You validated a keyword in the hidden field. After 21 days, it entered ranking. Now what?
Most developers leave keywords in the field indefinitely. A few promote them immediately to the subtitle or title without confirming they belong there. Both approaches miss the actual decision: keyword placement is not about preference, it is about whether the data justifies the risk.
The three metadata fields are not interchangeable. They carry different ranking weight, different user visibility, and different consequences when you change them. Understanding what each field does is what separates a keyword strategy that compounds from one that wastes tests.
The three fields and what each one does
Keyword field (100 characters, hidden)
The keyword field is invisible to users and indexed primarily for search ranking. It is the lowest-risk place to test. Changes here affect your ranking but not your tap-through rate, your conversion, or what users see in search results.
Use the keyword field for unvalidated candidates: keywords you want to test but have not confirmed can rank at all.
Subtitle (30 characters, visible)
The subtitle appears under your app name in search results and on your product page. A change here affects both ranking weight and the text users read before they decide to tap in. Subtitles carry more indexing influence than the keyword field, and they do double duty as conversion copy.
Use the subtitle for keywords that have proven they can rank in the field and are also accurate enough to serve as a visible descriptor.
Title (30 characters, visible)
The title carries the highest ranking weight of any metadata field. Apple gives more relevance signal to keywords placed in the title than anywhere else. But the title is also the first thing users see in every context: search results, browse rows, device home screens, and the App Store product page header.
Title changes produce the largest ranking swings in both directions. A wrong keyword in the title hurts your brand and your ranking simultaneously.
Use the title for keywords you have confirmed at the field level, and ideally at the subtitle level first. The title is for keywords you are fully committed to long-term.
The three signals that justify a promotion
Not every keyword that ranks in the field should move to the subtitle. Not every strong subtitle keyword should move to the title. Promotion should be justified by evidence.
1. Position 15 or better, held for 14 consecutive days
A keyword that enters ranking at position 40 is not ready to promote. At that rank, impressions are minimal and the test data is thin. Wait until a keyword has held position 15 or better for at least 14 consecutive days before considering a subtitle move. For a title promotion, aim for position 10 or better over 21 days.
2. Impressions follow the rank position
Rank position means nothing if the keyword is generating no impressions. A keyword sitting at position 12 with 8 impressions over 30 days is a low-volume term that does not justify taking up a visible slot. A keyword at position 12 with 200 impressions over 30 days is a real traffic driver. Check impressions alongside rank before promoting.
3. The keyword accurately describes the app
A keyword that ranks well but does not describe your app’s core function will hurt conversion when users land on your product page expecting something different. The subtitle is conversion copy as much as it is a ranking signal. A high-ranking keyword that misleads users at the point of tap-through is a liability in any visible slot.
If the keyword passes the intent check — a user who searched this term and found your app would call it a relevant result — it is eligible for a visible slot.
What promotion looks like in practice
The promotion sequence is simple once the signals align.
Start by adding the candidate to your hidden field. Run the 21-day test. If it ranks at position 15 or better with measurable impressions, flag it as a promotion candidate.
For a subtitle move: in your next update cycle, move the keyword from the field into the subtitle, and add a new unvalidated candidate to the field to replace it. Your field coverage stays at 100 characters. The confirmed keyword moves to a higher-weight, visible slot.
For a title move: treat this as rare. It requires field confirmation, subtitle confirmation, and a clear case that this keyword belongs as the lead descriptor for your app. Title changes should be high-confidence decisions, not routine rotation.
Marteso’s version history logs each metadata state automatically. When you promote a keyword, you can compare ranking before and after the move across the exact 21-day windows, without reconstructing anything from memory or notes.
The two mistakes that stall this process
Promoting too fast. A keyword enters ranking on day 12, looks strong, and gets moved to the subtitle before the test window closes. The clock resets. The full picture never develops. The developer draws conclusions from a 12-day window instead of 21.
Never promoting at all. A keyword sits in the field indefinitely, even after confirming it ranks. It generates modest impressions but never gets the additional weight that a subtitle placement would add. The ranking plateaus when it could compound.
The promotion ladder solves both by giving the decision a structure: validate in the field, promote when the three signals align, let the title work only for keywords that have fully earned it.
The one thing to do today
Open your keyword tracking data for the past 30 days. Find any keyword in your hidden field that has held position 15 or better with measurable impressions. Then check your current subtitle: is the field keyword generating more impressions than the term you are currently showing users?
If yes, plan a promotion in your next update cycle. If no, you have your answer — it stays in the field for another test window.