Getting an application discovered in the Play Store can be a difficult task for developers. Bigger studios can hire someone to improve this, but even that isn't a guarantee and it isn't an option for indie devs. Some developers have gone so far as to add relevant keywords to the bottom of the application description in an attempt to boost the rankings for various search terms. To an extent, this can be classified as keyword stuffing (which is against the Google Play ToS) but now developers are able to add up to 5 tags to their app for improved discoverability.

Google has received a fair bit of complaints from the community about application and game discoverability in the Play Store. Only a few years ago it would be impossible to see a unique app at the top of the search results even if you searched for the exact name. Which is rather surprising when you think about how Google has dominated the web search market. Oddly enough, some of the major factors the company used to rank reputable sites well were not available to them in a siloed application store. At least not for a while.

google play tags

In a move to improve application discoverability, the company has now added a way for developers to add some tags to apps and games that it has in the Play Store. This new feature can be accessed via the Google Play Console and we're told that tags could affect where your app is displayed on Google Play. Various tags can also allow Google to compare your app against others in your peer group. The company does say "may" as it's clear sneaky developers will try to abuse the new system.

For the most part, though, this will be a useful new tool for developers who are looking to target specific types of apps.


Source: Google