How to promote your game using tags to get featured on Steam

Contents:

• How games get recommended by Steam
• How to position a game on Steam
• What are Steam tags
• Where to find Steam tags
• How to add tags to a game's Steam page

How games get recommended on Steam

Many aspiring developers mistakenly perceive Steam as a simple platform for selling games. In fact, Steam has much in common with social media: users can upload content, leave comments on posts and reviews, stream, like, and react to content. However, the main goal of this platform is to encourage users to purchase games. Steam has a complex recommendation system based on various algorithms that helps users find interesting games and increases the visibility of developers' projects.

The principles of the game ranking algorithms are not fully disclosed, but it is known that they are based on many factors. Key factors in this process include user behavior on the game page, developer activity, including publishing news and devlogs, as well as the use of tags and similarities to other games. These aspects form an overall picture that influences a game's visibility in search engines and on platforms. Optimizing these factors can significantly increase the chances of successful promotion and audience attraction.

The media often calls for the creation of unique and distinctive games. However, the reality is that when a new game is released, users subconsciously begin to draw parallels with existing projects. They may describe it as a hybrid that harmoniously combines elements of several familiar games. Even among top-selling titles, many similarities with other gaming products can be noticed. This confirms that elements of copying and borrowing are a natural part of the gaming industry, and true originality often lies in how developers interpret and combine known ideas.

Before creating a Steam page, a developer should clearly define their project's genre and analyze similar games. The platform's main page displays recommendations based on similar games, emphasizing the importance of proper positioning. The more accurately a developer defines the genre and comparable projects, the higher the likelihood of attracting the target audience.

The "Popular and Recommended" section displays top-selling titles, as well as products that share common tags with games played by the user or their friends. This allows for effective discovery of interesting offers and facilitates selection. Users will be able to quickly find relevant and popular lots, which increases the chances of a successful purchase and satisfaction with the choice.

Scrolling down the page, you'll find a widget with collections of games grouped by common tags, as well as a personalized list of recommendations. This list features games similar to those you've previously played. This will allow you to easily find new interesting projects that match your preferences.

Continuing to scroll the page, you will find many collections with similar games. Most of them mention tags, which we'll cover in more detail in the next section.

Analysis of the main section shows that the platform's algorithms determine the game genre and use available metadata to generate recommendations for users. This improves the user experience and increases the likelihood that players will find the content they are interested in.

It is important for the developer to choose the genre of their future game and study similar projects to better understand the target audience and competition. Analyzing "related" games will help identify key features and mechanics that may be relevant for the new project. This will not only avoid duplication but also offer a unique experience to players.

How to Position a Game on Steam

Even if your project has unique gameplay, for successful promotion it is important to consider the closest associations with other games. This will help you understand how your game fits into the existing market and what elements are likely to attract players. Analyzing similar projects will highlight the strengths of your product and formulate its unique competitive advantages.

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First, you need to conduct research on games similar to your project. Identify 10-20 games that are as close as possible to yours in genre, visual style, gameplay mechanics, and target audience. Focus on popular titles on Steam that match your project. Compile a list of tags commonly found in these games to better understand what aspects attract users and drive sales. This will help you optimize your product and attract the attention of your target audience.

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Creating a spreadsheet to track information about similar projects can significantly simplify the content management process. This spreadsheet should include data such as page links, image thumbnails, tags, and descriptions. Such a document will not only help organize information about similar games but will also become a useful tool for further page design. Integrating this spreadsheet into your workflow will increase efficiency and help avoid losing important data.

Creating a similar spreadsheet was recommended by game marketing expert Chris Zukowski. You can get a sample spreadsheet by following the link provided and copying it into your documents. This will help you structure the information and improve the organization of data in your project.

If you have difficulty finding similar projects, start with one game. Watch trailers and Let's Plays on YouTube, paying attention to user comments. In the comments, you can find mentions of other games whose gameplay may resemble what you see in the video. This approach will help you broaden your horizons and find interesting gaming projects similar to your chosen game.

Once you've completed your project selection, you should move on to choosing tags. This is one of the most effective methods for increasing traffic on the platform. Choosing the right tags will help improve the visibility of your content and attract your target audience. Use keywords that match your project's theme to increase its chances of discovery.

