ASO Competitor Keyword Stealing: A Step-by-Step Reverse-Engineering Guide
Your competitors have already done the hard keyword research. They've tested titles, iterated on subtitles, and figured out which terms actually convert in your category. The only question is whether you're going to read what they published — or ignore it.
This guide walks through a repeatable process for reverse-engineering any competitor's App Store or Google Play keyword strategy. You don't need an expensive tool subscription to start. You need a systematic eye and a spreadsheet.
Why Competitor Keyword Research Is the Fastest ASO Shortcut
Starting app keyword research from scratch means guessing what users type. Starting from competitors means reading signals that have already been validated by the market. Competitors who rank in the top 5 for a competitive term didn't get there by accident — their metadata is a map.
The specific advantages:
- You skip the hypothesis phase. Keywords a competitor ranks for are keywords real users search.
- You find category-level gaps. When you map three or four competitors side-by-side, you'll see terms none of them own — those are your opportunities.
- You learn the metadata structure that works. Title length, subtitle framing, first-line descriptions — high-ranking apps in your category are showing you the template.
This doesn't mean you copy competitors. It means you use their data as a baseline and then beat them on the terms they're weak on.
Step 1 — Build Your Competitor List (Be Ruthless About It)
Pull 4–6 competitors from two sources:
- Search your primary keyword in the App Store and Google Play. The apps that appear in positions 1–10 are your real competitors for that term — not necessarily the apps you think about when someone asks "who's your competition."
- Check the "You Might Also Like" and "Customers Also Bought" carousels on the listing pages of the apps you already know.
Write down the app name, developer, primary category, and the URL or App Store ID. You'll reference this list throughout the process.
Avoid a common mistake: don't limit your list to direct competitors. If you're building a fitness tracking app, a meal planning app that ranks for "workout tracker" is a keyword competitor even if it's not a product competitor. Keyword competitors matter more for this exercise than business model competitors.
Step 2 — Extract Every Indexable Metadata Field
App stores index specific fields. On iOS, that's: title (30 chars), subtitle (30 chars), and keyword field (100 chars, not visible to users). On Google Play, it's: title (30 chars), short description (80 chars), and long description (4,000 chars).
For each competitor, record:
| Field | iOS (App Store) | Google Play |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Visible | Visible |
| Subtitle | Visible | — |
| Short Description | — | Visible |
| Keyword Field | Hidden | — |
| Long Description | Visible (truncated) | Visible (indexable) |
| In-App Purchases | Indexed | Indexed |
You can see everything except the iOS keyword field. Here's how to work around that:
On iOS: Use a tool like AppFollow, Sensor Tower, or even the free tier of AppTweak to see suggested keyword rankings for an app. Cross-reference what terms a competitor ranks for that don't appear in their visible metadata — those are likely in their keyword field. If you don't have tool access yet, manually search 20–30 terms in the App Store and note which competitors surface consistently. That's your manual approximation.
On Google Play: The long description is fully indexed. Read the first 167 characters closely — that's what displays before the "Read More" fold and where developers concentrate keywords. Count how many times a target term appears. Three to five repetitions of a primary keyword across title, short description, and long description is the typical pattern for well-optimized listings.
Step 3 — Build a Keyword Matrix
Open a spreadsheet. Rows are keywords. Columns are competitors (plus a column for you).
For each keyword, mark which competitors appear to rank for it — either because it's in their visible metadata or because you found them when searching that term. Add a column for search volume tier (High / Medium / Low) and a column for your current ranking or "not ranking."
Here's a simplified version of what this looks like:
| Keyword | App A | App B | App C | App D | You | Volume Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| workout tracker | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — | High |
| gym log app | ✓ | — | ✓ | — | — | Medium |
| rep counter | — | ✓ | — | — | — | Low |
| bodybuilding tracker | — | — | ✓ | — | — | Medium |
| strength training log | ✓ | — | — | ✓ | — | Medium |
The cells where competitors are absent and you're also absent — those are your targets. Low-competition, medium-volume terms with no dominant owner are where new apps gain ground fastest.
Pay special attention to long-tail terms (3+ words). High-volume single-word terms are nearly impossible to crack for a new app. Terms like "bodybuilding workout tracker for beginners" have lower volume but the conversion rate is typically much higher because intent is specific.
Step 4 — Analyze Title and Subtitle Patterns
The title is the highest-weighted metadata field in both stores. Pull every competitor title into a single column and look at the structure:
- Is the brand name followed by a dash and a keyword phrase? (e.g., "Strava: Run, Bike, Hike")
- Is the subtitle doing keyword work or brand work? (subtitle keyword work is more common among mid-tier apps; top-tier apps often have brand equity that lets them ignore keyword pressure in the subtitle)
- Are competitors targeting one broad keyword or two to three specific ones?
When you see three or four competitors using a nearly identical title structure, that structure is validated. Deviation from it needs a reason.
