Definition
Keyword drift
A change in your app’s ranking for a keyword that you didn’t cause.
What is Keyword drift?
Drift is when your position for a keyword moves without any change on your side — for example because a competitor updated their listing, new apps launched, Google adjusted relevance signals, or your quality signals changed after a release.
Why it matters for ASO
In crowded stores rankings move constantly. A drop from #8 to #19 can cut most of a keyword’s traffic, and it rarely shows up in total installs until days or weeks later.
How to improve it
- Track keywords daily per country.
- Set alerts for top-10 exits and big drops.
- When a drop is sustained, check competitors, Android vitals and recent releases.
- Annotate your own changes so you can tell drift from cause.
Related terms
Keyword ranking
Your app’s position in Google Play search results for a specific keyword, country and language.
Android vitals
Google Play’s technical-quality metrics, such as crash and ANR rates, which can affect how visible your app is.
Visibility
How often your app is shown to users across search, browse and recommendations.