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App store optimisation for apps on the App Store and Google Play. I research the words people search in each store, rewrite your listing around them and improve the screenshots, ratings and tests that turn a listing view into an install.
Apps with steady downloads that have stalled, new launches, and apps paying for installs that a better listing could earn.
App store optimisation (ASO) is the process of improving an app's store listing so it ranks higher in App Store and Google Play search and more of the people who see it go on to install it. It covers the app name, subtitle or short description, keywords, description, icon, screenshots, preview videos, ratings and reviews.
ASO works on two things at once. Visibility is whether your app appears when people search the store. Conversion is whether they install once they see it. A listing that ranks but doesn't convert wastes the traffic, and a great listing nobody finds wastes the work.
The two stores work differently. On the App Store, your app name and subtitle have 30 characters each and there's a hidden keyword field of 100 characters. Google Play has no keyword field, so the 30-character title, 80-character short description and the full description have to do that job, and Google's metadata policy rules out keyword stuffing and claims like "#1" or "Best".
Both stores let you test changes properly. Apple's product page optimisation tests up to three versions of your icon, screenshots and previews against the original, and Google Play's store listing experiments do the same for graphics and descriptions. I use those tests so decisions come from your own install data, not from opinions about which screenshot looks nicer.
Your listing, keyword rankings, ratings and conversion reviewed in both stores, compared with the apps you compete with.
The words people actually type into each store, by country and language, sorted by relevance and how realistic they are to rank for.
App Store name, subtitle and keyword field, plus Google Play title and short description, written to rank and still read naturally.
Descriptions that answer what the app does in the first lines, plus App Store promotional text you can change without a new release.
Creative that explains the app's value in the first two or three screenshots, since those are often all people see in search results.
Product page optimisation on the App Store and store listing experiments on Google Play, run one change at a time.
Rating prompts shown at the right moment in the app, and replies to reviews that fix problems and win people back.
Listings adapted for each country and language, with local keywords rather than a straight translation.
Running paid campaigns for installs too? See my digital marketing services. Want your app's website to rank in Google as well? See SaaS SEO.
The goal is the same in both stores, but the fields, limits and tools differ. That's why one listing copied across rarely performs well in both.
| Compare | App Store | Google Play |
|---|---|---|
| Title | App name, up to 30 characters | App title, up to 30 characters |
| Under the title | Subtitle, up to 30 characters | Short description, up to 80 characters |
| Keywords | Hidden keyword field, up to 100 characters | No keyword field; the text does the work |
| Testing | Up to three treatments against the original | Up to two variants against the current listing |
| Tailored pages | Up to 70 custom product pages | Custom store listings |
Limits are from Apple's and Google's own documentation and can change, so I check them before every project.
We talk about your app, your users, the countries you target and what a valuable install looks like.
I audit both listings, research keywords and competitors, and agree what to change first.
New metadata and creative briefs, then tests set up in App Store Connect and Google Play Console.
Monthly reporting on rankings, conversion and installs, with the next round of tests planned from the results.
Can't see your question? Send me a message and I'll answer it.
SEO helps your website rank in search engines like Google. ASO helps your app rank inside the App Store and Google Play and convert listing views into installs. The thinking is similar, but the fields, limits and signals are different.
Yes. I work on both, but each store gets its own listing and keyword plan, because the fields and rules aren't the same.
Stores need time to pick up new metadata, and keyword rankings settle over the following weeks. Conversion improvements from creative changes can show sooner, which is why testing runs alongside keyword work.
Not on Google Play. Its metadata policy bans words that suggest store performance or ranking, such as "#1" or "Best of Play", in the title, icon or developer name. Those claims rarely help on the App Store either.
No. Google Play relies on the text in your listing, so the title, short description and full description need to include the words people search, written naturally rather than stuffed.
Yes, in the details. Play Store optimisation leans on your written listing, because there's no keyword field, while on the App Store the name, subtitle and keyword field carry most of the weight. The principle is the same in both: be found for the right searches, then give people a reason to install.
A lot. They're shown right next to your app in search results and on the listing, so they have a big effect on whether people install. Replying to reviews and fixing the problems they mention often lifts ratings over time.
Apple's rating prompt can appear up to three times in a 365-day period, so it's worth showing it at the right moment, such as after someone completes a task, rather than at launch.
Yes. On the App Store, product page optimisation tests up to three treatments of your icon, screenshots and previews. On Google Play, store listing experiments test graphics and, in localised experiments, descriptions.
Extra versions of your App Store page, up to 70, each with its own screenshots, previews and promotional text. They're useful for ads aimed at different audiences, and can be linked to keywords so they show in search.
I plan the story and write the copy for each screenshot, then design them or brief your designer, whichever suits you.
Often. A listing that converts better turns more of the people your ads send into installs, so each paid install costs less.
Yes. Each market gets its own keyword research and copy, because people search differently in each language and country.
Review it at least every few months and whenever you ship a big feature. Test creative continuously if you have enough traffic, and change keywords based on what the data shows.
Yes. A good website ranks in Google for searches your listing can't reach, and sends people straight to the store. See my SEO services for that side.
It depends on the number of apps, stores and countries, and whether you need creative work. After a short call I'll give you a clear quote.
Tell me where things stand and what you'd like to change. I'll reply personally with honest next steps.
