What Factors Really Impact Your App Store Ranking?

Buse Kanal

16 January 2023

The success of your app in the App Store relies heavily on its ranking. Your app’s rank determines how easily users can discover your app. Obviously, the higher your ranking, the better your chance of getting noticed by potential users. That’s why you need to do your best in increasing your app store ranking.

So the question remains: what factors affect app store ranking?

That’s exactly what you’re going to learn in this post. Read on to learn what impacts app store ranking and discover new opportunities to improve your app’s success.

1. App Name/Title

Perhaps, the biggest factor that affects your app store ranking is the app name. Apple puts a heavy emphasis on this ranking factor.

Obviously, the app name speaks volumes about your app. Your app name should be easy to remember, descriptive, and keyword-rich.

Apple’s algorithm will look at your app name. Apple should immediately understand what your app is all about based on the name you give it. If Apple can’t determine your app’s core functionality through your app name, you will not show up in people’s search results.

Moreover, you need to remember that the keywords found in your app name give the strongest ranking weight. That’s the reason that you need to add your most important keywords to your name.

Apple allows you to use up to 30 characters in your app name. You need to maximize this limit to ensure maximum exposure.

2. App Subtitle

Did you know that the app subtitle was just later added by Apple? Apple recognized that the app subtitle can help users in understanding better what an app is all about. To top it all, Apple made it a point to include subtitles as part of the App Store ranking.

Like the app name, the app subtitle allows you to use up to 30 characters. You need to choose carefully what keywords you use because the App Store also indexes your app subtitle and uses it to determine your app ranking.

3. iOS Keyword Field

The keyword field is something unique to the App Store. Google Play Store doesn’t have this kind of feature.

The iOS keyword field’s main function is for you to enumerate your targeted keywords. What’s special about the keyword field is that it allows you to use up to 100 characters. So, this is your chance to add as many keywords as possible. Add the keywords to the keyword field that you haven’t added to the app name and app subtitle yet. No need to repeat keywords.

You can separate keywords by using a comma. No need to use spaces, prepositions, or articles.

Quick notes about the keywords

Apple indexes the title, subtitle, and keyword list to determine app rankings in the App Store.
The app title, which can be composed of up to 30 characters, is considered to be the most important ranking factor. Thus, you should add the most crucial keyword to your title. When you do that, you’ll most likely get a higher ranking for that keyword.
Next to the app title is the subtitle in terms of importance for indexing. Thus, other more vital keywords should be added to your subtitle. Add as many relevant and high-ranking keywords as possible to ensure you increase your ranking. Moreover, if possible, maximize the 30 character-limit for the subtitle.
Keyword list is considered to be the number 3 most important ranking factor in the App Store. You are allowed to use a maximum of 100 characters. You need to add all the keywords that you believe are relevant to your app. You can even include brand names and competitors’ keywords. You have more flexibility to include whatever you see fit based on your keyword research. After all, users won’t be able to see this list. Only you, as the admin, can see them via the App Store Connect. But it affects your visibility significantly.

4. In-App Purchases (IAP)

Apple is in the business of making money and in-app purchases are the primary ways how both Apple and developers earn from the platform. So, it shouldn’t surprise you to see how Apple also uses in-app purchases as a ranking factor.

What are in-app purchases anyway? Glad you asked. In-app purchases are services, subscriptions, or content that users can buy inside the app. In-app purchases are optional. However, if you want to improve your ranking, you should consider having in-app purchases in place.

5. Ratings and Reviews

What people think about your app would definitely affect your app ranking. So, it’s no wonder that a lot of favorably-reviewed apps are the same apps with high rankings.

If you have a lot of positive reviews and high ratings, that sends a signal to Apple that your app is something worth promoting and adding to search results.

This is the main reason that you should work hard to give users the best app experience and eventually receive positive reviews from them.

6. Number of Downloads

Another important ranking factor is the number of downloads. The more downloads you get, the more your chances of getting featured by Apple in searches and features.

While yes, you can’t force people to download your app, you can definitely influence their decision.

Write your app name, subtitle, and description in such a way that it best explains what your app is and why people should choose your app. If done right, you can have more people downloading your app.

7. Updates

The world of mobile apps is constantly changing. Those who can’t catch up with these changes would eventually fade away to backstage. If you want to keep your app relevant, you need to regularly update it.

Updates should include better features, the addition of new functionalities, improved user experience, and elimination of bugs and errors.

Rank higher today

Now that you know what affects the App Store ranking, you have a better idea of where you should put your focus. By working hard in targeting these ranking factors, you should eventually improve your visibility and discoverability.

Of course, there’s no denying that improving your app ranking can be overwhelming. Thankfully, you don’t have to do this on your own. ShyftUp is here for you.

ShyftUp is among the best user acquisition agencies today. They helped thousands of app developers and marketers to obtain as many users as possible for their apps. With their help, you can dramatically increase your App Store ranking and get noticed by more people.

Give them a call today and see how your app can improve its app ranking.

How to improve app store ranking?

You can improve app store ranking by understanding how it is determined and what factors affect it. Once you have done that, you can create better and more efficient marketing campaigns and eventually improve your app store ranking.

How to check app ranking in the App Store?

The App Store doesn’t give you the exact tool to know the ranking of your app. Nevertheless, you can use third-party websites and tools to check your app’s ranking. A simple Google search should be able to help you find these sites.