Rootd · panic attack relief app
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
Workedasopositioning-niche
What they did
At launch, checked keywords in Sensor Tower or Appfigures: 'panic attack' was low competition and low volume, 'anxiety' had more volume and competition. Resisted the temptation to go for 'anxiety' and positioned on 'panic attack' to match the core feature (the red Rootr panic button). Users arriving via that keyword got exactly what they searched for and left reviews (often containing the product-page keywords), which she believes reinforces ranking with Apple and Google.
What happened
Strong reviews from the very beginning; ranks #1 for 'panic attacks' and #2-3 for 'anxiety', bringing in a lot of download volume.
- Stage
- launch
In their words
Sub Club by RevenueCat · Hitting 2M Downloads Without Funding, Employees, or Learning to Code — Ania Wysocka, Rootd“So, I looked up the keyword "panic attack," saw that it was not very competitive, pretty low volume, and then I looked up "anxiety" on the other hand, and that was more competition, more volume.”
“So, I did stick with panic attacks. And even though the volume was much lower back in the day, when people did find Rooted with that keyword, they really got what they were looking for.”
“So, now Rooted ranks number one for panic attacks, number two or three for anxiety, depending on the day. And it just brings in a lot of volume of downloads that way.”
Related topics
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New tactics from the week's founder interviews, each linked to where it was said.
More from Rootd
All 25 Rootd tactics- Go after 'panic attack' first, then climb to 'anxiety relief'Now #2 for 'anxiety relief' and #1 for 'anxiety' (search score 36)
- Show the paywall during onboarding, with a close buttonRevenue doubled
- Read reviews of rival apps to find the gap, then ship a rough first versionFirst few hundred users asked her to keep going despite bugs
- Spend hours writing helpful replies on anxiety posts, with a link to the appNamed her top growth tactic; no numbers
- Cold-email journalists who write about mental health, telling your own storyFew replies, but features in Cosmopolitan, Women's Health and Time
- Make the app deliver what searchers want so reviews repeat your keywordsFounder calls it a strong App Store presence; no numbers
More from this episode
- Rootd: Hire an outside ASO contractor to manage App Store keywordsRankings fell from #2 to tanking; recovered only after reverting to her own keywords
- Rootd: Run a small Apple Search Ads budget on your brand name and 'panic attack' termsFounder says it has worked; spend kept at bare minimum so far
- Rootd: Show the paywall at the start of onboarding instead of hiding itRevenue up 5x with almost no negative feedback
- Rootd: Ask new users to set a daily reminder during onboardingSetting a reminder is one of the strongest signs a user will stay
- Rootd: Send new users a daily quote by push for 7 days, then make it paidReceived very positively, per founder; no numbers
- Rootd: Launch on World Mental Health Day and pitch local journalists firstBrought the first few hundred users; later list placements fed bigger press
- Rootd: Plan a year of monthly feature stories, each with press and an App Store eventEach moves the needle a little; no single spike, bumps fade
- Rootd: Keep sending Apple feature requests; about 15 tries before the first yesFeatured, later Editor's Choice; big jumps in browse installs, especially when featured in the US
- Rootd: Hire a local ad agency to run paid ads before the paywall was fixedLost money; founder says she tried too early
- Rootd: Hit trial-conversion targets and drop required email sign-up before buying ads again
- Rootd: Ask users to share the app right after it calms a panic attackBiggest share rate after the success screen; founder calls sharing a big growth driver
- Rootd: Give the app a mascot that starts scary and gets friendlier as users improveUsers treat the mascot as a friend; no usage numbers
- Rootd: Drop email marketing and keep in touch with users by push insteadEmail cost more than it earned, so it was dropped
- Rootd: Try lower prices country by country to earn more from Android usersNo clear win; subscription uptake stays low in those markets
- Rootd: Sell premium access to health insurers and veterans groups for their members