*ASO is a topic we cover regularly on the GoodBarber blog, whether through our advice on describing your app on the stores or on how to promote an app. But when we can complement our resources with advice from a field expert, we don't pass it up.
It was while collaborating with Claire on a no-code video "The incredible no-code tool nobody knows about yet " that we discovered Marine. Claire told us that she had been guided by Marine to optimize her application's visibility on the stores, with concrete results.
Marine regularly supports app creators, agencies, and freelancers in their mobile acquisition strategy, through articles, masterclasses, and workshops. It's precisely this practitioner's perspective — up-to-date and results-oriented — that convinced us to give her carte blanche on the GoodBarber blog.* Why ASO Is Not Optional
ASO (App Store Optimization) is a set of techniques implemented to better rank a mobile application on the App Store and the Play Store. If you know SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for websites, it's exactly the same principle… but for stores. The difference? The rules of the game are not the same for the App Store and the Play Store (it would be too simple otherwise).
Concretely, ASO allows your application to:
- Be found → appear in search results when a user searches for something
- Drive downloads → convert that visitor into a download once they're on your product page (= your app's page on the stores)
If you're reading this article, it's probably because you have an app that's already launched or in development and you're wondering how to get downloads.
Why ASO Is Truly Indispensable
The numbers speak for themselves:
- 65 to 75% of downloads on the stores come from a direct search in the store
- There are more than 2 million apps on the App Store and more than 3 million on the Play Store
- The average user spends less than 7 seconds deciding whether or not to download
My conclusion is clear: if you're not visible in the first search results, you don't exist. And even if you appear, you have 7 seconds to convince.
And that's where I see a huge opportunity. Why? Because, as I observe in the field, the majority of apps make no effort on ASO. They optimize their product page once and never touch it again.
That's your competitive advantage!
Except that reality looks more like this:
Imagine two dominoes. The first is your product: your application, the one you've spent weeks working on. The last one is installs — your goal.
What you see here is what happens when you don't pay attention to the marketing side of your application.
You may have the best app in the world, but if nobody finds it… nobody downloads it.
ASO (App Store Optimization) is literally the series of dominoes that connects your product to installs.
These are all the elements that, put together, create a chain reaction:
- Keywords & Metadata → The keywords and metadata that allow your app to rise in search results and therefore be found on the stores.
- Visuals → The screenshots, icons, and videos that make people want to download the application and trigger action.
- Social Proof → Ratings and reviews that reassure and convert.
To summarize:
Optimizing visibility criteria on the stores → getting a better position in search results
→ generating more organic (= free) downloads.
How Does the Store Algorithm Work? (Simple Version)
I won't go into ultra-technical details, but here's what you need to understand: the App Store (iOS) and the Play Store (Android) work like search engines.
When a user types "meditation" in the search bar, the algorithm decides which apps to show first. This decision is based on several criteria, which vary between stores:
App Store (Apple)
App name
Subtitle
Keywords field
Number of downloads
Total number of ratings
Number of 5-star ratings
Number of reviews
Keywords in reviews
Recent update
Play Store (Google)
App name
Short description
Long description
Number of downloads
Total number of ratings
Number of 5-star ratings
Number of reviews
Keywords in reviews
Recent update
To simplify, ASO rests on two pillars:
- Visibility (being found)
- Choosing the right keywords
- Optimizing the title and subtitle
- Optimizing descriptions
- Positive ratings and reviews
- Conversion (driving downloads)
- Eye-catching icon
- Well-crafted screenshots
- Preview video
- Positive ratings and reviews
One without the other doesn't work. You can have the best keywords in the world, but if your product page isn't compelling, nobody will download. And conversely: the most beautiful product page in the world is useless if nobody finds it. That's the whole challenge of ASO: aligning the dominoes on both sides.
Common ASO Mistakes to Avoid
Metadata accuracy — the golden rule:
Apple is uncompromising on this point: all your metadata (description, screenshots, app preview, privacy information) must reflect the main and actual experience of your application. In case of non-compliance, they can reject your app during App Review, remove it from the store, or even suspend your developer account. This is what Apple calls Guideline 2.3. Compliance is therefore not an option: it's the absolute prerequisite for any ASO strategy.
