App Store Optimization (ASO) is the process of building and refining your mobile app and app store page to increase visibility in app stores and downloads and conversions. Without ASO, you could have the world’s most incredible app, but users won’t be able to find it.

ASO applies to both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Successful ASO is made up of many different strategies. To support your mobile app dev team and get your app seen and downloaded by more people, we’ve outlined the key ASO strategies you should be using now.

What is app store optimization?

App Store Optimization (ASO) involves many different tactics to improve an app’s visibility in the app store. The main goals of each ASO process used by a mobile app development company are to increase app downloads, conversions through those downloads or in-app purchases, and user retention.

This is similar to another well-known optimization technique, SEO. The main difference between ASO and SEO is the platform and focus. ASO is used to optimize iOS and Android apps on their respective storefronts, while SEO is used to optimize websites and apps in search engines like Google. Although both use similar techniques like keyword refinement, they are for different platforms, search results, and formats.

ASO Benefits

If done right, ASO can bring many benefits to new apps:

• Increased App Visibility – Get your app to appear in search and categories in app stores.
• More Organic Downloads – Get more users organically without relying on paid advertising.
• Higher Conversion Rates – Optimized visuals and descriptions get users to download, which can improve your conversions.
• Better Target Audience Reach – Use keywords and localization to reach your target audience through ASO.
• Cost-Effective Marketing – ASO reduces dependence on paid user acquisition campaigns and targeted ads.
• Competitive Edge – Get your app to stand out from the competition in very crowded app stores.
• Better User Engagement – A better app store experience can lead to higher retention rates for your app, which may lead to more engagement and, in some cases, more in-app purchases.

To get all these benefits, make sure you hire mobile app developers with experience in ASO.

ASO components for new apps

ASO for new apps is made up of several key strategies or components.

We’ve broken each of these down below and how you can use them for your app store optimization.

Title and subtitle

The title and subtitle of your mobile app are the first thing any user sees in the app store, on the Apple App Store, and on Google Play. You should consider your title carefully and ensure you’re using relevant keywords. We’ll get into how to research and choose your keywords in the next section.

Depending on the store page you’re on, you’ll need to consider character limits and app store guidelines. In the Apple App Store, you need to meet unique iOS design guidelines, and you can only write 30 characters. On the Google Play Store, you can write up to 50 characters. If you’re launching on both the App Store and Play Store, shorten your Google title and subtitle so they fit on the Apple store page.

You can overdo it when applying ASO to your title. Remember, your app name or title still needs to be engaging – it should clearly relate to the app’s overall purpose, as this will also help your audience find your app.

Keywords and metadata

Keywords are one of the ways ASO is similar to SEO and why it’s sometimes called “app store SEO”. You need to research and choose relevant keywords that appeal to your audience. These should be keywords they’ll use when searching on either of the major app stores.

To research ASO keywords, use App Annie and Sensor Tower. These can help you analyze competitors, track rankings, and find trending terms. Then, use Google Keyword Planner to get search volume and competition data. Use app store autocomplete suggestions and user reviews to find popular phrases and terms users associate with your app.

Don’t keyword stuff, as this can have a negative effect. When researching keywords, focus on a few primary keywords and find a way to include them naturally in titles, subtitles, and descriptions.

Keyword optimization strategies for app store visibility differ between the Apple App Store and Google Play. The Apple App Store has a 100-character keyword field, so you need to use concise, high-impact terms without repeating those in the title or subtitle. In the Google Play Store, keywords are derived from the app description, so strategic placement within natural sentences is key. If you’re selling on both app store pages, you can use the same keywords but optimize them accordingly.

App description

Your description is part of your app store page, explaining what your app can do and why a user should download it. Apply your keyword research to your app description, but make sure you use your keywords naturally so you don’t stuff them.

Another reliable strategy is to focus on your app’s benefits and features. Think about what category your app falls into and include a feature list that quickly lists all the benefits. This should hopefully lead to more app downloads. In addition to the features of your app, make sure to include a clear CTA to increase your downloads and app conversion rate.

When writing a description, you need to make your content scannable. Split longer paragraphs about your main features into shorter chunks so users can see what your app does after it appears in their search queries.

Visual assets

A high search volume isn’t just about how well-written your app page is; it’s also about how visually appealing it can be. Visual assets play a big role in attracting users and increasing conversion rates, as they create a first impression and instantly convey the app’s value. If possible, use a combination of icons, screenshots, and videos to attract more users.

High-quality icons should be simple, recognizable, and aligned with the app theme to stand out in crowded app stores. Screenshots should show the app’s top features and benefits with clear captions highlighting usability and appeal. Preview videos, ideally under 30 seconds, should show key features, demonstrate user experience, and convey the app’s functionality engagingly. Together, these elements make your app more visually appealing and increase the chances of being downloaded.

