytes on it.

• Choosing a long phrase nobody searches. A term with almost no volume brings almost no downloads.
• Ignoring relevance. See text relevance.

Find candidates with the keyword research guide and check packing with the keyword field packer.

To inspect the real results for a phrase, query it in your storefront or through the iTunes Search API.

The opposite end of the ladder is the head term, and generic words are discussed under generic keyword.