Increasing the Keywords for each localization in ASO

Why is localization an important part of App Store Optimization?

How can localization increase the number of keywords in the App Store Optimization?

One of the most important resources in the App Store to increase your app’s downloads and discoverability is the keyword field. The real challenge here is to select the right keywords since this asset is very limited and only allows 100 characters (8-12 keywords).

This is where localization is important. It is a great trick to increase your number of available keywords since Apple allows you to submit keywords in various languages per country in addition to English. You can use it whether you are planning on offering localization for your App Store description or your app.

How does it work?

For instance, in the United States, you can rank for Spanish (Mexico) and English (US). Even if your app isn’t localized for the Spanish-speaking market, you can still use the available space to store extra keywords in English.

By localizing your app in different languages, you are ranking higher for popular search queries, getting ahead of competitors in local markets, and most importantly, reaching more people.

Australia

Canada: English (Canada), French (Canada)

Australia: English (Australia), English (U.K.)

New Zealand: English (Australia), English (U.K.)

Asia

Turkey: Turkish, French, English (U.K.)

China: Chinese (Simplified), English (U.K.)

Hong Kong: Chinese (Traditional), English (U.K.)

India: Hindi, English (UK)

Indonesia: Indonesian, English (U.K.)

Israel: Hebrew, English (U.K.)

Japan: Japanese, English (United States)

Korea: Korean, English (U.K.)

Kuwait: Arabic, English (U.K.)

United Arab Emirates: Arabic, English (U.K.)

Vietnam: Vietnamese, English (U.K.)

Yemen: Arabic, English (U.K.)

Bahrain: Arabic, English (U.K.)

Lebanon: Arabic, French, English (U.K.)

Macao: Chinese (Traditional), English (U.K.)

Malaysia: Malay, English (U.K.)

Oman: Arabic, English (U.K.)

Qatar: Arabic, English (U.K.)

Russia: Russian, English (U.K.), Ukrainian

Saudi Arabia: Arabic, English (U.K.)

Singapore: Chinese (Simplified), English (U.K.)

Taiwan: Chinese (Traditional), English (U.K.)

Thailand: Thai, English (U.K.)

• Adapt the keywords you translate from one language to another to the cultural and linguistic nuances of every language (find keywords and slang words specific to each language)
• Remember how the search algorithms work. For instance, the App Store algorithm can distinguish between plural and singular in English, but not in other languages
• In certain countries people may search keywords in English instead of their own language, so keywords in English could generate more traffic than keywords in the local language
• Track your competitors’ metadata so you can find the keywords and search phrases that they use and add them to your own metadata
• Use a tool to research the search volumes of your keywords
• Use all the localizations that are indexed in your target geo
• Don’t forget that you cannot combine keywords from different locations. That means that if you have “bike” in your Spanish (SP) keywords and “renting” in your English (UK) keywords, you won’t be ranking for “bike renting”