What are Steam Tags?

Tags are an important tool in the Steam recommendation system, making it easier for users to discover new games. The screenshots below show how the system uses these tags to suggest interesting options to the user. On each game's page, tags are located in the upper right corner, below a brief description, allowing you to quickly familiarize yourself with the project's theme and genre. Using tags correctly can improve user experience and increase your chances of finding interesting games.

On the game page, scrolling down, you'll find a "Similar Products" widget. This tool offers a selection of games similar in genre to your chosen game. However, sometimes this list includes completely different projects, as is the case with one of the stylized platformers featured below. This approach allows players to discover new genres and expand their gaming horizons, which makes the selection process more exciting.

Chris Zukowski emphasizes that this phenomenon occurs when a developer uses overly broad tags to describe their product. "Broad" tags refer to abstract and less relevant terms, such as "Indie" or "3D." Using such tags can reduce product visibility in search engines and make it difficult for potential buyers to find the product they're looking for. To improve SEO and increase relevance, developers should choose more specific and accurate descriptions that better reflect the features and uniqueness of their products.

The system may not fully determine which products to recommend in the related products section, resulting in popular titles that may not match the user's interests. If you notice a similar situation on your page, it's recommended to review your tag list. This will help improve the relevance of recommendations and increase user satisfaction. Optimizing tags will allow the system to better analyze user behavior and offer more relevant products, which will positively impact conversion and sales.

Where to find Steam tags

A full list of game tags is available by clicking the "+" button. This list contains 20 tags, which include both developer and user tags. The first five tags are the most significant, as they are used by the platform to classify the game and generate recommendations. The remaining tags reflect secondary characteristics and features of the project, helping users better understand its content and theme.

When opening the game page with The developer account interface will differ. Tags created by the developer will be on the right, while the left will display a list of user-created tags. This allows for better organization of information and improved interaction between developers and players.

Custom tags can either enhance or hinder the game's experience. Chris Zukowski recommends regularly reviewing tags and removing those that don't match the game's content. However, avoid adding new tags to your own list to avoid confusion.

How to Add Tags to a Game's Steam Page

To create a list of 20 tags that will help your game get into Steam's recommendation algorithms, it's helpful to refer to the table of similar games you created earlier. It's important to compare common tags and divide them into appropriate categories. For easier visualization, you can use different colors to indicate these categories. This approach not only streamlines the tag selection process but also increases the chances of more accurately matching the interests of Steam users, which, in turn, can increase the visibility and popularity of your game on the platform.

When selecting tags, it's important to divide them into levels. This will help structure the information and simplify navigation. Tag levels allow users to quickly find the data they need and also improve the site's indexing in search engines. A proper tag hierarchy contributes to more effective SEO, as search algorithms take content structure into account when ranking it. Dividing tags into levels makes content easier to digest and increases its value to visitors.

• Main (Genre) tags. These include tags such as "Action," "Adventure," "Platformer," "Puzzle," "Strategy," and so on. They help you get into larger categories and collections.
• Mid-Level (mechanics and gameplay experience): Roguelike, Story Rich, Turn-Based, Co-op, Puzzle Platformer, Souls-like. This category will help you better position the game based on your interests.

• Niche: Bullet Hell, Farming Sim, Hacking, Time Manipulation, Psychological Horror. They will help you find your audience, especially if your game has unique mechanics or style.

Study reviews and discussions of similar games to understand how players describe their experiences. Pay attention to the vocabulary and wording used that often overlap with your tags. Also consider the user tags that are most popular with your competitors, as they can provide useful clues about current perception trends. Analyzing these aspects will help you better tailor the content and promotion strategy for your game.

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After that, you should go to the Steamworks Tag Wizard, a tool for selecting and editing tags for your game. It's located in the Store Presence section. To do this, select Edit Store Page, then go to the Basic Info tab. At the bottom of this page is the Tags category. Click the Tag My Title button, which will open the Tag Wizard page. This tool will help you optimize your game's visibility on the Steam Store by effectively selecting tags that match its content and genre.

