How to Use Competitors' Branded Keywords for App Promotion

Using competitors’ branded keywords in your ASO strategy can be a double-edged sword. While the approach can help increase visibility and attract new users, it also carries risks that may impact your app’s reputation and compliance with store policies.

This guide explores the advantages, disadvantages, and smart strategies for leveraging competitors’ branded keywords effectively — supported by FoxData’s Global App Market Research Tool for competitive insights.

Disadvantages of Using Branded Keywords

1. Low Conversion Rate: Users searching for a specific branded keyword are typically intent on downloading that particular app, leading to a low conversion rate for competitors.

2. Risk of App Store Penalties:

   • App Store Guidelines: Both Apple and Google prohibit using third-party trademarks in text metadata or visual assets like screenshots and previews.
   • Consequences: Violating these guidelines can result in warnings, rejections of app updates, or, in rare cases, app bans.

Advantages of Using Branded Keywords

1. Apple Search Ads (ASA):

   • Target Relevant Users: Running ads on competitors' branded keywords can attract relevant users, as you only pay per click.
   • Brand Protection: ASA can also be used to protect your brand by ensuring your app appears when users search for your branded keywords.

2. Increased Visibility:

   • Awareness: By promoting your app using competitors' branded keywords, you increase awareness among potential users who are searching for similar apps.
   • Competitive Edge: Many brands invest heavily in securing top positions for their own keywords, leading to high bids for these placements.

Strategies for Working with Competitors' Branded Keywords

1. Protect Your Brand:

   • Trademark Registration: Register your trademark and actively respond to competitors' unfair practices by filing complaints with app stores.

2. Optimize ASO:

   • Generic Keywords: Focus on generic keywords that appear in search phrases with branded keywords, especially on Google Play.
   • Typos and Errors: Utilize app store suggestions for branded keywords with typos to capture organic traffic.

3. Leverage ASA:

   • High Ranking: Ads generally rank high in search results and can offer good conversion rates due to their natural appearance.

4. Use Supporting Apps:

   • Traffic Redirection: Create additional apps to split functions and redirect traffic, similar to how Facebook Inc. uses Messenger.

Analyzing Branded Keywords

• Branded Keyword Metrics: Understand if a keyword belongs to a specific company, which can be challenging to promote.
• App Store Suggestions: Examine suggestions for misspelled branded keywords to identify opportunities for organic traffic.

Strengthening your brand and increasing the popularity of your branded keywords should be your primary focus. Secondarily, consider promoting your app using competitors' branded keywords, but always weigh the risks and potential effectiveness.

FoxData is ready to support your ASO efforts with precise analytics, helping you achieve top rankings in app stores.

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