01What Apple confirms itself
Apple's own developer documentation states: "Search results are based on a number of factors, including text relevance (matches for your app's title, subtitle, keywords, and primary category), as well as user behavior (downloads, ratings and reviews, and more)."
- Text relevance — title, subtitle, keyword field, primary category.
- User behavior — downloads, ratings and reviews.
- "and more" — Apple states additional factors exist without naming them.
02What Google Play confirms itself
Google Play Console's own help page states apps are ranked on "a combination of ratings, reviews, downloads, and other factors," and that search "factors in the overall experience of your app based on user behavior and feedback." The same page states directly: "the details of these weights and values are a proprietary part of the Google search algorithm."
03What to do with what isn't published
Both stores let you check the MEASURABLE side of the named factors: you control what the text fields say, you can measure rating/review counts against competitors, and you can track your own rank over time. Following the named factors with the measurement you do have is a more reliable footing than guessing at an unpublished weight.
- For the text fields, see the keyword field's own page.
- For where rating count sits against competitors, see how many reviews to rank.
- For tracking your own rank over time, see App Store keyword rank tracking.
Frequently asked
Does Apple or Google publish the actual ranking weights?
No. Both name some of what affects ranking, neither publishes the weight or exact formula — Google's own documentation states outright that this is "proprietary."
Does the list of ranking factors change over time?
Yes, both stores can update the ranking system and their own documentation. This page reflects what each store currently publishes; the source links go straight to the page, so you can check the date yourself.
Does Storelift reverse-engineer the ranking algorithm?
No. Storelift MEASURES rank — which position you hold for which term, how it's changed over time, where competitors sit. It doesn't produce an unpublished claim about how the algorithm itself works.
See this for your own app
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