How We Helped an Indie Game Find 47 Hidden Keywords with Gap Analysis
Real case study: a puzzle game went from 12 to 59 ranked keywords in 30 days using our gap analysis and competitor tracking tools.
When the developer of "BrainWave Puzzles" came to us, they were ranking for just 12 keywords - most of them branded terms. Using HackTheStore's gap analysis and competitor tracking, we uncovered 47 keywords they were missing. Here's exactly how.
The Starting Point
BrainWave Puzzles: 5,200 monthly downloads, 12 ranked keywords (only 3 in top 50), title was "BrainWave - Puzzle Game" with generic keywords like "puzzle,game,brain,fun". They were invisible for searches that actually mattered.
Step 1: Competitor Discovery
We added their top 5 competitors to our competitor tracking. AI analysis detected 15-20 keywords per competitor. Combined, we had a list of 87 unique competitor keywords.
Key Finding: 47 of those 87 keywords had zero overlap with BrainWave's current metadata. These were "free" keywords nobody was competing for within their niche.
Step 2: Keyword Prioritization
We used keyword difficulty scores to filter the 47 keywords: 18 were Easy (under 30), 20 were Medium (30-60), and 9 were Hard (60+). We focused on the 18 easy wins first.
Step 3: Metadata Optimization
New title: "BrainWave: Logic Puzzle & Riddle" (added high-value terms "logic" and "riddle"). New subtitle: "Daily Brain Training Games" (added "daily," "brain training"). Keyword field filled with 18 new terms using locale stacking.
Results After 30 Days
Keywords ranked: 12 → 59. Top 10 keywords: 3 → 14. Monthly downloads: 5,200 → 8,100 (+56%). The developer changed nothing about the app itself - only the metadata.