Keyword Optimizer

What the source does

• FilesystemNone observedNo reads or writes in the source
• NetworkNone observedNo outbound calls in the source
• ShellNone observedNo commands run in the source
• DependenciesPinnedNothing floats
• SecretsNone foundNo keys in source

Five audit layers

Gates applied: no behavioural pass.

Audit 0.4.1 · source sha 7fd70e317e5c · 18 Oct 2026Report an issue or request a re-scan

• Publisherrshankras GitHub userOwner of the repository this skill is read from
• Source folderrshankras/claude-code-apple-skills/skills/app-store/keyword-optimizerThe exact folder we audited
• LicenceMITAs the repository states it
• Commit pinned for this verdict7fd70e317e5cA new audit runs when the source changes
• Repository statusNot archivedLast push 85 days ago
• Sandboxed runNot runSkills are read, not executed; layer L4 is skipped

Its description: Optimize app title, subtitle, and keywords for maximum App Store discoverability. Use when launching a new app, improving search rankings, entering new markets/languages, or safely optimizing ASO for an app with…

---
name: keyword-optimizer
description: Optimize app title, subtitle, and keywords for maximum App Store discoverability. Use when launching a new app, improving search rankings, entering new markets/languages, or safely optimizing ASO for an app with existing traffic.
allowed-tools: [Read, Write, Edit, Glob, Grep, AskUserQuestion, WebSearch]
last_verified: 2026-07-16
review_by: 2027-06-22
---

# Keyword Optimizer

Optimize app title, subtitle, and keywords for maximum App Store discoverability.

## When This Skill Activates

- User is launching a new app
- User wants to improve search rankings
- User asks about ASO (App Store Optimization)
- User is entering new markets/languages
- User wants to analyze keyword opportunities
- User needs safe optimization for existing apps

## Reference Files

Before optimizing, load these reference materials:

| File | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| **keyword-criteria.md** | Popularity/Difficulty sweet spots, opportunity scoring |
| **advanced-tactics.md** | Cross-localization, screenshot indexing, velocity boost |
| **existing-app-strategy.md** | Safe optimization for apps with existing traffic |

## Information Gathering

Before optimizing, ask about:

1. **App Identity**
   - What does the app do in one sentence?
   - What category is it in?
   - What's the current app name (if exists)?

2. **Target Keywords**
   - What would users search to find this app?
   - What problem words would they use?
   - Any branded terms to include?

3. **Competition**
   - Main competitors?
   - What keywords do they target?
   - Where can you realistically compete?

4. **Goals**
   - Brand awareness vs. category traffic?
   - Specific markets to prioritize?

## Keyword Strategy

### Where Keywords Count

| Field | Limit | Weight | Notes |
|-------|-------|--------|-------|
| **App Name** | 30 chars | Highest | Most valuable real estate |
| **Subtitle** | 30 chars | High | Visible in search, below name |
| **Keywords** | 100 chars | Medium | Not visible to users |
| **Description** | 4000 chars | Low* | *Apple says indexed, debated |

### Keyword Types

1. **Branded** - Your app name, company name
2. **Category** - Generic terms (e.g., "todo app", "weather")
3. **Feature** - Specific functionality (e.g., "offline maps")
4. **Problem** - User pain points (e.g., "forget tasks")
5. **Long-tail** - Specific phrases (e.g., "minimalist habit tracker")

## Optimization Process

### Step 1: Keyword Research

**Generate Initial List:**
```
1. Brainstorm 50+ keywords
2. What would YOU search for this app?
3. Check competitor names/subtitles
4. Use autocomplete suggestions
5. Consider misspellings users make
```

**Research Tools:**
- App Store Search Autocomplete
- AppFollow, Sensor Tower, AppTweak (paid)
- Google Keyword Planner (related terms)
- Competitor subtitle/keyword analysis

