sixthblog

Launching a new product can be a daunting task, especially in a competitive marketplace. When we first introduced our AI code assistant extension on the VSCode marketplace, we faced significant challenges. For over two months, our extension struggled to gain traction, barely surpassing 100 installs. It wasn't until we discovered the power of SEO that everything changed.

The Challenge

When we initially launched our extension, it was simply named "Sixth." Despite our best efforts, our extension remained largely invisible in the marketplace. The core issue was SEO—or rather, our lack of understanding of how SEO worked on the VSCode marketplace.

The VSCode marketplace's ranking system relies heavily on two factors:

1. Number of installs

2. Number of good reviews

Given these criteria, it's incredibly challenging for a new extension to rank for high-difficulty keywords such as "AI," "Copilot," "AI code assistant," and others. For the first two months, our install numbers stagnated as we struggled to make our extension visible to potential users.

The Breakthrough

Our breakthrough came when we discovered a critical SEO insight: for new extensions, it's essential to include relevant keywords in the extension's name. This strategy helps to increase visibility and ranking for those keywords.

Instead of sticking with the short and generic name "Sixth," we opted for a more descriptive and keyword-rich name: 

'ChatGPT GPT-4, AI Code Assistant, Code Generation, Code Chat, Code Completion, Autocomplete, Realtime Code Scanner, and Code Search for Javascript, Python, Typescript, PHP, Go, Java, C#, C++, R, Rust, HT'.

Yes, it's a bit clunky, but this approach significantly boosted our visibility in the marketplace. By incorporating a wide range of relevant keywords directly into the extension's name, we were able to improve our ranking for those terms.

The Results

The results were almost immediate. With our new keyword-rich name, we saw a dramatic increase in daily installs. We went from struggling to get 100 installs in two months to receiving over 270 new installs daily. The increase in visibility also led to more reviews, further improving our ranking and install rates.

Sustaining Success

One of the best parts of this strategy is its sustainability. After achieving a high number of downloads and positive reviews, we could revert to a more concise and brand-friendly name without losing our ranking for those essential keywords. The marketplace algorithm continues to recognize our extension based on its performance history, ensuring ongoing visibility.

Conclusion

Our journey to 30,000 installs was a lesson in the importance of SEO and the nuances of the VSCode marketplace algorithm. By strategically renaming our extension to include essential keywords, we dramatically increased our visibility and user base. If you're struggling with installs, consider optimizing your extension name to include relevant keywords.

If you'd like to try our AI code assistant extension, click here. For enterprise plans, you can contact us here. Thank you for your support!

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By sharing our experience, we hope to help other developers navigate the challenges of launching a new extension in a competitive marketplace. Remember, sometimes a simple change can make a world of difference.