Made a solid iOS word puzzle app

Depends on the game. Basically, if the game type has done before, then you need some kind of gimmick to market it. For example, the base gameplay of Angry Birds has been around since the dawn of time but the cute birds and pigs helped sell it. Also unique gameplay elements would also help it stand out a lot.

Agreed. What's the hook or value add that you are offering? You mention solid. What does that mean in terms of success to design gameplay loop?

Solo or any community features? If you are trying to get vitality you need people talking about it. Otherwise you are working with other social media channels in a static way and app stores to have you in their carousel.

Grab a few free games and watch a bunch of the in app ads they show (they're usually for other games). Seems silly, but I've found this is a decent way to figure out what keywords work for game marketing.