The tag selection process begins with clicking the "Get Started" button. In the first step, the system prompts you to select basic tags that accurately reflect the game's genre. It is important to select only those tags that most closely match the characteristics of your game to improve its visibility and attract the target audience. The correct choice of tags will help users more easily find your game in search engines and on distribution platforms.

During the subsequent stages of game development, sets of tags are created that help define the specifics of the genre, visual style, atmosphere, and other key features of the game. These tags play a vital role in creating a unique gaming experience and allow developers to better understand the preferences of their target audience. Proper use of tags helps position a game more accurately in the marketplace and attract players, which in turn increases the chances of commercial success.

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Tags from the Themes & Moods section, such as "Space," "Pirates," and "Cyberpunk," play a key role in defining a game's identity. Steam regularly hosts themed sales, and if a developer's game matches an upcoming theme based on its tags and description, it may receive an invitation from the platform. This significantly increases the game's visibility and reach. For more detailed information and eligibility requirements, developers can refer to the official Steamworks documentation. Proper use of tags and consistency will not only attract attention to the game but also increase its chances of successful sales.

When choosing tags for a game, it is crucial to select those that best reflect its essence. Although the tool allows you to select more than 20 tags, you should not focus on adjacent or irrelevant tags in the hopes of increasing reach. This is not how the system's algorithms work. For example, it's inappropriate to use the "Female Protagonist" tag if the female character is only playable for ten minutes out of a five-hour gameplay time. Inappropriate tags can lead to player dissatisfaction and negatively impact the game's overall user experience. Choosing the right tags will not only improve your project's visibility but also attract the target audience interested in your content.

Once you've completed the basic categories, the Steamworks Tag Wizard will prompt you to create additional tags based on the game's description (if available) or enter tags manually. At this stage, it's helpful to use a pre-prepared table containing similar games and selected tags. It's important to add all relevant tags, even if some have already been used on previous pages. This will help improve your game's visibility and attract the target audience.

The next page allows you to edit user tags. Chris Zukowski recommends removing abstract and less relevant tags, such as "Indie," "Casual," and "Single-player," as well as those that don't align with the game's content. This will help improve search accuracy and increase the visibility of your games to your target audience. Proper use of tags makes it easier for users to find the games they're looking for and promotes a better experience.

Sometimes, Steam's algorithms continue to display inappropriate user tags even after removing them using the tag removal tool. In such cases, you should contact technical support to resolve the issue.

The system will select 20 tags, which you'll need to sort by priority using drag-and-drop. The first five positions should contain tags that describe key genre features common to all similar games you've selected. As you sort, games with similar tags will appear at the bottom of the screen. If this list contains projects similar to yours, then the sorting has been done correctly.

Steam offers users Assess the appropriateness of the selected tags, providing the opportunity to explore games the platform considers similar to yours. This list typically includes extremely popular projects, but don't expect your game to appear in the "Similar Games" section of such hits. For a game to appear on other projects' pages and receive active promotion, it must be equally popular. Ranking in this section depends not only on tags but also on the number of players. For example, if your game's main tag is "Metroidvania," the list of similar games will show the ten most famous Metroidvanias. Despite this, the tag system remains relevant and useful. Tags play a key role not only in the "Similar Games" section but also in recommendations generated for individual users. Choosing the right tags can significantly increase your game's visibility and attract attention from your target audience. Slava Gris's book "Make a Video Game Alone and Don't Go Crazy!" is a practical guide for game developers who want to create their own project. The author shares valuable tips and techniques to help avoid common mistakes and maintain mental health during the development process. The book covers key aspects of video game creation, including planning, programming, design, and testing. Slava Gris emphasizes the importance of workflow organization and time management, which is especially relevant for indie developers. This publication will become an indispensable source of information for anyone who wants to successfully implement their idea and create a high-quality video game.

Once you have finished setting up your tags, you can publish your changes by clicking the corresponding button. Please note that this button is not linked to publishing your game page, so you can safely click it.

The Steam recommendation system takes tags into account, but real users, potential buyers of your game, focus on the visual appeal of your page content and its content. We will take a closer look at this important aspect in one of the following materials.