App Store Keyword Research: The Competitor Analysis Guide (2025)

Is your app buried on the 50th page of the App Store results? You are not alone. Most developers waste hours brainstorming keywords manually. This "guessing game" is outdated. The most effective strategy in 2025 is Competitor Analysis. This guide will show you exactly how to do ASO keyword research by analyzing what competitors are using to rank high, and how you can reverse-engineer their success.

Why Analyze "App Store Keywords Competitors"?

Before using any tools, you need to understand why competitor analysis is superior to traditional brainstorming.

In the world of ASO keyword research, your competitors have already done the hard work for you. By analyzing app store keywords competitors are ranking for, you gain three advantages:

1. Validated Traffic: You don't need to guess if a keyword has traffic. If a competitor ranks #1 for it, it works.
2. Hidden Opportunities: Competitors often find niche long-tail keywords you would never think of.
3. Risk Reduction: You avoid targeting keywords that are too difficult or irrelevant.

Step 1: Identify Your Direct Competitors

You cannot analyze app store keywords competitors use if you don't know who they are.
Don't just look at the Top 3 giants (like TikTok or Facebook). You need to find Direct Competitors—apps that solve the same problem as you and have a similar size.

How to execute:

• Search for your main keyword in the App Store.
• Look for apps ranked between #5 and #50.
• These "mid-tier" apps often have the most aggressive and optimized keyword strategies because they fight harder for visibility.

Step 2: Extract Keywords from Competitors (ASOTools Strategy)

Once you have your target list, it's time to "spy" on their data. This is the core of effective ASO keyword research.

How to execute with ASOTools:

1. Enter your competitor's app name into ASOTools.
2. Navigate to the ASO Keyword section.
3. Filter the list to find high-value terms. Look for:
   • High Search Volume: Keywords with decent popularity.
   • Top Rankings: Keywords where your competitor ranks in the Top 10.
   • Relevance: Keywords that actually describe your app.

This list becomes your "Seed List." Instead of guessing, you are building a strategy based on data.

Step 3: Validate Keyword Performance (Appark Monitoring)

Finding a keyword list is only half the battle. How do you know if a specific keyword actually drove downloads for your competitor?
You need to correlate Metadata Updates with Rank Changes.

For this, we use Appark.ai.

Case Study: The "Feature Update" Signal
(Based on monitoring logic)

1. The Alert: Appark notifies you that a competitor updated their app description on June 1st.
2. The Change: You notice they added phrases like "Offline Mode" or "Dark Theme".
3. The Result: A few days later, their category ranking improved.

Insight: This confirms that the new keywords (Offline Mode/Dark Theme) are driving growth. You should prioritize these keywords in your own update.

Step 4: Localization (Global Competitors)

When analyzing app store keywords competitors leverage, don't forget the global market.
A competitor might be weak in the US but dominating in Brazil or Germany.

• Action: Use ASOTools to check your competitors' rankings in other countries.
• Opportunity: If they rank high in a non-English country, translate those keywords and add them to your localizations. This is the easiest way to steal market share.

Conclusion

The era of guessing keywords is over. To win in 2025, you must adopt a Competitor-First Strategy.

1. Identify your true competitors (not just the giants).
2. Extract their winning keywords using ASOTools.
3. Validate the impact of those keywords using Appark.

By mastering the art of analyzing app store keywords competitors use, you turn their success into your roadmap for growth.