Welcome to the AppFollow Glossary! 👋
This guide brings together the most common terms, metrics, and concepts you may encounter while using AppFollow or reading our Help Center.
Use this page as a quick reference. For metrics and features that have a dedicated guide, select the linked term to learn more.
A
App
An app is a mobile application tracked and analyzed in AppFollow. Depending on the store and your setup, AppFollow can collect information such as ratings, reviews, rankings, keywords, downloads, and ASO data.
App Metadata
App metadata is the information displayed on an app store listing, such as the app name, subtitle, description, keywords, screenshots, and other store-specific fields. Metadata plays an important role in App Store Optimization (ASO).
App Reputation Index
The App Reputation Index is a health-check metric that summarizes an app's overall performance in the app stores on a scale from 0% to 100%. It combines ASO and search visibility performance, ratings and reviews performance, and other factors such as updates and category ranking.
Related: App Reputation Index
App Store
An app store is a digital marketplace where users discover, download, and update apps. AppFollow works with multiple stores, including the Apple App Store and Google Play.
App Store Connect
App Store Connect is Apple's platform for managing apps distributed through the App Store. An App Store Connect connection can provide AppFollow with store data and enable actions such as replying to reviews, depending on the connection type and permissions.
ASO
ASO (App Store Optimization) is the process of improving an app's visibility and conversion in app stores. It includes activities such as keyword research, metadata optimization, competitor analysis, and monitoring search visibility.
Average Rating
The Average Rating is the average star rating associated with an app or a selected set of reviews. AppFollow can display average ratings alongside other review and rating metrics.
B
Benchmark
A benchmark is a reference point used to compare an app's performance with competitors, a category, or a market. AppFollow's competitive reports can compare metrics such as ratings, reviews, search visibility, and other performance indicators.
Brand Power
Brand Power indicates the share of an app's traffic that comes from branded searches. It is used in AppFollow's competitive analysis to help understand an app's organic brand strength.
Branded Keyword
A branded keyword contains a brand, company, product, or app name associated with an app. AppFollow identifies branded keywords in keyword-tracking views so they can be analyzed separately from generic keywords.
C
Category Ranking
Category Ranking is an app's position in an app store's category charts. AppFollow can track ranking history and changes by country and store.
Conversion Rate
Conversion Rate shows the percentage of users who download an app after seeing it. In AppFollow's organic traffic reporting, it helps measure how effectively an app listing converts impressions into downloads.
Competitor
A competitor is another app selected for comparison with your app. AppFollow's competitor analysis tools can compare multiple apps across market, ASO, ranking, ratings, reviews, and other metrics.
D
Difficulty / Keyword Difficulty Score
Keyword Difficulty estimates how difficult it is to rank in the Top 10 for a specific keyword in the App Store or Google Play. The score can range up to 100; a higher score indicates stronger competition.
Downloads
Downloads are app installations attributed to the selected period and data source. Store integrations are required for AppFollow to access non-public download data for your own apps.
E
Effectiveness / Keyword Effectiveness
Keyword Effectiveness is a relative measure of a keyword's potential for a specific app. It weighs keyword popularity against competition and helps identify keywords that may be worth targeting.
Export
An export is a downloadable copy of data from AppFollow, such as reviews, keywords, or reports, for use outside the platform.
F
Featured App
A Featured App is an app highlighted by an app store through editorial or promotional placement. AppFollow tracks featuring events and can show them alongside ranking history and other performance data.
Feedback
Feedback is user-generated information about an app, primarily expressed through ratings and reviews. AppFollow provides tools to organize, analyze, and respond to this feedback.
G
Google Play
Google Play is Google's app marketplace for Android applications. AppFollow supports Google Play app data and connections for features including reviews, ratings, downloads, and ASO reporting.
Generic Keyword
A generic keyword is a search term that does not contain a specific brand name. Generic keywords are commonly used in ASO to reach users searching for a type of app, feature, product, or solution.
I
Indexed Keyword
An indexed keyword is a keyword for which an app appears in an app store's search results. Total Ranked Keywords represents the number of keywords for which an app is ranking in the selected market or context.
Integration
An integration connects AppFollow with another service so that data or actions can flow between systems. AppFollow supports integrations with help desks, communication platforms, analytics tools, and other services.
K
Keyword
A keyword is a word or phrase that users enter into an app store's search field. In AppFollow, keywords are used to track search rankings, popularity, difficulty, effectiveness, and organic performance.
Keyword Effectiveness Index (KEI)
The Keyword Effectiveness Index (KEI) is a relative indicator of a keyword's potential for a specific app. It combines keyword popularity and difficulty with app-level performance to estimate how promising the keyword may be.
