Developer finds iOS app invisible to App Store search after months of flawed keyword tracking

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An indie iOS developer discovered that their app ranked for only 2 of 59 tested keywords across six App Store storefronts, with both matches consisting solely of words already in the app's title. Critical search terms like 'app blocker' and 'digital detox' returned no results for the app in any country. The developer also found that their keyword-tracking script used a browser-style User-Agent header, which returned artificially optimistic rankings compared to neutral HTTP clients, making months of recorded data unreliable. A separate SEO check using the 'site:' search operator was similarly compromised, as it was returning unrelated results from Chinese Q&A sites rather than the developer's own domain. The developer concluded that the app's stagnant download count stemmed from indexing and measurement failures rather than a lack of demand or a marketing shortfall.

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