App Store & Play Store ASO

App stores are search engines with their own ranking systems, their own relevance signals and a conversion step that happens entirely on a page you do not host. Most installs still begin with a search inside the store, which makes App Store Optimization the difference between an app that compounds organically and one that only grows while paid spend continues.

Two problems, not one

ASO splits into visibility and conversion, and treating them as a single task is why many efforts stall.

Visibility is whether your app surfaces for a relevant query. It is driven by your title, subtitle, keyword field, category and the behavioural signals the store collects — install velocity, retention and engagement after install.

Conversion is whether someone who sees your listing installs it. That is driven almost entirely by the first screenshot, the icon and the opening lines of your description, because most users decide without scrolling and without reading.

The interaction between them is what makes ASO subtle. Ranking for a broad, high-volume term that converts poorly can actively hurt you: installs that churn quickly teach the store that your app disappoints its audience, which suppresses ranking across the board. Precise relevance beats raw reach.

How the two stores differ

Apple and Google index differently — Apple reads a dedicated keyword field, Google indexes your full listing text — so the same copy cannot be reused across both. We maintain separate keyword strategies and test creative independently on each platform.

What you get

Installs That Compound

Organic store visibility keeps delivering after campaigns pause, reducing the share of growth that depends on continued ad spend.

Higher Conversion Per Impression

Systematic testing of icon, screenshots and opening copy lifts installs from traffic you are already earning.

Platform-Specific Strategy

Apple and Google index listings differently, so we run separate keyword and creative approaches instead of copying one to the other.

Retention-Aware Targeting

We optimise for terms that attract users who stay, because early churn suppresses store ranking far more than a lower install count.

How we run it

Step 1 — Listing And Competitor Audit

We assess current keyword coverage, creative quality and conversion rate, then benchmark against the apps ranking for your target terms.

Step 2 — Keyword Architecture

Separate keyword sets are built for each store, weighted toward relevance and retention rather than headline search volume.

Step 3 — Creative Testing

Icons, screenshot orders and captions are tested using store-native experiment tools so decisions rest on data, not opinion.

Step 4 — Iterate On Post-Install Signal

We monitor retention and engagement by acquisition keyword and shift targeting toward the terms that bring users who stay.

Frequently asked

Metadata changes are typically reflected within one to two indexing cycles, so early ranking movement often appears within two to four weeks. Creative tests need enough traffic for statistical confidence, which can mean several weeks per test on lower-volume apps. Compounding gains from improved retention signals build over a few months, since the store needs sustained behavioural data before it adjusts ranking.

Substantially, and this is where reused copy fails. Apple reads a dedicated keyword field separate from your description, so the description is written for conversion alone. Google indexes your full listing text, meaning natural keyword usage in the description matters directly. Character limits, review handling and experiment tooling all differ too, so we maintain genuinely separate strategies.

Yes, and that pattern usually points to a targeting mismatch rather than a product failure. Ranking for broad terms that promise something adjacent to what your app does brings users who churn quickly. We analyse retention segmented by acquisition keyword, identify which terms attract users who stay, and shift emphasis accordingly. It sometimes lowers headline installs while improving both retention and ranking.

Yes, on both stores, and they affect conversion even more strongly than ranking. Rating is one of the few signals visible in search results, so it influences whether users tap through at all. We advise on prompting for reviews at the right moment in the user journey and on responding to negative reviews, which frequently recovers ratings faster than chasing new positive ones.

Sometimes, and we flag it when the constraint is not in the listing. Store ranking depends on post-install behaviour, so if users drop out during onboarding, no amount of metadata work fixes the underlying signal. In those cases we identify where the drop-off happens and hand your product team a specific, evidenced recommendation rather than a general suggestion to improve the app.

Included

Keyword Optimization
Asset A/B Testing
Review Strategy

Talk to us about App Store & Play Store ASO

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ASO App Store Google Play

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