Classic mistakes in textual metadata
In the Keywords field, several practices are explicitly prohibited by Apple and can lead to rejection:
- Using your own app's name (it's wasted space — it's already indexed)
- Using brand names or competitor apps
- Including irrelevant terms that don't match the app's experience
Promotional text is not for storing keywords
This is a common mistake. Apple confirms it in black and white: promotional text does not affect ranking in search results. Its only advantage is that it can be modified without submitting a new version of the app, so it should be reserved for current messages (promotions, events, new features). It's text that appears above your description in the App Store:
The description is not a ranking field
Contrary to what one might think, Apple (unlike Google) does not list the description among the fields that influence textual relevance in search. Stuffing your description with keywords therefore has no effect on ranking. However, it plays an important role in conversion: the first sentence is particularly critical because it's what the user sees before clicking "More".
Regular updates
Apple recommends keeping your metadata up to date with each new version. The "What's New" field (max 4,000 characters) must describe the changes made. A regularly updated app sends a positive signal, both to users and to the algorithm.
Focus on Play Store ASO (Google)
The title
As on the App Store, the title is limited to 30 characters. Google specifies that it is "particularly useful" for users to find and understand your application. The same common-sense rules apply: choose a clear and fairly short name.
Beware of practices prohibited by Google: no repeated emojis, no excessive capitalization (unless it's your brand), no mentions like "App #1" or ranking badges. Violating these rules can result in a suspension.
The short description
Limited to 80 characters, it appears below the title in search results and on the listing. It's a precious space to quickly convince the user. Google is clear on one point: stuffing this field with keywords "has no effect on ranking" and harms the user experience. Go for natural and impactful wording.
The long description
Limited to 4,000 characters, this is where you detail your application. Unlike the App Store, Google indexes the content of the description for search, so it plays a very important role in discoverability. But again, Google explicitly penalizes repetitive and irrelevant use of keywords: this can lead to your listing being suspended. Write for the user first, with keywords integrated naturally but with a certain recurrence for the 5 main keywords.
Keywords
On Google Play, there is no hidden keywords field: everything goes through the title, the short description, and the full description. Your keywords must therefore be integrated naturally into these texts, with a reasonable density.
Android Vitals: A Criterion That Doesn't Exist on the App Store
This is the major structural difference between the two stores: Google explicitly documents that the technical performance of your app affects its discoverability. If your app exceeds certain bad behavior thresholds (crash rate, ANR — Application Not Responding), it will be "likely to be less discoverable," meaning less visible in results. Google can even display a warning directly on your listing. This is an ASO lever that Apple documents far less in terms of ranking, even though we suspect it exists on their side too.
Screenshots
The icon must be in PNG 32-bit format with transparency, at 512×512 pixels, and must not exceed 1024 KB. It appears in search results, rankings, and the listing.
The feature graphic is in JPEG or PNG 24-bit format without transparency, at 1024×500 pixels.
For screenshots, Google requires a minimum of 2 visuals. They can appear well beyond your listing — in search results, on the home page, in recommendations. Unlike the App Store, the presentation video is done via a YouTube URL and can autoplay up to 30 seconds depending on conditions.
On this screen, we observe reassurance elements multiple times ("Women's Choice", the 5 stars, "+100k users", etc.) as well as an example of a desired review that contains (what a surprise!) keywords = "symptoms related to periods." The user doesn't need to rack their brain to write their review! Another interesting method: they encourage a 5-star rating twice — with the 5-star visual appearing twice, and by spelling it out: "5-star energy." In summary: a great example of a screen for requesting user reviews!
Custom Store Listings (Google's equivalent of Apple's Custom Product Pages)
Google allows you to create up to 50 personalized listings with different texts, icons, and assets depending on the target segment.
The short description
Also limited to 30 characters, it appears below the name throughout the App Store. This is a field indexed by Apple for search, so it's a precious space to place keywords you couldn't fit into the title.
