Apple Search Ads Popularity Score (1–100) Explained: The Honest Guide

If you have ever done App Store Optimization (ASO) or run Apple Search Ads (ASA), you have seen Apple’s mysterious search popularity score: a number between 1 and 100 with a five-dot meter. What does that number actually represent, and why do different ASO tools report vastly different search numbers?

1. The Only Source of Truth: Apple's 1–100 Index

Apple does not publish raw search counts (such as "24,100 searches in July"). Instead, Apple's Search Ads API provides a relative index called searchPopularity1to100.

This index reflects the frequency of searches conducted for a given keyword within a specific App Store storefront relative to all other search queries:

• 5 (Minimum Baseline): The keyword has negligible search volume in that country.
• 20 – 40 (Niche / Long-Tail): Solid search demand suitable for indie apps seeking low-competition rankings.
• 40 – 65 (Medium Demand): High-intent commercial keywords with moderate to fierce competition.
• 75 – 100 (Trophy Keywords): Mass-market brand names and mega terms (e.g., spotify, camera, crypto).

2. Why "Search Volume" in ASO Tools Is Fabricated

Many expensive legacy ASO platforms charge \$100 to \$500 per month and display exact search volume estimates. It is critical to understand: Apple never provides raw search volume numbers to anyone.

Any tool showing exact monthly volume is applying an unverified proprietary multiplier or scraping web search trends (like Google Trends), which often fails to match real iOS user buying intent.

3. How AppClimb Handles Popularity Honestly

At AppClimb, we believe developers deserve honest, labeled data:

• When Apple Ads catalog returns a score, we label it "Apple Ads official (1–100)" with the exact API score.
• When a term is outside Apple's catalog, we estimate based on public App Store search signals and clearly label it "iTunes estimate".
• We never claim non-existent search volume numbers.

4. How to Use Popularity for Metadata Strategy

When drafting your App Store title (30 chars), subtitle (30 chars), and 100-character keyword field:

1. Target scores between 25 and 45 first: If your app has fewer than 100 ratings, competing for 70+ popularity terms will yield zero downloads.
2. Combine low-difficulty root terms: Target combinations of keywords with low competition scores to rank in top 3 immediately upon launch.
3. Leverage the AI ASO Assistant: Use AppClimb's Assistant to craft localized keyword strings that respect strict character limits without repeating words.