ASO Glossary
Tap-Through Rate (TTR) as a Ranking Factor
Core Definition
The percentage of users who see an app in search results and tap to view the product page, used by Apple as an immediate relevance quality signal.
When users search for a keyword, Apple tracks which app icons and screenshots get tapped from the search results feed.
An app with high Tap-Through Rate (TTR) for a specific keyword signals strong relevance to Apple's search algorithm, which can boost its organic rank above competitors with higher total review counts but lower search CTR.
Optimizing your app icon and the first three portrait screenshots directly improves search TTR.
Frequently asked questions
- What is an average Tap-Through Rate in Apple Search Ads?
- Average TTR across categories is between 6% and 10%. Highly relevant brand or exact utility searches can exceed 15–20% TTR.
Related terms
- Tap-Through Rate (TTR)Tap-through rate is the share of users who see your app in App Store search results and tap into the product page, measuring the pull of your icon, name, and subtitle before any conversion decision is made.
- 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.
- App Store Conversion RateApp Store conversion rate is the share of users who see your app's listing in search or browse and go on to install it, and it now carries as much ranking weight as metadata relevance in most categories.
- App Store Optimization (ASO)App Store Optimization is the process of improving an app's visibility in App Store search results and its conversion rate from search impressions to installs.
- 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.
- Keyword DifficultyKeyword difficulty is a 0–100 score estimating how hard it is to break into the top-ranking positions for a given App Store keyword, based on the strength of apps currently holding those positions.
Browse the glossary
Put this into practice
Score App Store keywords by popularity and difficulty across 109 storefronts — the numbers behind tap-through rate (ttr) as a ranking factor.
Start keyword research