### Step 2: Prioritize Keywords

Rate each keyword on:

| Factor | Question |
|--------|----------|
| **Relevance** | Does it accurately describe your app? |
| **Volume** | Do people actually search this? |
| **Difficulty** | Can you realistically rank? |
| **Intent** | Will searchers want your app? |

**Priority Matrix:**
```
High Volume + Low Difficulty = 🎯 Target First
High Volume + High Difficulty = 💪 Long-term Goal
Low Volume + Low Difficulty = ✅ Easy Wins
Low Volume + High Difficulty = ❌ Skip
```

### Step 3: Allocate Keywords

**App Name (30 characters):**
```
[Brand Name] - [Top Keyword Phrase]
or
[Brand Name]: [Value Proposition]

Examples:
"Notion - Notes & Docs"
"Calm: Sleep & Meditation"
"Fantastical - Calendar & Tasks"
```

**Subtitle (30 characters):**
```
[Second Priority Keywords] / [Unique Value]

Examples:
"Focus Timer & Daily Planner"
"Simple Habit Building"
"Weather Radar & Forecasts"
```

**Keywords Field (100 characters):**
```
Rules:
- Comma-separated, NO spaces after commas
- No plurals (Apple handles it)
- No duplicates from name/subtitle
- No category name (already indexed)
- Single words perform better than phrases

Example:
"timer,pomodoro,focus,concentration,study,productivity,work,session,break,technique"
```

## Character Optimization

### Maximize 100 Characters

**Bad (wastes characters):**
```
task manager, todo list, productivity app, reminder app, checklist
```

**Good (efficient):**
```
task,todo,productivity,reminder,checklist,planner,organize,gtd,schedule,daily
```

**Savings:**
- Remove spaces after commas
- Don't repeat words in different forms
- Skip obvious words (app, free, best)

### Word Combinations

Apple combines words from all fields:

```
Name: "Focus Timer"
Subtitle: "Pomodoro Technique"
Keywords: "study,productivity,work,session"

Searchable combinations:
- "focus timer"
- "pomodoro timer"
- "focus productivity"
- "study timer"
- "work focus"
(and more...)
```

## Cross-Field Deduplication

Apple indexes words from **all three fields** for the same locale — a word only needs to appear **once**. If a word appears in Title, don't repeat it in Subtitle or Keywords; if it appears in Subtitle, don't repeat it in Keywords.

### Before & After Example

```
❌ BEFORE (duplicated words waste ~38 characters):
Title:    "Focus Timer - Stay Productive"
Subtitle: "Pomodoro Timer & Focus Sessions"
Keywords: "timer,focus,pomodoro,productive,study,work,session,break"

✅ AFTER (zero duplication, 5 new keywords gained):
Title:    "Focus Timer - Stay Productive"
Subtitle: "Pomodoro Technique & Deep Work"
Keywords: "study,concentration,interval,tomato,distraction,block,exam,revision,flowstate,desk"
```

### Quick Dedup Check

| Check | Rule |
|-------|------|
| Title word in Subtitle or Keywords? | Remove from the lower field |
| Subtitle word in Keywords? | Remove from Keywords |
| Plural/singular variant across fields? | Keep only in highest field |
| Stop words (a, the, and, for)? | Don't include anywhere — auto-indexed |

## Common Mistakes

❌ **Don't Do This:**
- Using spaces after commas in keywords
- Duplicating words across fields
- Including your category 

Excerpt, first 6,002 characters of SKILL.md, verbatim from the audited commit. It is text from someone else’s repository, quoted so you can judge it before your agent reads it.

git clone https://github.com/rshankras/claude-code-apple-skills
git -C claude-code-apple-skills checkout 7fd70e317e5c

Works in

1. 2026-10-18
   ✓SAFE B 89 / 100

   first audit · source 7fd70e317e5c

Questions about Keyword Optimizer

• github.com/rshankras/claude-code-apple-skills/tree/main/skills/a — the audited source at commit 7fd70e317e5c and every finding aboveObserved · 18 Oct 2026

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