For existing software
App Store Optimisation
Data-driven ASO strategies to improve visibility and conversion and grow organic downloads on the App Store and Google Play.
- App Store
- Google Play
- Keywords
- A/B Testing
What is App Store Optimisation?
App Store Optimisation (ASO) is the work of improving how an app is found and chosen in the Apple App Store and Google Play: the keywords it ranks for, what the listing says, how the screenshots look, and how many people install after seeing it.
Store search works differently from web search. The title, subtitle and keyword field carry most of the ranking weight, the icon and first two screenshots decide whether someone taps install, and ratings affect both. Because the stores expose only limited data, ASO is a cycle of controlled changes and measurement rather than a one-off optimisation, and a listing that was tuned a year ago has usually drifted.
What ABM provides
- Keyword research
- Title, subtitle and description
- Screenshot and preview guidance
- Store listing A/B tests
- Ratings and review strategy
- Monthly reporting
What can be built
- Keyword research for the App Store and Google Play
- Title, subtitle and keyword field optimisation
- Long description and feature list rewriting
- Screenshot and preview video guidance
- Store listing A/B tests where the platform supports them
- Ratings and review prompt strategy
- Localised listings for other markets
- Regular reporting on rankings and conversion
Who App Store Optimisation is for
- Newly launched appsA listing written in a hurry at submission, never revisited.
- Apps with low organic installsDownloads come only from paid campaigns and stop when spending stops.
- Apps entering a new marketA listing that needs to work in another language or another country's store.
- RelaunchesA rebuilt or rebranded app that needs its store presence rebuilt too.
How App Store Optimisation works at ABM
- 01SearchWe look at what people actually search for in your category, and where your app currently ranks.
- 02OptimiseTitle, subtitle, keywords and description are rewritten around those terms, within each store's rules.
- 03DiscoverIcon and screenshots are reviewed for what they communicate in the two seconds before someone scrolls past.
- 04InstallWhere the platform allows it, listing variants are tested so conversion is measured, not assumed.
- 05ReviewRating prompts are placed at sensible moments, and negative feedback is routed to support rather than to the store.
- 06ReportRankings, impressions and conversion, reported regularly, with the next change proposed.
Technologies and integrations
The exact stack is chosen per project and agreed with you in writing before development starts. These are the tools and categories we work with for App Store Optimisation.
Stores
- Apple App Store
- Google Play
Listing
- Keyword research
- Title and subtitle
- Descriptions
- Screenshots and preview video
Measurement
- Store console analytics
- A/B testing where supported
- Ranking tracking
Retention
- Review prompts
- Ratings management
- Localisation
When to choose App Store Optimisation
- Your app is live but almost nobody finds it by searching the store.
- Paid installs work and organic installs do not.
- The listing has not been touched since submission.
- You are launching in a new country or language.
When something else fits better
- Mobile App DevelopmentThe app itself is the problem: people install it, try it once and leave.
- Website DevelopmentYour discovery problem is in web search rather than in the app stores.
- App Maintenance & SupportPoor ratings are caused by crashes and defects rather than by the listing.
Where App Store Optimisation usually fits
Questions
App Store Optimisation: common questions
What is App Store Optimisation?
It is improving an app's visibility and install rate inside the App Store and Google Play. That means researching what people search for, rewriting the title, subtitle, keywords and description around those terms, improving the icon and screenshots that decide whether someone taps install, and measuring the result. It is store search, not web SEO, and the two work differently.
How long does ASO take to show results?
Ranking changes typically take a few weeks to settle after a listing update, and meaningful conclusions need enough installs to be statistically real. Anyone offering a fixed timeline or a guaranteed position is guessing: neither store publishes its ranking rules.
Is ASO the same as SEO?
No. Web SEO is mostly about content and links across a whole site. ASO is concentrated in a handful of store fields, weighted heavily towards the title and keywords, with conversion driven by the icon and first screenshots. Ratings and install velocity also feed back into ranking, which has no direct equivalent on the web.
Can you guarantee a top ranking?
No, and nobody honestly can. What can be done is to fix the things that are demonstrably wrong, measure the effect of each change, and keep the ones that work.
Do screenshots really matter?
They are usually the single biggest lever on install rate. Most people decide from the icon and the first two screenshots without reading the description, so those need to show what the app does rather than showing a device frame with a logo.
Thinking about App Store Optimisation?
Send a short brief. We'll reply within one business day with a next step, or honest advice if we're not the right fit.