Search Tab vs. Browse Tab
The App Store's Search tab surfaces apps by keyword query, where ASO metadata directly applies; the Today, Games, and Apps browse tabs surface apps through editorial curation and category browsing, where it doesn't.
Keyword-driven ASO work (title, subtitle, keyword field) is aimed squarely at the Search tab, since that's the surface governed by the ranking algorithm reading your metadata against a typed query. Browse surfaces work differently: Today is editorially curated, and the Games/Apps tabs surface curated collections and charts rather than a search-query match.
Category and chart position within the browse tabs are influenced by broader quality and popularity signals (downloads, ratings, engagement) more than by specific keyword choices, so a strong keyword field won't move a browse-tab chart position the way it moves search ranking for the terms it targets.
Understanding which tab a given growth tactic actually affects prevents misdiagnosing results — a metadata change that doesn't move a browse-tab chart position hasn't necessarily failed, since that wasn't the surface it was built to influence.
Frequently asked questions
- Does improving my keyword field help my category chart ranking?
- Not directly. Chart position in the browse tabs is driven more by download volume, ratings, and engagement than by keyword field content. Keyword work is aimed at Search tab ranking specifically.
Related terms
- Today Tab FeaturingThe Today tab is Apple's editorially curated App Store home surface, distinct from search results and unaffected by keyword metadata or ASO work.
- App Store CategoriesApp Store categories are the classifications Apple uses to group apps in browse and featured views — category selection affects both discoverability in browse and how the search algorithm interprets keyword relevance.
- App Store AlgorithmThe App Store algorithm is Apple's automated system for ranking apps in search results — combining metadata relevance, user engagement signals, and quality indicators to determine which apps appear for each search query.
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Put this into practice
Score App Store keywords by popularity and difficulty across 109 storefronts — the numbers behind search tab vs. browse tab.
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