SnagFrogThe short answer: start from the words your customers type, look up which of them people really search for, check what competitors already rank for, then track a short list every week and give each keyword one page that should rank for it. SnagFrog does the lookups, the tracking and the plan for each app.
What keyword research needs for an indie app
- Seed words in the customer's language: "time tracker for freelancers", not "TimerEngine".
- The market: the country and language your customers search in.
- Competitors, whose rankings show what is winnable.
- Your real positions, from Google and Bing, every week.
- A page per keyword, so two of your pages don't compete for the same search.
Step 1: Describe the app's market
Contact us for a workspace. In the app's Settings, add its website and the country and language its customers search in. Keyword research shows in an app's Growth section when it is on for your workspace.
Step 2: Find keywords
- Open Growth → Keywords and press Settings.
- Under Words people might type to find you, add one per line.
- Under Sites you compete with, add competitor websites.
- Press Save, check the cost shown next to the button, then Find keywords.
Step 3: Choose what to track
New finds land in Suggestions. Save the ones that fit to Tracked and move the rest to Dismissed. Above the list, see what moved up or down, last week's clicks, and Quick wins: keywords you rank 4th to 20th for.
Step 4: Connect Search Console and Bing
Connect Google Search Console or Bing Webmaster Tools once in Settings → Connections, then pick the app's site in its settings. Positions then come from Google's own weekly average, and Bing also shows who links to you. Google Analytics adds visits next to reports and errors.
Step 5: Follow the plan
Growth → SEO plan lists things to do, best first, drawn from your audit, keywords, directories and AI answers, including which page should rank for each saved keyword. Mark each one done, later or not doing. With Claude Code connected, Let Claude do it gives you a prompt to paste.
Questions
How do I do keyword research for a small app?
Start from the words a customer would type, not your feature names. Look up real search volume around them, see what your competitors already rank for, and pick the keywords where you can realistically reach the first page. SnagFrog's Keywords page does the lookups from your seed words and competitor sites.
What is a quick win keyword?
A keyword your site already ranks for between 4th and 20th. It is close to the top, so improving the page that ranks for it usually moves it faster than writing something new.
Where do the ranking positions come from?
From Google Search Console or Bing Webmaster Tools, once you connect them: with Search Console, positions are Google's own weekly average. You can also turn on a paid weekly rank check; the page shows what each check costs before you turn it on.
What does keyword research cost?
Each run looks up live search data, which is paid. The page shows what a run can cost and how much of this month's budget is left before you press Find keywords. Search Console and Bing are free.
Related guides
- How to run an SEO, GEO and AEO audit of your app’s website
- How to check whether AI assistants recommend your app
- How to submit your app to launch directories and track backlinks
- How to find Reddit threads and mentions where people ask for an app like yours
- How to plan and schedule X posts for your app
All 21 guides, from an idea to a launched app.
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