What ASO Actually Is
App Store Optimisation is the practice of improving an app's visibility in app store search results and its conversion rate on the store listing page. The two outcomes are related but distinct. Visibility is about ranking for the searches your users perform. Conversion is about turning store page visitors into downloads.
Both Apple App Store and Google Play have search algorithms that decide which apps appear for a given query. Those algorithms weight: how well the app's metadata matches the query (title, subtitle, keywords, description), how the app performs once downloaded (ratings, crash rate, retention), and how the app compares to competitors on those signals. ASO is the systematic work of optimising all of these inputs.
iOS vs Android: the platform difference that matters
iOS and Android have fundamentally different keyword systems and this requires separate optimisation for each.
| Element | iOS (App Store) | Android (Google Play) |
|---|---|---|
| Keyword input | Hidden 100-char keyword field + title + subtitle | Full description (4,000 chars) crawled by Google |
| Description indexing | Not indexed for search | Fully indexed (like a web page) |
| A/B testing | Product Page Optimisation (native) | Google Play Store Listing Experiments |
| Review weight | Rating displayed prominently in search | Rating displayed prominently in search |
| In-app review API | Apple SKStoreReviewRequest docs | Android In-App Review API |
The most common mistake in cross-platform ASO: treating the iOS keyword field and the Android description as the same task. They are not. iOS requires a concise 100-character keyword list (no spaces around commas, no plurals, no articles) carefully chosen from keyword research. Android requires long-form description copy that naturally incorporates target keywords the way a well-written web page does.
The Seven ASO Levers
These are the inputs you control. Every ASO engagement addresses all seven, in this priority order.
01. App title
The title is the highest-weighted field in both iOS and Android search algorithms. Including a keyword in the title provides the strongest possible signal to the algorithm. The constraint is character limits: 30 characters on iOS, 50 on Android. Your brand name will consume 8 to 15 of those characters. The remaining characters should include the most important searchable descriptor for what the app does.
Bad: “Acme”. Better: “Acme, Invoice Generator for Freelancers”. The second title tells the algorithm and the user exactly what the app does in language people search for.
02. Subtitle (iOS) and short description (Android)
The second-highest-weighted text field on iOS is the 30-character subtitle. Use it for secondary keywords that did not fit in the title. On Android, the 80-character short description appears in search results below the title. It is also indexable and should lead with keywords while remaining readable to humans.
03. Keywords (iOS) and description (Android)
On iOS, the hidden 100-character keyword field completes the indexable metadata. Keywords should be: comma-separated with no spaces, singular not plural, no words already in the title or subtitle (duplicates waste space), no competitor brand names (Apple rejects on review), and selected from keyword research tools that show actual search volume.
On Android, the 4,000-character description is crawled by Google as a web document. Write it as you would an SEO-optimised service page: clear primary keyword in the first paragraph, secondary keywords distributed naturally, specific feature descriptions that match how users search.
04. Screenshots and app preview video
Screenshots do not affect search ranking but they are the primary driver of store page conversion. The first two screenshots are visible in the search results row without tapping through to the listing. Those two must communicate the core value proposition in 2 to 3 seconds, at thumbnail size, without relying on the user reading small text.
A short preview video (15 to 30 seconds) showing the core workflow consistently increases conversion on both platforms when the first frame is strong.
05. Ratings and reviews
Rating is prominently displayed in search results and is a significant ranking factor. An app with a 4.7 rating consistently outranks an equivalent app with a 3.9 rating in competitive categories. The mechanism for collecting ratings in-app is the Apple SKStoreReviewRequest on iOS and the In-App Review API on Android. Both display the native rating dialog in-app without sending the user to the store.
Timing the request correctly is the most impactful variable. Triggering the review dialog after a user completes a meaningful action (finished an invoice, completed a meditation session, saved a document) produces significantly higher ratings than triggering it on first launch or after a set number of days.
06. Update frequency
Both Apple and Google weight update recency in their algorithms. Ship at least one update every 4 to 6 weeks. It does not need to be a major feature release. Bug fixes, performance improvements, and minor UI refinements all count. The What's New text in the update notes is also indexed and should include relevant keywords.
07. Conversion rate (store listing CTR)
Both stores track what percentage of store page visitors download the app. A high conversion rate is a positive ranking signal. Low conversion rates suppress ranking even with good keyword optimisation. Product Page Optimisation on iOS and Store Listing Experiments on Google Play let you A/B test screenshots, video, and copy with real traffic before committing to the winning variant.
When ASO Works and When It Does Not
ASO is not a solution to every mobile growth problem. Understanding where it works and where it does not prevents wasted investment.
