Newsletter

Subscribe to never miss an update in mobile app marketing.

Login
Get Started
Book a Demo

2026 ASO Report: Keyword trends, visibility benchmarks, and top apps in the US App Store

detail img

Sports

Sports apps win by being timely and specific, so keywords prioritize live coverage, teams, and stats that keep users checking in daily.

“Sports” stays at the top because it’s the broad category keyword that keeps apps discoverable across all sports-related searches. “Game” and “match” serve the same role at a more practical level: they describe the core object users care about without tying the app to a single sport, so they work equally well for football, basketball, baseball, and others.

“Live” is important because Sports is highly time-sensitive. Many sessions are short and repeated during games. Users open the app to check a score, see what just happened, or follow a moment in real time. That’s why “scores” stays near the top. Top apps make this promise very clear; for example, ESPN includes “scores” directly in its app title to signal fast, instant answers.

“Team,” “players,” and “league” reflect how people actually follow sports. Most users don’t search randomly; they follow specific teams, leagues, and athletes over an entire season. These keywords help apps match those searches and signal ongoing coverage, not just highlights.

Sports apps increasingly position themselves as long-term tracking tools, not just live score apps. The use of “stats” and “track” shows a shift toward ongoing use beyond live match updates.

In 2025, Sports apps use metadata to position themselves as daily sports tracking tools, not just apps for live match updates. Keywords like stats, track, team, and league signal ongoing use beyond live games.

Social Networking

Social Networking metadata is built around instant interaction, so keywords focus on sharing, messaging, and clearly defining the social circle.

“Share” and “chat” lead because they describe the two default behaviors in almost every social app. You either send something (a post, photo, link, story, reel, forward), or you talk about something (DMs, group chats, channels).

Then we see the “who is this for?” layer: people, friends, community. “People” is the broadest, discover, and meet. “Friends” signals closer circles and keeping up over time. “Community” frames the app around groups, interests, neighborhoods, or shared identity.

Meanwhile, “connect” is used so often because it covers all types of social interaction in one word. “Social” still appears for visibility, but it’s no longer the main selling point; apps assume users already understand the category.

Lower in the list, “video” is expected rather than special. It’s included because users assume video exists (as in TikTok, Instagram) and is part of modern social experiences, not because it sets an app apart anymore. “Events” is more interesting: it signals a push beyond online interaction into coordination, invites, RSVPs, local plans, and group meetups.

Finally, “AI” in Social Networking usually means smarter matching and recommendations, feed ranking, spam filtering, moderation, and safety.

“MobileAction has been an incredibly valuable partner in helping us level up our ASO strategy. The platform’s tools are powerful, easy to use, and backed by a truly outstanding support team. I highly recommend MobileAction to any team looking to make smarter, data-driven decisions and drive sustainable app growth.”
Lucas Harrison
Lucas Harrison
Digital Marketing Specialist @Newton

Health & Fitness

Health & Fitness apps in 2025 aren’t selling motivation anymore. They’re selling routines that fit into daily life, and the most common keywords show a clear move toward consistency, structure, and tools that help people stick with habits over time.

“Health” and “fitness” are still everywhere, but the language around them has shifted; apps lean on “track,” “daily,” and “time” to signal realistic, repeatable use.

You can see that “routine and tracking” framing in top Health & Fitness apps like MyFitnessPal, their App Store copy repeatedly uses track and progress language (“Track Calories & Macros,” “Track Workouts, Weight, and Progress,” “Monitor your health and fitness progress”).

One of the biggest changes is AI. In this category, AI usually means personalization and guidance, workouts that adapt, and insights that make sense of your data.

Finally, the prominence of “sleep” confirms how the category expanded: recovery and rest are now part of the core experience.