Rootd · B2C · panic attack relief app
Go after 'panic attack' first, then climb to 'anxiety relief'
Now #2 for 'anxiety relief' and #1 for 'anxiety' (search score 36)
Workedasopositioning-niche
What they did
Founder Anya targeted 'panic attack', a lower-volume but lower-difficulty keyword than 'anxiety relief', to rank first.
What happened
Rootd now ranks #2 for 'anxiety relief' and #1 for 'anxiety' and 'anxiety app'.
“So, I had Rootd Anya on back in the day, and she would target a specific keyword. So, for her, it was panic attack”
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More from Rootd
All 25 Rootd tactics- Hire an outside ASO contractor to manage App Store keywordsRankings fell from #2 to tanking; recovered only after reverting to her own keywords
- Show the paywall at the start of onboarding instead of hiding itRevenue up 5x with almost no negative feedback
- Target the low-volume 'panic attack' keyword instead of the crowded 'anxiety'Now #1 for 'panic attacks' and #2-3 for 'anxiety'; glowing reviews from day one
- Launch on World Mental Health Day and pitch local journalists firstBrought the first few hundred users; later list placements fed bigger press
- Show the paywall during onboarding, with a close buttonRevenue doubled
- Send new users a daily quote by push for 7 days, then make it paidReceived very positively, per founder; no numbers
More from this episode
- Pick a keyword with search score ~30 that no top app has in its title, then build#1 for two keywords; one app ~$500/month, another $2-3K/month, all organic
- Launch on two niche keywords first, then climb to broader search terms$15-17K/month from organic alone; ~$20K/month now with paid added
- Build a hard-paywall app around a few keywords you can rank #1 for~$490K last year from organic search; over $1M lifetime since 2024
- Cut Apple Ads spend on an app that already ranks well in searchLittle change in sales or downloads; host's claim, no numbers
- Put each Apple Ads keyword in its own ad group on exact match~$6-7K/month spend; app stayed profitable; host says clients see it work too
- Run an Apple Ads max-conversion campaign with a $1-2 target cost per installGood ROAS across several clients at $600-$85K/month; one turned unprofitable when pushed higher
- Push Apple Ads spend up to find the most you can spend at a profitProfitable at first; turned unprofitable when scaled past ~$24K/month
- Grow a new app almost entirely with Meta ads$5M in revenue since its 2025 launch
- Rely on App Store search as the only way users find the app$6M last year, nearly all organic (app has been around for years)
- Launch many apps aimed at searched keywords; a few winners carry the restTop apps at $200K, $100K, $90K, $50K a month; many others make nothing
- Ask new users what they want help with, and see which answer pays'Anxiety relief' converted best of all goals (sleep, calm, stress)
- Put extra English keywords in the Spanish (Mexico) title and subtitleHost says it helps US rankings, even if the app isn't sold in Mexico
- App Masters: Show real people's faces in your App Store screenshotsHost says apps with people convert better; no numbers