You’ve created a mobile app and successfully published it to the stores – what are the next steps? How can you stand out among over 2 million live apps in Google Play (according to Statista) and a similar number in the App Store? Is there an equivalent of SEO, but for mobile apps? Absolutely, and it’s called App Store Optimization (ASO)! Don’t worry - in this guide, the RadASO team will walk you through the essentials and explain it in detail.
ASO (App Store Optimization) is the process of optimizing mobile applications to improve their visibility and increase downloads in app stores. In this way, ASO is similar to SEO (Search Engine Optimization), which focuses on enhancing a website’s visibility in search engine results. That’s why ASO is often referred to as "SEO for mobile apps."
However, despite the similarities, ASO has several unique characteristics that set it apart from SEO:
Absolutely! You can significantly boost your app’s visibility and conversion rates without spending any money by using free tools (Google Keyword Planner, Google Trends, etc.), app store analytics (App Store Connect for iOS and Google Play Console for Android), and your own creativity. Additionally, many mobile marketing platforms offer free features or trial versions that can help you get started with ASO effectively.
However, as your app scales, investing in professional tools for keyword analysis, position tracking, and competitive analysis, as well as hiring professional designers, can significantly improve your results.
Keyword analysis using a free tool:
Keyword analysis using the professional tool Asolytics:
ASO is a strategy for acquiring organic traffic that offers several key advantages over paid traffic:
Only a comprehensive approach to optimizing your app page—including refining graphics, visible metadata, and improving app rankings—along with leveraging additional tools like Promoted In-App Events and Promoted In-App Purchases, will effectively attract a relevant audience and drive long-term traffic growth.
If you’re looking for quick results through Paid User Acquisition, the RadASO team can assist you by launching an effective campaign.
The number of organic installs you can gain depends on several factors, including:
In highly competitive niches and during the early stages of an app's lifecycle, a comprehensive marketing promotion strategy that incorporates other traffic sources is often necessary.
The RadASO team performs a detailed audit of the app and the market to assess potential traffic, taking all relevant factors into account to develop an effective, data-driven promotion strategy.
The search process in the two most popular app stores — the App Store and Google Play — has its own unique characteristics. Typically, users search by entering one or two keywords into the search bar. In the App Store, searches are often driven by specific app names or branded terms. In contrast, Google Play users tend to search based on functionality or app features, such as "photo editor" or "step tracker."
Search terms that users use to find apps are generally divided into generic and branded keywords.
An important characteristic of any search term is its popularity, which—measured in relative units—indicates how many users are searching for apps using that term. This data is available only in the App Store; on Google Play, keyword popularity is not publicly disclosed. It's also worth noting that search terms with the same popularity score can drive different levels of traffic in different countries, depending on regional user behavior. To access and analyze this data, you'll need professional ASO tools that track and estimate keyword popularity across various markets.
In addition to showing keyword popularity (measured as Search Ads Popularity, or SAP, ranging from 5 to 100), Asolytics also provides data on the estimated number of daily impressions a search term generates in a specific country.
The complete set of search terms that includes all relevant words and phrases users might enter to find an app is known as the semantic core. It’s built through careful analysis of user behavior and serves as the foundation for metadata optimization in app stores.
When creating a semantic core, consider the following factors:
Include a variety of search terms in your semantic core (generic, branded, terms with varying levels of popularity). Continuously experiment with new keywords and regularly analyze the performance of existing ones to refine your ASO strategy and maintain long-term effectiveness.
The RadASO team outlines the following key stages of optimization:
Metadata optimization is crucial for enhancing your app's visibility in app stores. By strategically adding relevant keywords to key elements such as the title, subtitle, and keyword field in the App Store, and the app name, short description, and long description in Google Play, you can significantly improve your app’s position in search results within each store.
Visible text elements (all elements except the keyword field) also affect conversion rate – the percentage of users who discover an app in the store and then install it. Optimizing these elements helps increase the likelihood of installs, driving more organic growth.
Text metadata that can be optimized in the App Store:
Text metadata that can be optimized in Google Play:
Both the short and long descriptions on Google Play impact your app’s indexing. To improve visibility in search results, incorporate relevant keywords naturally into these fields. However, be mindful of frequency—each keyword should appear no more than 4–5 times per 4,000 characters. Overusing keywords or excessive repetition can harm your app’s indexing and reduce its discoverability in the store.
Use Google Cloud Natural Language to verify which category Google assigns to your app based on its description. If the detected category does not align with your target category, or if the confidence score is below 0.85, revise the description by adjusting keyword usage and content focus to better reflect your app’s core functionality and value.
Setting the correct category is important in both the App Store and Google Play, as many users browse apps through category-based searches. Selecting the most relevant category for your app not only improves its visibility but also ensures it reaches the right audience, ultimately increasing the chances of discovery and downloads.
At the time of writing, there are 27 categories available in the App Store. In addition to the main category, you can also choose an additional one.
On Google Play, choose one of the 49 available primary categories and up to 5 tags that most accurately describe your app:
When choosing a category, focus on your main competitors in the niche.
