How to Evaluate Keyword Difficulty in 2025

Ranking position 1 drives 30-40% of keyword traffic. Position 11 drives nearly zero.

Keyword difficulty determines whether your optimization efforts result in page 1 rankings or wasted character limits.

The apps that win at ASO don't target the most popular keywords—they target the keywords they can actually rank for.

Here's how to evaluate keyword difficulty and make strategic targeting decisions.

What Keyword Difficulty Actually Measures

Difficulty scores (typically 0-100) estimate how hard it is to reach top 10 rankings for a keyword.

Factors that determine difficulty:

Number of competitors: More apps targeting = higher difficulty

Competitor strength: Download velocity, ratings, existing authority

Keyword length: Single words typically harder than multi-word phrases

Category dominance: Established apps with strong rankings raise difficulty

Update frequency: Active competitors maintaining optimization increase difficulty

Difficulty Scoring Frameworks

Different ASO tools use different scoring methods:

Sensor Tower Difficulty Scores

Scale: 1-100

Interpretation:

• 1-30: Low difficulty (most apps can rank with optimization)
• 31-60: Medium difficulty (requires good metrics and optimization)
• 61-85: High difficulty (requires strong download velocity)
• 86-100: Very high difficulty (dominated by major apps)

App Radar Difficulty Scores

Scale: Easy / Medium / Hard / Very Hard

Calculation: Based on competitor analysis and market position

Mobile Action Keyword Intelligence

Provides: Competitive density analysis and ranking probability

Scale: Custom scoring based on your app's current metrics vs. competitors

The Strategic Difficulty Framework

Don't just look at difficulty scores—evaluate strategic fit:

Low Difficulty (Score <30)

Characteristics:

• Few apps targeting keyword
• Long-tail or niche terms
• New or emerging search patterns
• Specific use cases

Strategy: Quick wins for new apps

Examples for meditation app:

• "meditation timer with intervals"
• "breath work tracker beginner"
• "5 minute guided stress relief"

Pros: Can rank quickly, often convert well (specific intent)

Cons: Lower search volume, limited total traffic potential

When to target: Always include 5-10 low-difficulty keywords for early traction

Medium Difficulty (Score 31-60)

Characteristics:

• Moderate competition
• Category-relevant but not overly generic
• Balance of volume and achievability
• Room for optimization to break through

Strategy: Primary focus for most apps

Examples for meditation app:

• "guided meditation app"
• "mindfulness tracker"
• "stress relief meditation"

Pros: Meaningful traffic, achievable rankings, sustainable positions

Cons: Requires ongoing optimization to maintain rankings

When to target: Should form 60-70% of your keyword strategy

High Difficulty (Score 61-85)

Characteristics:

• Strong, established competitors
• Popular category terms
• Significant traffic potential
• Requires sustained effort to rank

Strategy: Long-term targets for growing apps

Examples for meditation app:

• "meditation app"
• "mindfulness"
• "sleep meditation"

Pros: High traffic if you can rank, category legitimacy

Cons: May take months to rank, easily displaced by bigger apps

When to target: Include 2-3 as aspirational targets once you have momentum

Very High Difficulty (Score 86-100)

Characteristics:

• Dominated by major apps (Headspace, Calm, etc.)
• Single-word generic terms
• Massive competition
• Near-impossible for new or small apps

Strategy: Usually avoid unless you're already a major player

Examples for meditation app:

• "meditation"
• "relax"
• "calm"

Pros: Huge traffic if you could rank (you likely can't)

Cons: Wastes character limits, unlikely to ever reach page 1

When to target: Only if you're a top 50 app in your category

Evaluating Difficulty Without Tools

If you don't have access to paid ASO tools:

Manual Difficulty Assessment

Step 1: Search the keyword in your target app store

Step 2: Evaluate top 10 results

Count how many have:

• 10,000+ ratings
• 4.5+ star average
• Recent updates (within 30 days)
• Professional screenshots and descriptions

Difficulty interpretation:

• 0-2 apps with strong metrics: Low difficulty
• 3-5 apps with strong metrics: Medium difficulty
• 6-8 apps with strong metrics: High difficulty
• 9-10 apps with strong metrics: Very high difficulty

Competitive Strength Indicators

High strength signals (make keyword harder):

• Apps with millions of downloads
• Apps updated within last 7 days
• Apps with Custom Product Pages or extensive localization
• Apps from established companies (Headspace, Nike, Spotify)

Low strength signals (make keyword easier):

• Apps not updated in 6+ months
• Low rating counts (<100 reviews)
• Poor visual assets (old screenshot designs)
• Generic or confusing positioning

Difficulty vs. Opportunity Matrix

Plot keywords on this matrix to prioritize:

High Volume + Low Difficulty = PRIORITY TARGETS
High Volume + High Difficulty = LONG-TERM ASPIRATIONS
Low Volume + Low Difficulty = QUICK WINS
Low Volume + High Difficulty = AVOID

Priority Targets (High Volume, Low Difficulty)

These are rare but extremely valuable—usually emerging trends or newly popular searches.

