Using App Names as Keywords

tl;dr: All hope abandon ye who enter here.

I was recently talking to a client who went to a session by Apple for app developers. Apple recommends not putting keywords in your app name. Why? It hurts your branding… It can hurt your ranking… blah blah blah… In reality, Apple just wants to retain control over the quality of the app store.

In this blog post, I want to talk about one specific keyword trick: using other publishers’ app names. First off, it works. It works because people tend to find popular apps by directly searching for their name. For example, to find Instagram, they’ll search “instagram”, not “filters.” Just like the word Kleenex has become the new word for tissues, app names become search terms.

I know, I know… it seems like the perfect solution; piggybacking off of someone else’s success in the app store is such a logical and easy thing to do. But whether you like it or not, it’s not exactly included in the book of best business practices.

So let’s talk about YOUR app name for a second… App names contribute significantly to your app store ranking. So it would make sense to put keywords in your app name. If you’re one of those app developers that likes to use app names instead of actual keywords as meta-tags, you’re running a high risk of getting rejected by Apple.

Luckily, there are some ways around this conundrum that will keep the Apple gods smiling down on you. (note: worst practices also mean: most likely to get your app rejected by Apple gatekeepers).

How to use other publishers’ app names
WORST: in your app name
GETTING BETTER: in your keywords
BEST: in your description
*I feel compelled to add*
BEST FROM APPLE’S PERSPECTIVE: don’t use other app names at all

You can decide for yourself where on the app store morality scale you fall in terms of using other app names, but know that all liability is on you.

[ This post originally appeared for MobileAction. ]

If you need help with your app store SEO or user acquisition, drop me a line — more than happy to point you to the right resources and/or consult you on your app store journey.

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