Keywords
On the App Store, you have a dedicated Keywords field of 100 characters — this is your main strategic space outside of the title and subtitle. Every character counts. Avoid spaces after commas, and don't use articles or prepositions (they add nothing).
Screenshots
Screenshots are much more than a conversion element: Apple specifies that they can appear directly in search results, especially when no app preview is available. The first visuals are therefore doubly important — they influence both the click from search results and the download decision on the product page.
Technical constraints: you can upload between 1 and 10 screenshots per device format. Accepted formats are .jpeg, .jpg, and .png. Dimensions are specific to each device (iPhone, iPad, etc.), so you need to prepare visuals adapted to each size.
Best practice: pay particular attention to the first 3 screenshots, as they're the ones displayed in search results. They must communicate the app's main value at a glance, without the user needing to click on the product page.
Note: you now have the ability to display specific screenshots based on the keywords searched.
App previews (videos)
The app preview is the presentation video for your application. It's optional but recommended, as it also appears in search results and can significantly improve the conversion rate.
Technical constraints:
- Maximum 3 previews per device format
- Duration: between 15 and 30 seconds
- Maximum size: 500 MB
- Specific video specifications apply depending on the target device
Best practice: if you have an app preview, it will take priority over screenshots in search results. Make sure the first seconds are impactful and representative of the app's main experience.
An important compliance point
Apple is strict: your screenshots and previews must reflect the real experience of the application. Any misleading representation can lead to rejection during App Review.
Custom Product Pages
Apple allows you to create personalized product pages, in addition to your main page. The ASO advantage is twofold: each custom product page can have its own screenshots, previews, and promotional text — and above all, it can be associated with specific keywords that will make it appear in search results. It's a powerful lever for targeting different audiences with a tailored message, without touching your main page.
For example, for the FLO app (menstrual cycle tracking), many Product Pages have been created, each centered on a specific target or feature.
Usage signals
Google is explicit: search ranking is based on a combination of ratings, reviews, downloads, and other factors. As on the App Store, encouraging satisfied users to leave a review and responding to negative feedback is fully part of the ASO strategy.
Ratings & Reviews
Apple explicitly confirms: ratings and reviews can influence ranking in search results. Two important elements to analyze among your competitors:
- Total number of ratings and reviews
- Number of 5-star ratings
- Number of 5-star reviews
The presence of keywords in the text of reviews (Apple indexes the content of reviews, which can reinforce your app's relevance for certain queries). This is also why encouraging satisfied users to leave a review is a real ASO tactic.
In-App Events
In-App Events are events you create directly from App Store Connect (feature launch, challenge, competition, etc.). They appear as cards in search results, based on the user's history. It's an additional visibility surface that adds to your regular result.
The Core of the Battle: How to Determine the Right Keywords for Your Mobile App
Why This Is the Foundation of Everything
Before optimizing anything — title, subtitle, keywords, description — you need to know which keywords to target. Good keyword research means understanding how your potential users search for an app like yours. Not how you describe your app, but how they search for it. These are often two very different things.
The Three Types of Keywords to Identify
- The first type: brand keywords — your app's name and your company's name.
- The second type: generic keywords — they describe what your app does broadly ("meditation", "calorie tracking", "language learning").
- The third type: long-tail keywords — more specific, less competitive but often better for conversion ("meditation for beginners", "free calorie tracker").
The Research Method
The first step is brainstorming. List all the terms that describe your app: its main function, its secondary features, the problem it solves, the audience it addresses. Involve people outside the project — they'll naturally use the vocabulary of your future users.
The second step is exploration in the stores. Type your keywords into the search bar of the App Store and Play Store and observe the automatic suggestions — these are real user queries. Also look at the listings of your direct competitors: what words do they use in their title, subtitle, description?
The third step is analysis with dedicated tools. Tools like AppFollow, AppTweak, or Sensor Tower give you valuable data: the estimated search volume of a keyword, its difficulty level (i.e., the strength of competition on that term), and the keywords your competitors are already targeting.
Analyze Your Competitors!
Competitive analysis is an often underestimated step, yet it's what allows you to understand the standards of your category, identify positioning opportunities, and avoid reinventing the wheel. Your competitors have already tested things: their listings, their keywords, their visuals are valuable sources of information.