How to find:

• Monitor trending searches
• Track category-adjacent keywords gaining popularity
• Watch for feature-specific searches (e.g., "AI meditation guide" as AI features trend)

Example discovery: "meditation for ADHD" might have growing volume but limited competition

Long-Term Aspirations (High Volume, High Difficulty)

Include 1-2 of these in your keyword set as aspirational targets.

Strategy:

• Include in description for indexation
• Don't waste prime real estate (title/subtitle) on them
• Monitor ranking progress quarterly
• Increase focus as your app gains authority

Quick Wins (Low Volume, Low Difficulty)

These drive initial traction and validation.

Value:

• Early rankings build algorithmic trust
• Prove keyword optimization works
• Generate initial organic installs
• Create social proof (even small numbers help)

Limitation: Won't scale to large traffic numbers

Avoid (Low Volume, High Difficulty)

Don't waste character limits on keywords that are both hard to rank for and won't drive meaningful traffic.

Example: "zen" might seem relevant for a meditation app, but it's dominated by major apps and has ambiguous search intent (users might want zen gardens, philosophy, etc.)

Difficulty Changes Over Time

Keyword difficulty isn't static:

Difficulty Increases When:

• Major apps enter your category
• Competitors optimize for the same keywords
• General category popularity rises
• App Store algorithm updates favor established apps

Difficulty Decreases When:

• Competitors abandon keywords (shift positioning)
• Your app gains authority and download velocity
• Category fragmentation (competitors specialize, opening broader terms)
• Seasonal declines in search interest

Monitor monthly: Track difficulty scores for your target keywords to identify opportunities or threats

Platform Differences: iOS vs. Google Play

iOS Keyword Difficulty

Factors that matter most:

• Title and subtitle keyword inclusion by competitors
• Download velocity and ratings
• Keyword relevance to app description

Unique consideration: 100-character keyword field means more apps can target more keywords simultaneously, sometimes increasing difficulty

Google Play Keyword Difficulty

Factors that matter most:

• Keyword presence in app title
• Keyword density in description
• Download velocity and reviews
• Install-to-uninstall ratio (quality signal)

Unique consideration: Google's semantic understanding means related terms can help you rank for target keyword even without exact match

Difficulty Evaluation Tools Comparison

Free Tools

App Store Connect / Google Play Console:

• Basic search popularity indicators
• No difficulty scores
• Good for volume validation

Apple Search Ads:

• Keyword suggestions with popularity hints
• Competitive bid estimates (proxy for difficulty)
• Free with Apple Developer account

Paid Tools (Recommended)

Sensor Tower ($50-500/month):

• Detailed difficulty scores
• Historical difficulty trends
• Competitor keyword analysis

App Radar ($29-399/month):

• AI-powered difficulty assessment
• Keyword recommendations based on your app
• Optimization suggestions

AppTweak ($79-500+/month):

• Difficulty scores with context
• Keyword performance tracking
• Category benchmarks

Mobile Action ($25-300+/month):

• Keyword Intelligence score
• Ranking probability estimates
• Competitive positioning analysis

Making the Targeting Decision

Decision framework:

Target a keyword if:

• Relevance score: High (clearly describes your app)
• Difficulty score: ≤Medium for new apps, ≤High for established apps
• Volume: At least 500-1,000 searches/month
• Competition: You can differentiate or match top 10 apps

Skip a keyword if:

• Any of: Difficulty is Very High AND you're not top 100 in category
• Any of: Volume is <100 searches/month
• Any of: Relevance is low (users wouldn't want your app)
• All of: Difficulty is High AND volume is Low

The Realistic Keyword Portfolio

A balanced keyword strategy includes:

5-7 low-difficulty keywords: Quick wins, early traction 10-15 medium-difficulty keywords: Primary focus, sustainable traffic 2-3 high-difficulty keywords: Long-term growth targets 0-1 very high-difficulty keywords: Only if already category leader

This mix ensures short-term wins while building toward long-term growth.

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Keyword difficulty determines ROI on your optimization efforts. Target keywords you can win, not just keywords you want to win.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What Keyword Difficulty Actually Measures?

Difficulty scores (typically 0-100) estimate how hard it is to reach top 10 rankings for a keyword. Factors that determine difficulty:

Difficulty Scoring Frameworks?

Different ASO tools use different scoring methods:

What Is the Strategic Difficulty Framework?

Don't just look at difficulty scores—evaluate strategic fit:

Evaluating Difficulty Without Tools?

If you don't have access to paid ASO tools:

How Does Difficulty Compare to Opportunity Matrix?

Plot keywords on this matrix to prioritize: High Volume + Low Difficulty = PRIORITY TARGETS High Volume + High Difficulty = LONG-TERM ASPIRATIONS Low Volume + Low Difficulty = QUICK WINS Low Volume + High Difficulty = AVOID