If you're building on top of an existing app or launching a new one, this analysis feeds directly into your title decision — which is one of the highest-leverage calls in your entire ASO setup. Getting the title wrong costs you months of ranking momentum that's hard to recover.
Step 5 — Read the Description for Positioning Gaps
Competitor descriptions tell you two things: what they're confident about and what they're avoiding. The things they're avoiding are often your opportunity.
Read the first 167 characters of each competitor's description as if you're a user who just searched a specific term. Ask:
- Does this description answer the user's core question immediately?
- Is there a pain point the competitor is dancing around but not naming?
- Are they leading with features when users are searching for outcomes?
In our engagements, we frequently find that mid-tier competitors over-index on feature lists ("Track sets, reps, weights, cardio, nutrition…") while under-indexing on the specific outcome a user is looking for. A description that leads with the outcome — "Never lose track of a PR again" — combined with keyword-dense feature bullets often outperforms pure feature-list descriptions on conversion rate.
Want a team to run this analysis for your app and build a metadata strategy from scratch? Semnexus's mobile app marketing services covers full ASO audits, competitive keyword research, and ongoing metadata optimization.
Step 6 — Look for Keyword Gaps Across the Category
After you've built your matrix, look at the column-level picture. Some useful patterns to hunt for:
The orphan term: A keyword that only one competitor targets in their metadata. If that competitor ranks well for it, the term has validated demand but low competition. It's worth testing.
The absent obvious: A term that should obviously be in every competitor's metadata but isn't. This happens in niche categories where early movers established the terms and later entrants copied them without thinking critically. Sometimes the most descriptive, searchable term for a feature is being missed by everyone.
The localization gap: If your app targets multiple markets, check whether competitors have localized their metadata or just translated it. Localized metadata (using region-specific terminology, not just translated words) is an area where most apps underinvest — which is an advantage if you do it well.
For deeper context on how discoverability strategy connects to broader digital marketing, A Thorough Guide to Deep Linking and Strategic Marketing is worth reading alongside this process.
Step 7 — Prioritize and Implement
You'll end up with more keyword opportunities than you have character budget. Prioritize using this framework:
- Must-own terms: Your primary value prop, high volume, you're currently not ranking. Go in the title or subtitle.
- Quick-win terms: Medium volume, low competition, specific intent. Fill your keyword field (iOS) or long description (Google Play) with these.
- Long-term targets: High-volume terms dominated by established competitors. Include them in your metadata but don't rely on them for traffic yet — earn velocity through the quick-win terms first, then revisit.
Metadata changes take approximately 1–2 weeks to index and show ranking movement. Don't change everything at once — make one to two focused changes per cycle so you can attribute any movement to a specific decision.
FAQ
How often should I re-run competitor keyword analysis?
Approximately every 60–90 days for established apps. For new apps in the first six months, monthly is more useful because the competitive landscape shifts as you gain installs and rankings shift. Any time a major competitor updates their metadata or a new well-funded competitor enters the category, run the analysis again.
Do I need paid ASO tools to do this?
No — not for the first pass. The manual process described here (searching terms directly in the store, reading visible metadata, building a spreadsheet matrix) costs nothing and gives you a solid foundation. Paid tools like AppTweak, Sensor Tower, or AppFollow are genuinely useful for estimating volume tiers and surfacing the hidden iOS keyword field, but they're not a prerequisite for starting.
Is this process the same for Apple App Store and Google Play?
The process is the same; the implementation differs. On Google Play, the long description is fully indexed, so you have more real estate to work with and keyword repetition matters more. On iOS, the hidden 100-character keyword field means your visible metadata needs to be clean while your hidden field carries the keyword load. Run the analysis for each store separately — don't assume your iOS metadata strategy translates directly to Play.
What if my competitors are much larger and have thousands of reviews?
Focus on keyword gaps, not head-to-head competition on the same terms. Large competitors with thousands of reviews own high-volume, high-competition terms — don't fight that battle directly. Find the medium-volume, specific-intent terms where review velocity matters less than metadata relevance. That's where a new or smaller app can realistically rank.
How do I know if a keyword is actually driving installs vs. just impressions?
App Store Connect (iOS) shows keyword-level impression data under Analytics > Acquisition > App Store Search. Google Play Console shows search term performance under Acquisition reports. Match impression data to install conversions over a 30-day window to see which terms are driving actual downloads, not just visibility.
Can I use this same framework for a brand new app with no rankings at all?
Yes — in fact, this is the best time to run it. Before you've committed your metadata to anything, you have full flexibility. The competitor analysis tells you the structure and vocabulary that the market already recognizes. Starting with validated terms is significantly faster than starting with guesses.
If you want a second set of eyes on your competitor keyword analysis — or want us to run the full audit and build an implementation plan — book a call with the Semnexus team or explore our mobile app marketing services to see how we approach ASO from keyword research through conversion rate optimization.
