Understand keyword metrics and score explanations

Learn what popularity, demand, difficulty, relevance, chance, and opportunity mean.

Written By Enrique Bonansea

Last updated About 2 hours ago

Keyword Intelligence separates observed market evidence from estimates. These measures answer different questions and should not be treated as interchangeable.

Availability note: as of September 19, 2026, scoring models await publication in the live dashboard. This guide explains the metric labels; it does not mean that every metric currently has a value.

Popularity and demand

  • Raw Search Popularity: an Apple-origin value when authorized and validated access is available. Check its source, scale, storefront, and observation date.

  • Demand: an emonster estimate of search demand. It is modeled data, not a raw Apple measurement or an exact number of searches.

Competition and app fit

  • Difficulty: the strength of competition for a keyword, independent of one selected app.

  • App Strength: an app’s competitiveness within its market and category context.

  • Relevance: how well the term matches the app and the user’s likely intent.

  • Chance Score: an app-specific rankability score. A value such as 80 must not be read as an 80% probability of ranking.

Trend and opportunity

  • Trend: movement in demand or visibility supported by available history.

  • Opportunity: an app-specific prioritization score combining demand, chance, relevance, and available trend context.

High demand alone does not make a keyword suitable for an app. Relevance and the app’s ability to compete matter too. An opportunity score is not a guarantee of ranking, downloads, or revenue.

Before acting on a score

  1. Confirm the app, storefront, keyword language, and device.

  2. Check whether the value is observed, modeled, or unavailable.

  3. Read the explanation, evidence date, freshness, confidence, and model version where provided.

  4. Use comparable contexts when comparing terms or dates.

An unavailable metric means the required source, model, or evidence is missing. Do not substitute zero or copy a value from another storefront. Apple catalog order and paid ad placement are not validated organic keyword rankings.