App Store localization for keywords: local phrases and extra localizations

People search with the words they use every day, not with dictionary translations. The same idea, “language learning”:

• 🇩🇪 Germany: sprachen lernen
• 🇫🇷 France: apprendre une langue
• 🇯🇵 Japan: 語学学習
• 🇮🇹 Italy: imparare le lingue
• 🇪🇸 Spain: aprender idiomas
• 🇳🇱 Netherlands: talen leren
• 🇸🇪 Sweden: lära sig språk
• 🇧🇷 Brazil: aprender inglês
• 🇰🇷 South Korea: 외국어 공부

Some languages join words (German “kalorienzähler”), some drop accents when typing, some write without spaces. Each local phrase also has its own competition in its own store. Research it there.

Apple: people can search for your app using localized keywords in all countries or regions where the App Store supports that language (Apple: localize app information). Apple also publishes which localizations each storefront supports (Apple: App Store localizations).

That means one localization can count in several countries, and one country can use several localizations. Examples from Apple’s list:

• The U.S. storefront lists 10 localizations, from English (U.S.) to Spanish (Mexico) and Vietnamese.
• Spanish (Mexico) is listed in United States, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Argentina, Peru.
• English (U.K.) is listed in 49 of the 52 storefronts LocalASO covers.
• Switzerland lists German, English (U.K.), French and Italian.

The full table is on App Store localizations by country.

Every localization has its own name, subtitle and 100 for keywords. When a storefront lists several localizations, each one can bring your app into more searches there. ASO practitioners call this cross-localization.

Be careful with what people see:

• Name and subtitle are visible. A localization is shown to users whose device language matches it (Apple), so keep them real, readable texts in that language.
• The keyword field is invisible, so it is the safe place for extra terms.
• A localization such as English (U.K.) is listed in many storefronts. A change there affects all of them.

1. Take your best English keywords.
2. For each target country, find the phrase locals really type for the same need. Ask a native speaker or an AI, then check it.
3. Search the local phrase in that country’s store. If the top 10 are apps like yours, it is the right phrase.
4. Check volume and difficulty there, then fill that localization’s name, subtitle and keyword field.
5. Track your rank per country after the release.

Click “Localize to N countries” on any keyword: LocalASO asks the AI you already use (Claude Code, Codex, Gemini, Ollama or an API key) for the phrase locals type in each language, checks every phrase in that country’s store and caches the result. See the localization docs and the notes per country in App Store keywords by country.