Branded vs. Non-Branded Keywords
Branded keywords include an app or company name; non-branded keywords describe a problem or category without naming a specific product — the distinction matters for measuring organic discovery versus brand recall.
A branded keyword is one where users search for a specific app by name: 'Headspace', 'Finch app', 'Notion'. These searches represent users who already know the product and are looking for it. Non-branded searches ('meditation app', 'mood tracker', 'notes app') represent users who have a need and are discovering what exists.
For most apps, the majority of organic installs come from non-branded keywords — users discovering the app, not recalling it. Branded searches are valuable as a retention indicator (users returning after seeing a recommendation) but they tell you little about your discoverability to new users.
Competitor brand terms are a separate category: users searching a competitor's name may be open to alternatives if the search results show an app that looks like a better fit. Ranking for a competitor's brand name is common practice — the question is whether the search volume and the user's intent justifies spending a character slot on it.
Frequently asked questions
- Should I put competitor brand names in my keyword field?
- It depends on whether those brand names have real search volume and whether users searching them are likely to be open to alternatives. If a competing app is well-known and users search it by name, appearing alongside it can generate installs. Apple's guidelines prohibit misleading claims about affiliation, but the keyword field is for discoverability, not claims.
- How do I track whether my brand keyword traffic is growing?
- Your App Store Connect analytics will show search terms that led to impressions and installs. Trending branded searches suggest word-of-mouth or press coverage is working. Flat branded searches with growing non-branded installs suggest effective ASO.
Related terms
- Keyword PopularityKeyword popularity is a 0–100 score measuring how often users search for a given term in the App Store, derived from Apple Search Ads demand signals.
- App Store Search Ranking FactorsApp Store search ranking factors are the signals Apple's algorithm uses to determine which apps appear at the top of results for a given keyword — primarily metadata relevance, user engagement, and app quality indicators.
- Competitor TeardownA competitor teardown in ASO is the process of identifying which keywords a competing app ranks for — revealing their strategy and surfacing terms you may have missed.
Browse the glossary
Put this into practice
Score App Store keywords by popularity and difficulty across 109 storefronts — the numbers behind branded vs. non-branded keywords.
Start keyword research