Identifying Your True Competitors
Before analyzing, you need to choose who to analyze. These are the apps that appear on the same keywords as you. Type your main keywords into the App Store and Play Store and note the apps that systematically appear in the top results — those are the ones you need to monitor. Build a list of 5 to 10 direct competitors to analyze.
What to Analyze for Each Competitor
- The first point: textual metadata. Look at their title, subtitle (App Store), short description (Google Play). What keywords do they use? How do they build their value proposition in so few characters? Look for recurring patterns — if all your competitors use a certain term, it's probably a high-volume keyword in your category.
- The second point: ratings and reviews. Record for each competitor the total number of reviews, the average rating, and the number of 5-star reviews. This gives you an idea of the level of social signal you need to reach to be competitive. Also read the most recent and most critical reviews — they reveal user frustrations, i.e., differentiation opportunities for your app.
Read the text of reviews. Users naturally employ the vocabulary with which they search for this type of application. It's a gold mine for enriching your keyword research.
- The third point: visual assets. Analyze their screenshots: what's the first message highlighted? Do they have a presentation video? This analysis helps you identify what users in your category expect and what could set you apart.
- The fourth point: update frequency. Look at the date of the last update and the frequency of past updates. A regularly updated app sends a positive signal to stores and users. If your competitors update every two weeks and you update every six months, that's an unfavorable signal.
Like keyword research, competitive analysis is not a one-time exercise. Set up regular monitoring: track updates from your main competitors, changes to their titles or visuals, and the evolution of their ratings.
These changes are often a sign that they've identified something that works — or conversely, that they're trying to fix something that doesn't work :)
To conduct this competitive analysis effectively and track the evolution of your keywords over time, you'll need a dedicated tool. To get started smoothly without spending a significant budget, Astro is the tool I recommend: at $9/month, it covers keyword research, position tracking, and competitive analysis in a simple and effective interface. Note that Astro is exclusively dedicated to the Apple App Store and works on Mac only — if you're also developing an Android app, you'll need a complementary tool to cover the Play Store.
Criteria for Choosing Your Keywords
Each keyword must be evaluated on three axes.
- Volume: how many users search for this term?
- Difficulty: how hard is it to rank for it against existing competition?
- Relevance: does this keyword truly correspond to the main experience of your app?
The ideal is to find keywords with sufficient volume, accessible difficulty, and strong relevance. For a new or lightly installed app, it's better to target niche keywords with little competition rather than ultra-competitive generic terms on which you have no chance of appearing in the top results.
How to Analyze Your ASO Performance?
Analyzing your ASO performance is fairly simple when you know where to look. 2 indicators are enough to give a clear picture of what's working (or not).
- Ranking on targeted keywords: The first thing to monitor is your position in search results for the keywords identified during research. The goal is clear: aim for the top 5. Beyond the 5th position, the click-through rate can drop drastically.
- Product Page conversion rate: This is the KPI to monitor in order to differentiate what comes from organic and what comes from paid campaigns (Apple Search Ads, Google Ads, Meta…).
The calculation is simple:
Conversion rate = (Number of downloads / Number of Product Page views) x 100. Concretely, if 1,000 people view a product page and 250 people download the app, the conversion rate is 25%. A good conversion rate is estimated at around 20%.
If you run advertising, I recommend always using Custom Product Pages (Personalized Product Pages) to isolate organic traffic from paid traffic.
Want to go further? If you need help with your ASO strategy or want to go deeper into your paid acquisition — whether on Meta, Google, or Apple Search Ads — don't hesitate to contact me at: marine.bousseau1@gmail.com !
Focus on App Store ASO (Apple)
App name
The choice of name is strategic: according to Apple, it "plays a critical role in how users discover the app." Before finalizing it, copy and paste this name directly into the App Store search bar. If a well-established app has a visually similar name, the App Store will apply spell correction when users search for your app — which risks redirecting them to the competition. Avoid this at all costs.
Technical constraint: the title is limited to 30 characters. The longer an app name, the less space you have to integrate relevant keywords. Apple therefore recommends a simple and short name.