App store metadata
App store metadata is everything that makes up an app’s store listing: the title, subtitle or short description, the long description, the (iOS) keyword field, plus the visual assets — icon, screenshots, and preview video. Metadata does two jobs at once. Some fields are indexed for search and decide which keywords the app can rank for; others barely affect ranking but heavily affect whether a visitor taps "Get". Strong ASO treats these as two linked problems: get found, then get the install.
- App store metadata is the text and visual assets of a listing: title, subtitle/short description, description, keyword field, icon, screenshots, and preview.
- Some fields are indexed for search (ranking); others — the icon and screenshots — drive conversion but are not indexed.
- App Store: title 30, subtitle 30, keyword field 100, promotional text 170, description 4,000 — Apple indexes the title, subtitle, and keyword field, not the long description.
- Google Play: title 30, short description 80, long description 4,000 — all three are indexed for search.
- The icon and first one or two screenshots do most of the conversion work, even though they don’t affect ranking.
Which fields are indexed for search
On the App Store, the title and subtitle are the most heavily weighted text fields, followed by the hidden 100-character keyword field; Apple does not index the long description for keywords. On Google Play, the title, the short description, and the long description are all indexed, and term frequency in the description genuinely matters. This is why the same app often needs different metadata on each store: the fields that earn rankings are not the same.
Because the indexed fields are short and byte-limited, every character is a trade-off. Putting a keyword in the title is the strongest placement, but the title also carries your brand and has to read well — so metadata work is as much editing as it is keyword research.
Which fields drive conversion
The icon and the first one or two screenshots do most of the conversion work — they are what a visitor sees before scrolling, and they decide the install in seconds. The description, ratings, and "what’s new" notes matter for the visitors who read further. None of the visual assets meaningfully affect search ranking, but they can make or break the conversion rate, which is why a listing with great keywords and weak screenshots underperforms.
The best metadata strategy optimizes both layers deliberately: research and place keywords in the indexed fields to win the impression, and design the icon and screenshots to win the install once you have it.
Frequently asked questions
Does the app description affect App Store ranking?
No — Apple does not index the long description for keywords. On Google Play, however, the description is indexed and term frequency in it does affect ranking, so the same app usually needs different description strategies per store.
What is the iOS keyword field?
It’s a hidden 100-character field in App Store Connect where you list keywords you want to rank for, separated by commas. It’s indexed for search but never shown to users, so it’s purely a ranking lever.
Which metadata matters most for conversion?
The icon and the first one or two screenshots do most of the conversion work, because they’re what a visitor sees before scrolling. They don’t affect ranking, but they decide whether an impression becomes an install.
Put this into practice.
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