# How to rank higher on Google Play > What Google says ranks apps in Google Play search, and the steps that move an app up: a clean title, a full description written for people, ratings, stability under Google's thresholds, and listings for your best keywords. Source: https://aso.fastemy.com/guides/rank-on-google-play/ · Updated: 2026-10-31 · Fastemy ASO Agent ## The short answer 1. Google Play ranks apps on a combination of ratings, reviews, downloads and other factors, and your store listing text helps people find you. 2. There is no keyword field: your title (30 characters), short description (80) and full description (4,000) carry the words. 3. Keep the title free of “#1”, “Best”, “Free”, emoji and ALL CAPS, and write the description for people, with the key words in the first lines. 4. Stay under the Android vitals thresholds (1.09% crashes, 0.47% ANRs): above them, Play may show your app less. To rank higher on Google Play, give Google words that match the search and give people reasons to choose you. Google says Play ranks apps on a combination of **ratings, reviews, downloads and other factors**, keeps the weights to itself, and that your store listing text helps people discover your app.[^play-discovered] ## 1. Write a title people would search You have 30 characters.[^play-setup] Put your brand and what the app does, in the words people type. Google's policy keeps out emoji, ALL CAPS (unless it's your brand), ranking claims like “#1” or “Best”, price words like “Free”, and Play program names like “Editor's Choice”.[^play-metadata-policy] ## 2. Use the short description as your search-result pitch 80 characters that also appear in search results.[^play-best-practices] State the core purpose and the main benefit. No “free”, “discount”, “#1” or “Best” here either. ## 3. Write the full description for people, not for a keyword list Google Play has no hidden keyword field, so the 4,000-character description carries your words. Google asks you to keep it succinct because people may read only the first sentences, not to repeat the short description, and to avoid repeated or unrelated word lists.[^play-best-practices] Put the most important words in the first lines, the way you would explain the app to a friend. ![Google Play listing limits: title, short and full description, icon, feature graphic, screenshots, video](https://aso.fastemy.com/img/en/play-anatomy.svg) ## 4. Keep the app stable ![Android vitals thresholds](https://aso.fastemy.com/img/en/vitals.svg) Google publishes two bad behavior thresholds over a 28-day window: a user-perceived crash rate of **1.09%** and an ANR rate of **0.47%** overall (8% for any single phone model). Above them, Google Play may reduce your app's visibility and warn people on your listing.[^play-vitals] ## 5. Earn ratings, and answer reviews Your Google Play rating is calculated from recent ratings, and you can post one public reply per review.[^play-ratings] Ask through the In-App Review API after people have used the app enough, without a question first and without putting it behind a button.[^play-in-app-review] More in [the ratings guide](https://aso.fastemy.com/guides/get-more-ratings/). ## 6. Give your best keywords their own listing Custom store listings can target people who search specific keywords, as well as countries, past users and ads traffic, up to 50 listings.[^play-csl] Use one for a keyword that brings you traffic, with a title and screenshots that answer exactly that search. ## 7. Translate, and test your graphics Google says a professional translation of your description can lead to better search results.[^play-discovered] Then test: store listing experiments compare up to two variants of your icon, feature graphic and screenshots against your current listing.[^play-experiments] To be eligible for Play's screenshot-based recommendation formats, upload at least four screenshots at 1080 px or more.[^play-preview-assets] ## What we don't promise Google doesn't publish its weights, and our live rank tracking on Google Play comes with Pro. Today you can check your text against Google's rules with the free [Google Play checker](https://aso.fastemy.com/audit/#play). [^play-discovered]: Play Console Help, “Get discovered on Google Play search”, https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/4448378 (undated · read 2026-10-31) [^play-setup]: Play Console Help, “Create and set up your app”, https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/9859152 (undated · read 2026-10-31) [^play-metadata-policy]: Play Console Help, “Metadata policy”, https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/9898842 (undated · read 2026-10-31) [^play-best-practices]: Play Console Help, “Best practices for your store listing”, https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/13393723 (undated · read 2026-10-31) [^play-vitals]: Android Developers, “Android vitals”, https://developer.android.com/topic/performance/vitals (last updated 2026-10-19) [^play-ratings]: Play Console Help, “View and analyze your app’s ratings and reviews”, https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/138230 (undated · read 2026-10-31) [^play-in-app-review]: Android Developers, “Google Play In-App Reviews API”, https://developer.android.com/guide/playcore/in-app-review (last updated 2026-01-30) [^play-csl]: Play Console Help, “Create custom store listings to target specific user segments”, https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/9867158 (undated · read 2026-10-31) [^play-experiments]: Play Console Help, “Run A/B tests on your store listing”, https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/6227309 (undated · read 2026-10-31) [^play-preview-assets]: Play Console Help, “Add preview assets to showcase your app”, https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/9866151 (undated · read 2026-10-31) ## FAQ ### Does keyword repetition help on Google Play? No. Google asks you to avoid repeated or unrelated keywords and can treat keyword spamming as a policy issue. Write each word where it reads naturally. ### Does the short description affect Google Play search? It shows in search results and is part of your listing text, which Google says helps discovery. Google doesn't publish how much each field weighs. ### Can I target a keyword with its own store listing? Yes. Custom store listings can be targeted by search keywords, among other audiences, and you can have up to 50 of them. ### How does stability affect ranking? If your app exceeds a bad behavior threshold in Android vitals, Google Play may reduce its visibility and show a warning on your listing.