Ratings and reviews

Positive ratings and reviews are key to improving app rankings and building user trust as they signal quality and reliability to users and app store algorithms. Improving your ratings is a two-stage process; you need to get positive reviews and then find a way to showcase them. The Apple App Store and Google Play Store have built-in ways to display reviews, so the first stage of this strategy is more important.

To get reviews, use in-app prompts that appear at the right time, such as after a positive interaction or milestone, and consider offering small incentives like bonus features or discounts for leaving a review.

You should also learn how to handle negative reviews of your app’s product so anyone searching for apps like yours isn’t put off by the negative feedback. When handling negative reviews, respond quickly and professionally, address the user’s concerns, and show you’re willing to improve. This type of engagement can help soften the blow of the negative feedback.

App localization

Your app is probably sold globally because of Google Play and Apple’s massive reach. However, the final step in optimizing your app store is localizing your app to different markets.

App localization is adapting your app’s content, metadata, and visual assets to a specific location’s language, culture, and preferences. This is key to global success as it will make your app resonate with users in different regions and increase discoverability and downloads.

To localize effectively, translate your app’s metadata, descriptions, and keywords and make sure the language is natural and relevant to the target audience. Visual assets like app screenshots and videos should also reflect culturally appropriate themes, imagery, and design elements where possible. Understanding cultural nuances and language preferences is another important part of app store localization. Using language and references that resonate with those audiences will ensure users find your app over your competitors, increasing your app’s visibility in those regions.

Advanced ASO

The above are the most basic and well-known app store optimization strategies. However, several advanced techniques can increase your app downloads and take your app ratings to the next level. These include A/B testing, leveraging analytics, and seasonal optimization. Below, we’ve explained what each of these advanced techniques is and how to apply it.

A/B testing

You might be familiar with A/B testing if you’ve worked in email marketing or business management. A/B testing allows you to compare two elements side by side to see how they perform in a natural environment. In the case of app store optimization, A/B testing involves comparing two or more versions of an app’s listing to see which performs better in terms of user engagement and conversion rates. You can be as granular as you like when applying A/B tests to review app download velocity by comparing specific elements like:

1. Titles
2. Your app icon
3. Which app screenshots
4. Different descriptions
5. Different CTAs
6. Pages with longer videos vs pages with shorter videos

This isn’t an exhaustive list. Whatever elements you choose to test, A/B testing is most effective when you use dedicated tools. Tools like SplitMetrics and StoreMaven are designed to help with A/B testing by simulating app store environments and providing data-driven insights to optimize listings and increase downloads.

Analytics

Leveraging app analytics is key to tracking performance, understanding user behavior, and increasing your app’s visibility in the app store. To collect and analyze your storefront’s data, you need to know which metrics to focus on. Some of the most important metrics for app store optimization are:

• Click-through rate (CTR): How well does your app’s listing attract users.
• Conversion rate (CVR): How well does your listing convert visitors into downloads.
• Retention rate: How well does your app retain users over time.
• Lifetime value (LTV): The total revenue a user generates over their lifetime with the app.
• Uninstall rate: How often users uninstall the app after downloading.

These metrics will help you identify areas for improvement, refine your ASO, and support the long-term growth and engagement of your mobile app.

Seasonal optimization

Seasonal trends and events are a big part of ASO. They align your app’s visibility and appeal with current interests, holidays, or events. Optimizing for seasonal moments will attract more users looking for apps during those periods. If you’re trying to attract investors to your app, seasonality can also grab their attention in a crowded app store.

For example, you can update your app icon or screenshots to feature holiday-themed visuals, like Christmas or New Year’s designs, to get into the holiday spirit. You can also tailor your descriptions to highlight seasonal features or promotions, like holiday discounts or themed in-app content, to make the app more relevant during those periods. Popular examples of this are Black Friday sales or Boxing Day sales.

To go the extra mile, incorporate seasonal optimization into your localization strategy. Consider upcoming events or holidays that are unique to specific countries, like Songkran in Thailand or Thanksgiving in the US. You can then apply a new app icon or theme to your app store in those regions. This will combine localization and seasonal optimization benefits so your app can temporarily target a specific audience.

ASO mistakes

While app store optimization is a good strategy for anyone selling an app, there are several common mistakes developers and businesses can make. We’ve listed some of the most common ASO mistakes below and how you can avoid each of them by following design principles.

1. Keyword Stuffing

As mentioned above, keyword stuffing is one of the most common ASO mistakes. This is where developers overload app descriptions, titles, and metadata with too many keywords to improve rankings. Stuffing results in poor readability and a bad user experience.

