How App Store and Google Play search ranking works

What do the stores officially say?

Both stores describe their search in a few sentences and keep the formula private.

Apple: "Search results are based on a number of factors, including text relevance (matches for your app's title, subtitle, keywords, and primary category), as well as user behavior (downloads, ratings and reviews, and more)." Apple also says ratings and reviews "can influence how your app ranks in App Store search", that the primary and optional secondary category are indexed, and that promotional text "doesn't affect your app's search ranking".

Google: Play search "factors in the overall experience of your app based on user behavior and feedback. Apps are ranked based on a combination of ratings, reviews, downloads, and other factors." On quality, Google says that if an app exceeds the Android vitals bad-behavior thresholds, "it's likely to be less discoverable on Google Play".

Which signals are documented and which are only observed?

The table labels each signal. "Official" means a store's own page says it; "observed" means it is widely reported in practice but not documented, so treat it as a hypothesis.

Signal	App Store	Google Play	Label
Words in the title	Yes	Yes	Official (Apple); Google calls the title "particularly helpful" for users to find your app
Subtitle	Yes	No such field	Official
Hidden keyword field	Yes, 100 bytes	No such field	Official
Short and full description	Not in Apple's text-relevance list	Google recommends SEO practice in the description	Official
Primary and secondary category	Indexed	Category and up to 5 tags help users find apps	Official
Downloads	Yes	Yes	Official
Ratings and reviews	Yes	Yes	Official
Crash and ANR rates	Not documented for search	Over the thresholds, likely less discoverable	Official (Google)
DAU/MAU and user loss	Not documented	Below 8% DAU/MAU or above 5% user loss: a warning may show and some surfaces may not be available	Official (Google)
Speed of recent installs	Not documented	Not documented	Observed
Conversion from search results	Not documented as such	Not documented as such	Observed; downloads are official
Developer (company) name	Searchable: App Store Connect Help says "your app is searchable by app name and company name"	Not documented	Official (Apple)
Update frequency	Not documented	Google advises regular updates as a way to improve visibility	Official advice (Google)

Practical reading: put the text where it counts, then work on the things that create downloads and good ratings. On Google Play, also watch Android vitals, which is the one quality signal a store explicitly ties to discoverability.

What else appears in search results?

Search results are more than a list of apps. On the App Store they can include developer cards, in-app purchases, in-app events, custom product pages, categories, editorial content and Apple Ads. Your rating and up to three screenshots or previews can show on your card. People who downloaded your app before may see your in-app event card instead of screenshots.

Two newer elements matter for ranking work:

Custom product pages with keywords. You can assign keywords from your latest approved version to a custom product page, so that page appears in search for those keywords instead of the default page. Apple asks that each keyword combination be unique to one page.
App tags. Apple generates tags from your metadata using large language models, AI and human curation; they show in search results and on product pages. Apple says tags are currently supported only in the United States, and you can deselect tags in App Store Connect under App Information > App Store Tags.

At the top of App Store search, an Apple Ads slot can push the first organic result down. When you measure ranks, separate the paid slot from organic positions.

How do you diagnose a sudden rank drop?

Work through these questions in order. Each one rules out a cause before you change anything.

Is the drop real? Check the same storefront, device type and search on several days. One day's reading can move; a trend over several days is a signal. Personal history and the ad slot can make what you see on your phone differ from a clean reading.
Did your own text change? A new version can remove a word from the name, subtitle or keyword field. Compare the live metadata with the previous version. On Google Play, compare the title and both descriptions.
Did Apple modify your keywords? Guideline 2.3.7 says "Apple may modify inappropriate keywords at any time". If a keyword was a trademark or irrelevant, it may no longer count.
Did a rival change? A rival that adds your search to its title, ships a big update or starts an event can pass you. Check the apps that moved above you.
Did your ratings change? A run of low ratings after a release is a common cause on both stores. Read the reviews of the latest version.
Google Play: did Android vitals cross a threshold? User-perceived crash rate 1.09% and ANR rate 0.47% of daily users overall, or 8% on a single device model. Open Android vitals in Play Console.
Did the search itself change? Seasonal searches rise and fall. A drop in popularity can mean fewer installs at the same rank.
Did you change category? On the App Store the primary category is indexed; a change can move you on category-related searches.

If none of these explains it, wait for more readings before reacting. Changing several things at once makes the next drop impossible to explain.

What should you do first on each store?

If you have one hour	App Store	Google Play
Text	Fill the subtitle and all 100 bytes of the keyword field, no repeats	Main search in title and short description, natural full description
Category	Choose the primary category where people look for your kind of app	Category plus the 5 most relevant tags
Conversion	First three screenshots show the core benefit	Same, plus a feature graphic and video
Quality	Fix crashes; ratings follow	Check Android vitals thresholds
Ratings	Ask with the system prompt after a success	Use the In-App Review API at a natural pause

The full field list is in What is ASO?, and picking searches is covered in app keyword research. For categories and charts, see choosing a category and reading top charts.

How does Uptika read ranks?

Uptika reads the public search results of each storefront every day: on the App Store the first 200 results in search order, starting at 04:00 Istanbul time; on Google Play the first result page. It stores each position so a drop can be checked against your releases and your rivals' listing changes. The details are in keyword rank tracking and the methodology.

Where does Uptika fit?

Kelime radarı (keyword radar) tracks your positions daily and flags sharp drops and rivals that pass you (alert channels and phone notifications are on paid plans), Rakip günlüğü (competitor log) shows the listing changes of the apps that passed you, and Kategori listeleri (category charts) shows your chart rank, read every 3 hours. To check a listing right now, run the free Listing X-Ray. To track your own app every day, start free.

Questions

How does the App Store search algorithm work?

Apple says search results are based on text relevance (matches for the title, subtitle, keywords and primary category) and user behavior (downloads, ratings and reviews, and more). The weights are not published, and Apple says it keeps changing how search works.

How do I rank an app higher on the Play Store?

Put your main search in the title and short description, write a natural full description, keep crash and ANR rates under the Android vitals thresholds, earn ratings and reviews, and update regularly. Google lists ratings, reviews and downloads as ranking factors and says apps over the vitals thresholds are likely to be less discoverable.

Why is my app not showing in App Store search?

Common reasons: the search word is not in the name, subtitle or keyword field; the version with your new keywords is not live yet; the app is not available in that country; you are checking a different storefront; or many stronger apps cover the same term. Search for your exact app name first: if that fails, check availability and the live version.

How do I rank higher on the App Store?

Choose relevant searches you can win, place each once in the name, subtitle or keyword field, make the first screenshots convert, and earn ratings. Apple names downloads and ratings as signals, so conversion work and rank work go together.

Does the description affect ranking?

On the App Store, Apple lists title, subtitle, keywords and primary category for text relevance, and says promotional text does not affect ranking; the description is not in that list. On Google Play there is no hidden keyword field, and Google recommends SEO practice in the description within its spam rules.