ASO works well when:
- Users search for apps that solve your problem
- Your app has strong ratings (4.5+) relative to competitors
- You are targeting a category with search volume but not dominated by 5+ entrenched apps
- Your store listing conversion rate is below 30%
ASO is not the right tool when:
- —Nobody searches for apps that solve your problem (new category)
- —Your category is dominated by Google, Meta, or Microsoft apps
- —Your app has a below-3.5 rating (fix quality first)
- —Your growth model is referral or paid (ASO adds organic uplift but is not the primary lever)
Realistic timelines
Low competition category, strong ratings, metadata not optimised: 4 to 6 weeks to measurable organic improvement.
Mid-competition category, average ratings, well-optimised competitors: 8 to 12 weeks of sustained work.
High-competition category (top 50 apps have 50K+ ratings): ASO alone will not move you into top results. Combine with paid user acquisition to build ratings volume first.
Technical ASO, the Elements Most Guides Skip
Most ASO guides cover metadata and screenshots. Technical ASO covers the app-quality signals that the stores measure from actual usage. These signals are harder to control but have a significant impact on ranking, particularly in competitive categories.
Crash rate and ANR rate (Android)
Google Play surfaces crash rate and ANR (Application Not Responding) rate prominently in the Play Console. Apps with a crash rate above 1.09% or ANR rate above 0.47% are flagged as having poor core vitals, which suppresses ranking. Apple App Store similarly demotes apps with high crash rates. Maintaining a crash-free rate above 99% is a prerequisite for competitive ASO.
Deep linking and App Clips (iOS) / Instant Apps (Android)
Universal links (iOS) and App Links (Android) connect your app to specific URLs, enabling users arriving from web search or social to land directly in the relevant in-app screen. Deep link performance is a signal in both algorithms. App Clips (iOS, max 10MB) and Instant Apps (Android) let users experience part of your app without installing it; both carry conversion signals back to the full app.
A/B testing store listing elements
Product Page Optimisation (iOS, up to 3 variants) and Store Listing Experiments (Android) allow you to test screenshots, preview videos, icons, and descriptions with real store traffic before permanently committing to the change. Most teams never run these tests. A well-run test on screenshots alone can improve conversion rate by 10 to 25%.
Custom product pages (iOS 15+)
iOS allows up to 35 custom product pages, each with different screenshots, preview video, and promotional text. Custom pages can be linked from paid campaigns, email, or social content, matching the store page to the messaging that drove the click. A custom page targeting a specific search query can significantly improve conversion for that query.
Why In-House ASO Is Harder Than It Looks
Many product teams attempt ASO in-house with reasonable initial results but plateau quickly. The plateau happens because effective ASO requires sustained keyword research, competitor analysis, A/B testing, and iteration across two separate platforms with different algorithms, which consumes more continuous attention than most in-house teams can sustain alongside product development.
| Component | US Agency | CV Infotech (India) |
|---|---|---|
| Initial audit + keyword research | $800–$2,000 | $250–$600 |
| Metadata optimisation (iOS + Android) | $600–$1,500 | $200–$480 |
| Screenshot design (5 screens) | $1,500–$4,000 | $500–$1,200 |
| Monthly monitoring + iteration | $1,500–$3,500/month | $480–$1,100/month |
| A/B testing setup and analysis | $800–$2,000 | $240–$600 |
All CV Infotech costs at $30/hr. Full audit and initial optimisation typically runs 3 to 4 weeks. See our mobile app development services.
Working on a mobile app ASO project?
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How CV Infotech Approaches This
We approach ASO as a combined technical and content discipline. The content side (metadata, screenshots, keyword research) and the technical side (crash rate, deep linking, in-app review timing) are both required; doing one without the other leaves measurable ranking and conversion on the table.
- We audit both iOS and Android listings separately, with platform-specific keyword research.
- We run a technical audit covering crash rate, deep link health, and review request timing.
- We design and test screenshot variants using Product Page Optimisation and Store Listing Experiments before committing.
- We provide monthly reporting showing keyword ranking movement, conversion rate changes, and organic download trends.
- We scope all ASO work in writing with clear deliverables before billing starts.
The initial discovery call is 30 minutes and free. We look at your current store listing, your category competition, your ratings baseline, and tell you honestly whether ASO is the right investment or whether app quality needs to come first.
Akash Singh
·View full profileCTO and Co-Founder, CV Infotech · Gurugram, India
Akash has been building software for clients in the USA, UK, Australia, and Canada since 2012. He leads a 100% in-house team and personally manages every client relationship and technical decision. Francisco Escobar has worked with him since 2012. Steven has trusted the team with his AI platforms since 2019. 512 verified 5.0 reviews on Freelancer.com.