You have launched your app, but downloads are a trickle because people simply cannot find it. Store search is one of the main ways users discover apps, and a weak listing quietly wastes all the effort that went into building the product.
App store optimization (ASO) is the process of improving your store listing so your app ranks for relevant searches and converts more visitors into installs. It comes down to choosing the right keywords for your title and metadata, showing clear screenshots and video, earning good ratings, keeping the app stable, and testing changes over time on both Google Play and the App Store.
How does app store search work?
Both stores rank apps using a mix of text relevance (do your words match the search?) and quality and engagement signals (do people install, keep and rate the app?). The two stores read your metadata differently, which is why one copy-and-paste listing rarely works well on both.
| Field | Apple App Store | Google Play |
|---|---|---|
| App name / title | Up to 30 characters, strongly weighted for search | Up to 30 characters, strongly weighted for search |
| Subtitle / short description | Subtitle up to 30 characters, indexed | Short description up to 80 characters, indexed |
| Keywords | Hidden keyword field of 100 characters | No keyword field |
| Long description | Not used for search ranking, written for conversion | Up to 4,000 characters, indexed for search |
| Promotional content | Promotional text and in-app events | Promotional content |
| Listing experiments | Product Page Optimization | Store listing experiments |
| Tailored listings | Custom product pages | Custom store listings |
Step 1: How do you find the right ASO keywords?
Start by listing the words your users would actually type, not your internal product language. A user looking for an expense tracker searches "expense tracker" or "budget app", not your brand name. Good sources include customer interviews, support tickets, competitor listings, the stores' own autocomplete suggestions and ASO tools such as AppTweak, Sensor Tower or AppFollow.
Balance three things for each keyword: relevance to what your app does, how often people search for it, and how hard it is to rank against established apps. New apps usually do better targeting specific, longer phrases first and moving towards broader terms as ratings and installs build up.
Step 2: Write metadata for each store
On the App Store
- Put your most important keyword in the app name alongside the brand, if it reads naturally.
- Use the subtitle for a second key phrase and a clear benefit.
- Fill the keyword field with comma-separated single words, without spaces, and avoid repeating words already used in the name or subtitle.
- Write the description for humans, since it influences conversion rather than ranking.
On Google Play
- Use the title and short description for your main keywords.
- Write a full description that naturally covers your secondary keywords, with clear headings and benefits. Avoid keyword stuffing, which breaches Google Play's metadata policy.
- Do not use claims such as "best" or "number one" in the title, or emoji and all-caps used for promotion, as Google Play's policies restrict these.
Step 3: Make visitors want to install
Ranking brings people to your page, but the visuals decide whether they tap install. Most visitors look at the icon and the first few screenshots, then decide.
- Icon: simple, recognisable at small sizes, and distinct from competitors.
- Screenshots: lead with the main benefit, add short captions, and show real screens rather than abstract graphics.
- Preview video: a short video showing the core flow helps for apps that are hard to explain in stills.
- Localisation: translate and adapt listings for your key markets, including Bangla if you serve users in Bangladesh.
Step 4: Why do ratings and app quality affect ASO?
Ratings appear right next to your app in search results, so they affect both ranking and conversion. Use the official in-app review APIs (StoreKit on iOS and the Google Play In-App Review API on Android) to ask satisfied users for a rating at a natural moment, such as after completing a task. Reply to reviews, especially critical ones, and fix the issues they raise.
Technical quality matters too. Google Play monitors Android vitals such as crash rate and "Application Not Responding" errors, and apps with poor vitals can see reduced visibility. Regular mobile app maintenance keeps these numbers healthy.
Step 5: Test, measure and repeat
ASO is not a one-off task. Use Product Page Optimization on the App Store and store listing experiments in Google Play Console to test icons, screenshots and descriptions against each other. Track impressions, page views, conversion rate and installs by source in App Store Connect and Play Console, and review keyword rankings regularly. Seasonal changes, competitor moves and algorithm updates all shift results.
ASO checklist
| Area | Check |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Researched list grouped by relevance, volume and difficulty |
| Title and subtitle | Brand plus main keyword, within character limits |
| Descriptions | Clear benefits, natural keyword use, no stuffing |
| Visuals | Benefit-led screenshots with captions, clean icon, optional video |
| Ratings | In-app review prompt at the right moment, replies to reviews |
| Quality | Crash and ANR rates monitored and fixed |
| Testing | At least one listing experiment running or planned |
Key takeaways
- Treat the App Store and Google Play differently: Apple uses a hidden keyword field, while Google indexes your full description.
- Visuals and ratings drive conversion, and conversion feeds back into ranking.
- App stability and regular listing experiments are part of ASO, not separate from it.
If your app is live but not being found, or you are preparing for launch, AppifyDevs can help with store listings, release management and the app itself. Get a quote for mobile app development, and if you are publishing on Android for the first time, read our guide to the Google Play 12 testers requirement.