Articles on: Reports & Tools

Keyword Inspector


Keyword Inspector is like a window into the App Store and Google Play. Type any keyword and see exactly what users see - every app in the search results, ranked in order, with download estimates, revenue data, ratings, and more. It's a real-time view of any keyword's search landscape, in any country, showing up to 225 results with the intelligence you need to make smart keyword decisions.


Whether you're evaluating keywords to target, researching competitors, or sizing up an entire market, Keyword Inspector gives you the data to do it.


Available on: Optimize (limited), Boost, Grow, and Explore plans. Boost and above include full keyword intelligence. Upgrade →


Mac App Store support is currently available in beta. If you're interested in accessing it, contact us.


Getting Started


To get to the report, go to App Store Optimization → Keyword Inspector in the left sidebar.


Here are the controls you'll use to set up your search:


  • Keyword - Type or paste any keyword into the search bar. Recent searches are saved below for quick access.
  • Store - Choose between the App Store and Google Play.
  • Country - Select any country to see localized search results for that market.
  • Device - Toggle between iPhone and iPad. Search results differ between devices, so rankings may vary. (App Store only.)


Once a keyword is entered, Keyword Inspector performs a real-time search and displays results along with keyword intelligence at the top.


Keyword Intelligence


This is the panel at the top of the report, organized into three cards:


  • Insights - Shows Popularity (0–100, how often users search for this keyword) and Competitiveness (1–100, how hard it is to rank). Both update throughout the day.
  • Top 10 Performance (Last 30 Days) - Aggregate data for the top 10 ranked apps: Est. Downloads (total + avg per app), Est. Revenue (total + avg per app), and DPR showing Best, Average, and Worst values. Click Compare to open the top 10 apps in Competitor Comparison. This gives a quick snapshot of what it takes to compete at the top.
  • Top Advertisers - Shows up to 6 apps currently running Apple Search Ads on this keyword. Click View All to see the full advertiser list. (App Store only.)


Most Repeating Keywords


Above the table, a "Most repeating" bar shows the most common words found across app names and subtitles in the search results. Click any word to highlight it in the table - a quick way to spot naming patterns and keyword trends among ranking apps.


Column Reference


The table is organized into four sections: Top Results, Keyword Usage, Performance, and Store Metadata.


Top Results


  • App - The app's icon, name, subtitle, developer, and price. Click any app to open a detail panel with comprehensive app information.


Keyword Usage


  • In Name - How many times and in how many languages the keyword appears in the app's name. Shows "Not used" if the keyword isn't in the name.
  • In Subtitle - How many times and in how many languages the keyword appears in the app's subtitle (App Store only). Shows "Not used" if not present.


Performance


  • Downloads - Estimated downloads over the last 30 days, with a sparkline showing the trend. Click to open in Competitor Comparison.
  • Revenue - Estimated revenue over the last 30 days, with a sparkline. Click to open in Competitor Comparison.
  • DPR - Downloads per Rating. The number of downloads needed to get one new rating. Lower means the app converts downloads into ratings more efficiently. Use it to spot competitors you can realistically outrank. See What is DPR for details.
  • Paid Ads - Whether the app is running paid ads (Apple Search Ads). Shows "Not Seen" or the number of ad networks detected.
  • New Ratings - Recent rating count and star rating, with a mini trend chart showing rating activity over time.


Store Metadata


  • Store Rank - The app's current position in its primary category chart, with the category name.
  • Updated - When the app was last updated.
  • Released - When the app was first released.
  • Localized - Whether the app is localized for the selected country (checkmark).


Actions


Compare Results


The Compare the top 5 results button (or select apps manually with checkboxes) lets you send selected apps to other reports for deeper analysis. Three options: Compare App Intelligence (side-by-side app profiles), Compare Organic Keywords (see which keywords each app ranks for), and Compare Paid Keywords (compare Apple Ads strategies).


Context Menu


Click any keyword name to open a context menu with quick actions: view organic search results, see paid advertisers, find related keywords, or copy the keyword to clipboard.


Other Tabs


Keyword Inspector also includes two additional tabs:


  • Apple Ads - See every advertiser bidding on this keyword, their ad share, how long they've been running, and which countries they target. For a full breakdown, see Keyword Advertisers.
  • Related Keywords - Discover keywords related to your search, with popularity, competitiveness, and top search results for each. For details, see Related Keywords.


What You Can Do With It


  • Size up any keyword instantly - See exactly how competitive a keyword is by reviewing who ranks for it, their download and revenue numbers, and how they use the keyword in their metadata.
  • Evaluate keyword difficulty realistically - Use DPR to understand what it actually takes to compete. A keyword might look competitive by score alone, but if the top apps have high DPR, there's an opening.
  • Research competitors' keyword strategies - Check how top apps use keywords in their name and subtitle. The In Name and In Subtitle columns reveal targeting patterns you can learn from.
  • Spot naming trends - Use the "Most repeating" keywords bar to see which words appear most across ranking apps. This surfaces patterns that can inform your own metadata.
  • Jump from research to action - Select apps from the results and compare their organic keywords, paid keywords, or full profiles in one click. No need to manually look up each competitor.
  • Explore international markets - Switch countries to see how search results change. The Localized column tells you which competitors have invested in that market.


💡 Ariel's Top Tip


🔍 Don't just look at the results - act on them. Select a few interesting apps directly from the search results and hit Compare the top 5 results. From there you can compare their app intelligence, organic keywords, or paid keywords in one click. It's the fastest way to turn a single keyword search into a full competitive analysis - and my favorite way to use Keyword Inspector.




How to Get There


In Appfigures, go to App Store Optimization → Keyword Inspector in the left sidebar, or go directly to appfigures.com/reports/keyword-inspector.


Updated on: 18/02/2026