®App store optimization, or ASO, is the work of making your app easier to find and more appealing in the App Store and Google Play. You can start with no advertising budget.
Start with keywords
Think about how people describe their problem, not how you describe your product. Check the suggestions in the store search bar and study competing apps. Choose terms that are relevant and realistic for an app of your size.
Use the fields that matter
Apple App Store: your title, subtitle and hidden keyword field all influence search. Do not repeat words across them, because repeating them wastes space.
Google Play: your title and descriptions are used for search, so write a natural description that includes your main terms. Do not stuff in keywords.
Make your listing convert
Being found is only half the work. Your icon and first screenshots decide whether people tap Install.
- Show the main benefit in the first screenshot
- Add short captions, since many people never read the description
- Use a short video if your app is hard to explain with images
Earn good ratings
Ratings influence both rankings and installs. Ask for a review after a happy moment, such as completing a level or a task, using the official in-app review prompts. Reply to negative reviews and fix what they report.
Test and localize
Google Play offers store listing experiments and the App Store offers product page optimization, so you can compare versions rather than guess. Translating your listing can also open up new markets at a fairly low cost.
ASO is ongoing work, because stores and competitors keep changing. See our SEO and store optimization service if you would like help.