Related: Keyword Effectiveness Index
Keyword Difficulty
See Difficulty / Keyword Difficulty Score.
Keyword Popularity Score
The Keyword Popularity Score measures the relative popularity of a keyword among app-store users. The score ranges from 0 to 100, with higher values indicating greater search popularity. It is a relative metric and does not represent an exact number of searches.
Related: Keyword Popularity Score
Keyword Ranking / Rank
A Keyword Rank is an app's position in search results for a particular keyword. A lower numerical position means the app appears higher in the search results.
Keyword Tracking
Keyword Tracking is the process of monitoring an app's rankings and keyword metrics over time. AppFollow's Keyword Tracking page includes metrics such as Popularity, Difficulty, Effectiveness, Rank, Best Rank, and Search Downloads.
M
Market Benchmark
A Market Benchmark is a reference based on the performance of other apps in a relevant market or category. AppFollow uses benchmarks in competitive reports to put an app's performance into context.
O
Organic Download
An Organic Download is an app download attributed to unpaid or organic discovery rather than paid advertising. AppFollow's Organic Dashboard helps analyze organic traffic, downloads, conversion, and the keywords contributing to organic performance.
Organic Traffic
Organic Traffic is traffic generated through unpaid discovery, including users who find an app through store search. AppFollow's Organic Dashboard provides metrics for understanding this traffic and its relationship to ASO performance.
Organic Search
Organic Search refers to users discovering an app through app-store search results rather than paid advertising.
P
Popularity Score
See Keyword Popularity Score.
Phrase Analysis
Phrase Analysis identifies frequently used words and phrases in app reviews. It can be used to discover recurring topics, review sentiment, trends, and potential customer issues.
R
Rank
See Keyword Ranking / Rank.
Rating
A Rating is a user's star-based evaluation of an app. Ratings can be submitted with or without a written review. AppFollow distinguishes between total ratings and ratings associated with reviews.
Reply Effect
Reply Effect measures the change in a review's rating after an agent responds to the review. AppFollow can use this metric to analyze the impact of replies on ratings.
Reply Rate
Reply Rate is the percentage of reviews that received a response from the app team during the selected period.
Review
A Review is written user feedback about an app, usually accompanied by a star rating. Reviews can be filtered, tagged, analyzed, translated, and answered in AppFollow.
Review Rating
The Review Rating is the star rating associated with a written review. It can be analyzed separately from an app's overall rating.
Review Status
A Review Status indicates the current state of a review in AppFollow, helping teams organize and manage their review workflow.
S
Search Visibility
Search Visibility describes how easily users can discover an app through app-store search. It is influenced by factors including the number of keywords an app ranks for, keyword positions, and keyword popularity.
Search Visibility Score
The Search Visibility Score measures an app's visibility in organic app-store search. It incorporates multiple metrics, including indexed keywords, rankings, and popularity, and can be used to compare an app's search visibility with competitors.
Related: Search Visibility Score
Semantic Analysis
Semantic Analysis uses machine-learning-based analysis to identify themes, sentiment, and other characteristics in app reviews. AppFollow's Semantic Analysis tools include KPIs, Semantic Charts, Demographic Analysis, and Sentiment Analysis.
Semantic Category
A Semantic Category groups related review topics into a broader area of analysis, such as Bugs, User Feedback, Monetization, or Report a Concern.
Semantic Tag
A Semantic Tag is a label automatically assigned to a review based on its topic or meaning. Semantic tags help teams identify recurring issues and themes in user feedback.
Sentiment Score
Sentiment Score is an indicator of overall user satisfaction based on the relationship between positive and negative reviews. A higher score represents more positive sentiment.
Source
A Source is a trackable unit added to AppFollow, such as an app, Trustpilot Page, Steam Game, Facebook Page, or Discord Server. AppFollow uses Source as the general term across different platforms.
Note: A Source is the tracked unit, while a Source connection is the integration used to connect it to AppFollow.
Source Connection
A Source Connection connects AppFollow to an app store or other data source so AppFollow can retrieve data and, where supported, perform actions such as replying to reviews.
Store Reply Time
Store Reply Time is the total time between a user submitting a review and the store publishing the team's reply, including store moderation time.
T
Total Ranked Keywords
Total Ranked Keywords is the total number of keywords for which an app ranks in the app stores for the selected context. It is one of the metrics used to understand organic search performance.
Top Charts
Top Charts show leading apps in an app store's ranking charts, usually organized by category, country, device, and chart type. AppFollow tracks chart positions as part of its store and competitive analysis.
W
Workspace
A Workspace is an AppFollow environment where apps, competitors, keywords, and team workflows are organized. Workspace configuration can affect which apps and keyword recommendations are used in certain features.