Rank in every
App Store market.

Most iOS apps are indexed for English keywords only — even when they're available in Japan, Germany, France, or Brazil. That's a missed ranking opportunity. App Store localization means adding country-specific metadata to your listing: a localized title, subtitle, and keyword field researched directly in each market's language. Not a translation of your English keywords — actual keywords that users in those countries type when searching for apps like yours.

Each market below has its own keyword research, competitive landscape, and search patterns. Click any market to see the opportunity, sample keywords, and how LocalizeRank's localization service works for that country.

Why country-specific App Store localization matters

Apple indexes each localized App Store listing separately. That means your Japanese title, German subtitle, French keyword field, and Brazilian Portuguese metadata each create new search surfaces. If those fields are empty, copied from English, or machine-translated without keyword research, your app can be available in a country but almost invisible in that country's search results.

LocalizeRank focuses on the ranking fields that matter most: title, subtitle, keyword field, and screenshot text. Each market page explains how users search, which categories usually move fastest, and what a ready-to-paste localization sheet includes before you update App Store Connect.

What changes when your app is localized properly

A proper App Store localization gives each market its own ranking strategy. The title should lead with the highest-priority local keyword, the subtitle should capture a second high-intent phrase, and the keyword field should use the remaining 100 characters without repeating words already indexed in the visible fields. Screenshot text should also be adapted because conversion affects whether ranking gains turn into downloads.

This is different from hiring a translator. Translation answers “what does this English word mean?” ASO localization answers “what do users in this country actually search when they want an app like this?” The second question requires competitor research, category context, keyword difficulty checks, and a clear decision about which markets are worth updating first.

For most indie apps, the best starting point is five markets: enough to create a meaningful international footprint without turning the project into a large agency retainer. After those markets are live, ranking movement over the next two to four weeks shows which countries deserve more screenshot testing, additional metadata revisions, or paid user acquisition support.

The market pages below are designed as decision pages, not just country lists. They explain why each App Store market matters, how users search there, what language-specific issues affect metadata, and what kind of ranking movement is realistic after the localized fields are submitted.

Use this hub when choosing where to expand first. Japan and South Korea can unlock high-value non-English search demand, Germany and France are strong European revenue markets, Brazil and Mexico can add lower-competition growth, and Australia or Canada can improve English-language coverage without a full translation project. The right mix depends on your app category and current App Store footprint.

Every LocalizeRank pack is built around that prioritization step. Before metadata is written, the markets are checked against your category, competitor set, and likely search intent. That keeps the deliverable focused on markets where App Store localization has a realistic chance to create ranking gains.

Frequently asked questions about App Store localization

What is App Store localization?

App Store localization is the process of adapting your app's metadata — title, subtitle, keyword field, and optionally screenshots — for each country you want to rank in. It is not translation. Translation converts your existing English keywords into another language. Localization researches what users in that country actually search for, identifies the keywords your competitors rank for in that market, and builds new metadata from scratch using those findings. The result is a keyword field filled with high-relevance local terms, a title that leads with the strongest local keyword, and a subtitle that captures a second priority phrase.

Which countries are worth localizing first?

The right answer depends on your app category. As a general starting point, Japan and South Korea produce the highest download-per-ranking-position ratios because high per-user spending combines with low localization competition — most indie apps have never submitted a single Japanese or Korean character. Germany is the strongest European market for paid apps and in-app purchases. France and Brazil offer large user bases with low-competition keyword fields. Australia is an underrated market because English-language app listings travel well there, but Australian search patterns differ from US patterns enough to justify dedicated keyword research. The market pages on this hub explain each country's specific dynamics in more detail.

How long does it take to see ranking improvements after localization?

Apple's indexing takes two to four weeks after metadata submission. The first ranking positions for new localized keywords typically appear within three weeks. Meaningful download volume from a new market usually follows four to six weeks after submission. International markets often show faster initial movement than your home market because your app is entering keyword competitions where most competitors have weak or absent localization — the bar for ranking is lower than in the US or UK App Store.

Does localization work for apps with few reviews?

Yes — in fact, newer apps often benefit more from international localization than from continued US optimization. In the US, apps without many reviews compete against established players with thousands of ratings. In Japan or Germany, your app may be among the few localized apps in its category, which means lower competition for positions even with a smaller review count. The caveat is that your rating still affects conversion. An app with under 4.0 stars will rank in new markets but convert poorly. The ideal time to localize is when you have at least 10–20 ratings above 4.0 in your primary market.

What exactly does LocalizeRank deliver?

Every LocalizeRank order delivers a Google Sheet with one tab per market. Each tab contains the localized title (30 characters), subtitle (30 characters), keyword field (100 characters), and screenshot text headlines for that country. Every field is built to the exact character limit — not approximately. Every keyword field is checked for duplicate words against the title and subtitle before delivery, because duplicate words waste characters without adding ranking signal. The sheet is formatted to paste directly into App Store Connect with no reformatting needed. Orders arrive in three to ten business days depending on the plan.

How is this different from hiring a translator on Fiverr?

A Fiverr translator answers the question "what does this English keyword mean in Japanese?" LocalizeRank answers "what do Japanese users actually search when they want an app like this?" Those are different questions with different answers. A translated keyword field may contain grammatically correct Japanese that zero users search for. A localized keyword field contains terms pulled from real App Store search data, checked against competitor rankings, and filtered for achievable difficulty. The difference in ranking outcomes is consistently large. Translation produces listings that are readable in the local language. Localization produces listings that rank in the local App Store.

Do I need to submit a new app binary to update my metadata?

No. App Store Connect lets you update your title, subtitle, keyword field, and screenshot text without submitting a new app binary. You can make a metadata-only submission, which Apple reviews separately and typically approves within 24 to 48 hours. This means localization can be live without waiting for a full app review cycle. The keyword field for each locale is found in App Store Connect under your app's version information, organized by language. Each locale has its own independent fields — updating French metadata does not affect your English metadata.