7 ASO Tactics That Actually Improve App Store Rankings

TL;DR

ASO is how users find your app. With millions of apps in each store, visibility determines downloads more than quality alone.

Keywords drive discovery — Research what users actually search for
Title and subtitle matter most — Front-load with primary keywords
Screenshots sell the download — Users decide in 3 seconds
Reviews affect rankings — Both quantity and sentiment
Localization multiplies reach — Same effort, new markets

Why ASO Matters

App Store Optimization is SEO for app stores. When users search "budget tracker" or "meditation app," ASO determines whether your app appears on page one or page twenty.

The numbers:

65% of app downloads come from app store search
Top 3 search results get 50%+ of downloads
Moving from position 10 to position 3 can 5x your organic installs

Unlike paid ads, ASO improvements compound over time. One hour of optimization work can drive downloads for years.

Tactic 1: Keyword Research

Keywords are how users find apps. Your intuition about what users search isn't enough — you need data.

How to find keywords:

Start with your app's core function — What problem does it solve?
Use App Store Connect / Google Play Console — Both show search terms that led to your app
Check competitor metadata — What keywords do top apps in your category target?
Use ASO tools — Sensor Tower, App Radar, or AppTweak show search volume and difficulty

Example: A recipe app might think users search "recipes." Data shows "quick dinner ideas," "meal prep," and "healthy recipes under 30 minutes" have higher intent and lower competition.

What to target:

High search volume (people actually search this)
Low competition (you can rank)
High relevance (matches what your app does)

Tactic 2: Optimize Your Title and Subtitle

Your app title is the most important ranking factor. Apple gives you 30 characters; Google gives you 50.

Best practices:

Lead with your brand — If it's recognizable
Include primary keyword — The term with highest volume
Make it readable — Don't keyword stuff

Examples:

| Before | After | |--------|-------| | MoneyMinder | MoneyMinder: Budget Tracker | | RecipeBox | RecipeBox - Meal Planner | | FitDaily | FitDaily: Home Workouts |

Subtitle (iOS) / Short Description (Android): Use this for secondary keywords. You have 30 characters (iOS) or 80 characters (Android).

Don't: "The best app for everything you need" Do: "Track spending, save more money"

Tactic 3: Write a Better Description

The long description doesn't directly affect iOS rankings, but it does affect Android rankings and conversion rates on both platforms.

Structure that works:

First line — Clear value proposition (this shows before "Read More")
Features list — Bullet points with keywords
Social proof — Press mentions, awards, user count
Call to action — What to do next

Keyword placement:

Include target keywords naturally in the first 250 characters
Repeat primary keywords 3-5 times throughout
Don't stuff — Google penalizes obvious manipulation

Tactic 4: Optimize Screenshots and Video

Users spend 3-7 seconds on your app store page before deciding. Screenshots are often the deciding factor.

What works:

First two screenshots — Show your #1 and #2 features (these appear in search results)
Add text overlays — Explain what the screenshot shows
Show the app in use — Not just UI, but UI with realistic content
Use device frames — Looks more professional

Video preview:

Keep it under 30 seconds
Show the app working, not a brand video
Front-load the best feature (most users don't finish)

Testing: Run A/B tests on screenshots using Google Play Experiments or App Store product page optimization.

Tactic 5: Leverage Reviews for Rankings

Reviews affect ASO in multiple ways:

Direct ranking factor — Apps with more (and better) reviews rank higher
Keyword signals — Words in reviews influence what searches you appear for
Conversion rate — Users check ratings before downloading

How to improve review metrics:

Ask at the right time — After a successful action, not on first launch
Use in-app prompts — iOS allows 3 per year per user
Respond to reviews — Shows active development, can prompt updates
Fix issues mentioned in reviews — Reduces new negative reviews

How AppReviewBot helps:

Get notified of new reviews in Slack/Teams
Track rating trends over time
Respond quickly to prevent churn
Identify keyword opportunities from review text

Tactic 6: Localize for New Markets

Localization is the highest-ROI ASO tactic for apps with international potential. You do the work once and reach entirely new user bases.

What to localize:

App name and subtitle — Translate and adapt keywords
Description — Full translation with local keywords
Screenshots — Translate text overlays
Keywords field (iOS) — Research local search terms

Priority markets by language:

English (US, UK, Australia, Canada)
Spanish (Spain, Mexico, Latin America)
German (Germany, Austria, Switzerland)
Japanese
Portuguese (Brazil)

Important: Don't just translate — localize. Keywords that work in US English often don't work in British English. "Apartment" vs "Flat" changes search behavior entirely.

Tactic 7: Update Regularly

App stores favor actively maintained apps. Regular updates signal quality and ongoing development.

Update strategy:

Frequency — At least monthly for most apps
Release notes — Include keywords naturally ("Fixed crash in budget tracker")
Feature releases — Announce improvements, not just bug fixes
Seasonal updates — Holiday themes, timely features

Warning: Bad updates hurt more than no updates. Monitor reviews closely after each release. A buggy update can tank your rating quickly.

Measuring ASO Success

Track these metrics weekly:

| Metric | What It Tells You | |--------|-------------------| | Keyword rankings | Are you moving up for target terms? | | Organic downloads | Are more people finding you? | | Conversion rate | Are visitors becoming users? | | Rating trend | Is user satisfaction improving? |

Tools for tracking:

App Store Connect / Google Play Console (free)
Sensor Tower, AppTweak, App Radar (paid, more detailed)
AppReviewBot (review monitoring and sentiment)

Key Takeaways

ASO compounds — Small improvements accumulate over time
Keywords first — Research before optimizing
Title is king — Highest-impact single change
Screenshots sell — Invest in good visuals
Reviews matter — For rankings and conversion
Localize strategically — Same work, bigger audience
Monitor everything — You can't improve what you don't measure

Next Steps

Ready to improve your app's visibility?

Audit your current metadata — How does your title compare to competitors?
Research 5-10 target keywords — Use tools or competitor analysis
Update your first 2 screenshots — Make them self-explanatory
Set up review monitoring — Try AppReviewBot to track rating trends
Pick one market to localize — Start with the biggest opportunity

ASO isn't a one-time task. The apps that rank highest treat optimization as an ongoing process — testing, measuring, and improving continuously.