Google Play · Android ASO

Google Play ASO for Healthcare & Wellness Apps

Win Play Store wellness search above Calm and Headspace on condition and method modifiers.

Healthcare and wellness on Play Store is dominated by Calm, Headspace, Flo. New entrants win on condition-specific or method-specific long-tails inside the long description.

Keywords Healthcare & Wellness Apps should weave into the long description

Play indexes the long description — these keywords belong there 3–5 times each, written as natural copy.

Primary (head) keywords

High demand. Title + short description first, then 4–5x in long description body.

meditationsleepmental healthperiod trackersymptom checker

Long-tail keywords

Where new apps actually rank. Use 3–4x in the long description, often in section headers.

meditation for anxietysleep stories for adultsperiod tracker pcoscbt journalbreathing exercises panic

Where each keyword goes in your Play Console listing

Three fields that Play Store indexes — title, short description, long description.

Title (30 chars)

Brand + method or condition — e.g. "Wysa: Mental Health Coach". Be specific about what kind of wellness.

Short description (80 chars)

Condition + method — "CBT journal for anxiety. Track moods, build habits." Specificity wins.

Long description (4000 chars)

Section by condition or method: "For anxiety", "For sleep", "For ADHD". Use condition keywords 3–5 times. Stay away from clinical claims ("cures", "treats") — Play's health review is strict.

Play Console category

Health & Fitness or Medical. Medical is stricter — only use it if you're truly medical (telehealth, symptom tracking with clinical positioning). Otherwise use Health & Fitness.

Common Play Store ASO pitfalls for healthcare & wellness apps

Targeting "meditation" against Calm and Headspace

Locked at the top. Target "meditation for anxiety", "sleep meditation", "meditation for adhd" — Calm and Headspace cover them weakly.

Clinical language in title or short description

Play Console reviewers strip "cure", "treat", "diagnose" from titles in Health/Medical. Move those to long description body where they're still indexed but pass review.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use condition names (depression, anxiety, PCOS) in keywords?

In the long description: yes. In the title: be careful — Play's health review will flag titles that imply diagnosis or treatment. "Journal for [condition]" usually passes; "Cure [condition]" never does.

How do I rank a small wellness app against Calm?

Don't target "meditation" — target the use case. "Meditation for anxiety", "meditation for sleep", "breathing exercises for panic". Calm is broad enough to leave room on every specific long-tail.

Are condition-specific apps better off in Health & Fitness or Medical?

Health & Fitness for habit/lifestyle apps (mood tracker, period tracker, journal). Medical for telehealth, symptom checkers, prescription apps. Pick wrong and review will move you and your rank will reset.