To avoid this, use keywords naturally and sparingly and make sure they fit within the app’s description and metadata. Keep user engagement and clarity as your top priority and try to use a few long-tail, relevant keywords instead of targeting many competitive terms.

2. Ignoring Negative Reviews

Another mistake is ignoring negative reviews, which can hurt an app’s reputation and ranking. Not addressing user concerns can mean missed opportunities to improve and, in the worst-case scenario, tank your overall app rating.

To avoid this, monitor reviews and respond to negative feedback as soon as possible in a constructive and professional manner. Acknowledge the issue, offer a solution, and show you’re committed to improving the app.

3. Bad Visual Assets

High-quality visual assets like icons, screenshots, and preview videos are key to attracting and converting users. A common mistake that can affect your app rating is using blurry or poorly designed visuals that don’t represent your app’s value or appeal.

Invest in professional design for icons, screenshots, and videos that show your app’s key features. Refine your visuals and keep them consistent with your app’s brand.

4. Inconsistent App Metadata Updates

Not updating app metadata regularly is another common mistake. Metadata like app descriptions, keywords, and release notes should be updated frequently to reflect new features, improvements, or seasonal changes. Inconsistent updates will make your app look outdated or abandoned.

To avoid this, create a schedule for updating your metadata and make sure any changes you make match the app’s updates. This will keep your app relevant and signal to users and app store algorithms that the app is being actively maintained and improved.

5. No Localization

Finally, ignoring localization for different regions is another mistake that can limit an app’s global reach. Without localization your app will struggle to attract users in non-English speaking countries or regions with different cultural preferences.

Localise your app’s metadata, keywords, and visual assets for each target market’s language, culture, and interests. This will keep your app relevant and engaging to users worldwide and drive downloads and performance across markets.

Conclusion

Now you know what a good app store optimization (ASO) strategy looks like and why it’s important for mobile app developers today. One last thing to remember is that app stores are always changing, and so are users’ expectations, so developers need to stay up-to-date with the latest algorithms and users’ expectations.

App store optimization (ASO) is a long-term investment that can change your app store rating and organic app downloads. Treat ASO as a continuous process and do it regularly, and you should start to see amazing and sustained results for your app and your company.

FAQ

What’s the difference between ASO and SEO?

ASO (App Store Optimization) is about optimizing your app’s presence in app stores to increase visibility and downloads while SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is about improving website rankings in web search engines like Google. Although they’re similar, ASO is about apps, whereas SEO is about websites. Their strategies are different; ASO involves app title, description, and screenshots, while SEO involves website content, backlinks, and meta tags.

How often should I update my app store listing?

Update your app store listing regularly to reflect app updates, new features, or seasonal events. Track your performance metrics to know when to update your listing to keep it relevant and engaging.

Can ASO get me more downloads?

ASO increases your app’s visibility and discoverability and can be a good strategy if done long-term. But unfortunately, it doesn’t guarantee more downloads.

A good app experience is key to converting views into downloads. Make sure you’re working with experienced mobile app developers and you have a unique and creative app that works for your users. A clear target audience can also be important. ASO should be combined with all of these and always seen as a additional strategy to get more downloads not a strategy that guarantees more downloads.

What tools for ASO?

Many tools for ASO can help you optimize your app store presence. App Annie provides in-depth app performance data, competitor insights, and market intelligence to track your app’s ranking, keyword performance, and user engagement across different markets.

Sensor Tower is another popular tool with main features that include keyword research, competitor analysis, and market trends to help you find the best keywords and optimize your app’s visibility. SplitMetrics specializes in A/B testing, so you can test different versions of app icons, screenshots, and descriptions to see which ones convert the most users. These tools let you track performance, refine your strategy, and stay ahead of the competition in the app store.

How does localization impact ASO?

Localization is a big part of ASO, especially if you’re targeting global markets. By adapting your app’s content, keywords, and visual assets to the language, culture, and preferences of different regions, you can make your app more visible to people in different locations.

Localization isn’t just about translating text; it’s also about making sure your app’s design, icons, and features align with local users’ cultural norms and expectations. For example, the colors or symbols that are attractive or positive in one culture may not be the same in another. A localized app listing increases your chances of appearing in regional search results. Localizing your app also shows that you care about the needs and preferences of different global markets.

Do I need to use paid ads for ASO?

Paid ads are not necessary for ASO because it’s a strategy that focuses on organic growth. Paid ads can be a complementary strategy to ASO, as you can use them to get your optimized page in front of more users. But they shouldn’t be seen as essential, as ASO can help you rank higher in search, so your app will show up without paid ads.