Graphic optimization directly impacts conversion rates—the percentage of users who install an app after viewing it in the store. Improved conversion ultimately leads to a higher number of total installs.
Graphic elements of the app listing page
On the app's listing page, you can optimize the following elements:
The number of screenshots you can include in the app listing page is different for each store: from 1 to 10 in the App Store and from 2 to 8 in Google Play. To make screenshots the most effective, showcase the real app interface and the most popular functionality among users. When creating screenshots, don’t forget to follow the App Store and Google Play guidelines.
Upload 1 to 3 videos in the App Store and 1 video in Google Play. The video should showcase the app interface or gameplay, highlighting key features and functionality. In the App Store, videos must be between 15 to 30 seconds long. On Google Play, only the first 30 seconds auto-play, so it’s essential to present your app’s core benefits within the first 10 seconds. Be sure to show the main features and benefits of the app in the first 10 seconds of the video. When creating a Preview video, follow the App Store and Google Play guidelines.
Provide a visually appealing image that will remain relevant for at least six months, as updating Page Artwork frequently can be challenging. Ensure the artwork aligns with your app’s branding and content, and always follow Apple’s official guidelines.
The Poster Frame is automatically generated from a frame within your preview video—no separate upload is required. Select and configure this frame carefully to ensure it visually represents your app and complies with Apple’s guidelines.
To set up a banner, follow Google's recommendations.
App ratings appear in both search results and on app listing pages in both stores:
Low ratings and negative reviews can result in lower conversions and fewer installs. Additionally, your app may appear less frequently in Google Play search results, as the store uses a filter that prevents apps with ratings below 4.5 or 4.0 from being displayed.
To improve your app’s ratings and reviews, follow these best practices:
Display the prompt at a well-chosen moment—ideally after the user has had a positive experience with the app.
Our team at RadASO can help you set up automated review responses and create effective App Rating Prompt scenarios, contributing to a steady organic increase in your app’s rating.
Localize your app’s listing page for each region where it’s available. High-quality localization enhances user experience, boosts conversions, and positively impacts organic traffic.
Start by localizing the app’s product page for countries that generate the most traffic and revenue. Localize key elements such as the title, subtitle, and descriptions, as well as graphic assets—including the icon (Google Play only), screenshots, and videos—to better resonate with local audiences.
Remember, effective localization goes beyond simple translation—it’s about cultural adaptation. Use imagery featuring local people, follow regional design trends, and align your writing style with local expectations to create a more authentic and engaging experience.
Localization of the app's listing page for the USA and the Republic of Korea (App Store):
The RadASO team will handle the localization of text metadata and the cultural adaptation of graphic elements, helping to boost both conversion rates and traffic in your target countries.
To improve your app’s visibility, increase traffic, and maintain user engagement, you can use a number of additional features:
Each promoted in-app purchase must include a promotional image, a display name (up to 30 characters), and a description (up to 45 characters). The display name is indexed, so be sure to include relevant keywords to help the purchase appear in search results.
You can promote up to 20 Promoted In-App Purchases simultaneously. Like app page metadata, the display name and description of each promoted purchase can be localized. Be sure to configure them in accordance with Apple’s guidelines.
Each in-app event must include two visuals—an Event Card Image and an Event Detail Page Image—along with a title (Event Name), a short description, and a full description. The Event Name (30 characters) and Short Description (50 characters) are indexed, so include relevant keywords to improve the event’s visibility in search results.
More information about configuring In-app events can be found in the guideline.
Customize the display of relevant content for users based on factors such as location, search behavior, pre-registration status, or specific Google Ads campaigns. You can create up to 50 variations of your app’s product page simultaneously. Be sure to configure Custom Store Listings in line with Google’s guidelines.
Product page variations for different user segments:
The format of featured apps can vary, ranging from a dedicated story about a specific app to a curated selection of apps or games.
Recently, Apple introduced the option to submit a feature request directly through App Store Connect. The Apple team will review your submission, and if approved, they will send you an email with further instructions.
Test changes to your app's product page by running experiments in App Store Connect using Product Page Optimization and in Google Play Console using Store Listing Experiments.
Google Play Console displays the number of installs for each tested variant based on one of the following metrics:
Unlike Google Play, the App Store provides data on the conversion rate of the app page based on two key indicators:
Both the App Store and Google Play allow you to test up to three new page variations in a single experiment. The more variations you test simultaneously, the more traffic is needed to ensure statistical reliability. If you have doubts about the reliability of results from simple A/B testing (testing one new page variation), consider conducting A/B/B testing—testing two completely identical new variations. If their conversion rates differ during the experiment, the results cannot be considered reliable.
According to the RadASO team’s experience, the potential for conversion growth (the percentage of users who install your app after searching for it in the store) after each A/B test is approximately 15-45%. ASO is not a one-time task. Continuously test and track the results of any changes to your app’s product page, analyze your competition, and stay up to date with the latest trends in mobile marketing.
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