App Store Optimization shortened ASO, has gotten way more complex over the past few years. If you're not keeping your app up to date, your app store’s rank will slowly become invisible, even if you've built something great.
What is ASO?
ASO is the equivalent of SEO for the App Store and Google Play, rather than websites. You're optimizing your Title, Description, Keyword targeting, screenshots and more, to rank high on relevant searches and get more people to actually hit that download button when they land on your page.
Better ASO means better targeting of your relevant users which can find your app organically and easier. When this is optimized correctly you’ll be burning through less marketing funds on ads just to get installs.
What Metrics Matter
Keywords
Your app title and description need to include words people actually search for, but also include your App Name if it has an unique one. It can’t just be random keywords everywhere, both App Store and Google Play will punish your app for this behaviour. Write naturally and include terms that make sense.
The 100-character keyword field on App Store is valuable but also only available on that platform.
The App Title
Your app title needs to tell people what the app does while also being something they might search for, as well as include your unique app name. It’s very hard to balance this out, but it’s the most important field you have to work with.
For the App Store you also get a subtitle which can be put to good use, including major pinpoints for your app, which you can’t include in the title.
Screenshots and Video
Most people decide whether to download your app in about three seconds. Your first screenshot better show something interesting.
Put your best feature first. Add text overlays if it helps explain what's happening. Keep the design consistent. And yeah, update these when you ship new features—stale screenshots make your app look abandoned.
Ratings and Reviews
Nothing kills an app faster than a 2.5-star rating. You want to be above 4 stars, ideally closer to 4.5.
Ask users to rate your app, but be smart about when you ask. Right after they complete a task successfully is good. Right when they open the app for the first time is annoying.
Reply to negative reviews. It shows you care, and sometimes you can actually turn the situation around.
Localization
If you're going after international markets, you need more than Google Translate. Your screenshots, description, and sometimes even your features need to make sense for different regions.
Done right, localization can open up huge markets. Done poorly, it's worse than not doing it at all.
What to Track
You need to know if this stuff is working:
- Where you rank for your main keywords
- What percentage of visitors download (conversion rate)
- How fast downloads are growing
- Whether people stick around after installing
Algorithm Updates
Apple and Google change how their algorithms work all the time. What worked last year might not work now. You've got to keep testing and adjusting.
Final Thoughts
ASO isn't a one-and-done thing. It takes constant tweaking. But it's one of the few ways to grow without spending a fortune on user acquisition. Get the basics right, measure what happens, and keep improving.
That's really all there is to it.