Free ASO book · Edition 1 · 18 pages
App Store Optimization: The Ultimate Book
Everything you ever wanted to know about ASO, by the ASOWin team
This guide explains how the Apple App Store and Google Play decide which apps to show, and what app owners can do about it. It starts with why visibility drives app revenue, then breaks down the ranking factors both stores share, such as downloads, ratings, update frequency, conversion and retention. Separate chapters cover the App Store (app name, subtitle, keyword field, in-app events) and Google Play (title, short and long description, category). It closes with a practical approach to executing ASO: auditing your listing, benchmarking competitor apps and researching additional data sources, along with an honest caveat about what ASO cannot fix.
Chapters
- 1
The business imperative of App Store Optimization
Why visibility decides an app's revenue, and what ASO is
- 2
Determinants of app rankings
Factors both stores share: app name, downloads, ratings and reviews, update frequency, conversion, retention and ANR rate
- 3
Apple App Store ranking factors
App name, subtitle, description, the keyword field, downloads, in-app events, in-app purchases, ratings and update cycle
- 4
Google Play Store ranking factors
App title, short and long description, category, in-app purchases, ratings, update cycle and downloads
- 5
Executing App Store Optimization
Finding your strengths and gaps, benchmarking competitor apps, and researching other information sources
- 6
The art and science of ASO
What ASO cannot fix, and why execution needs specialist judgment
Key takeaways
On the App Store, the 30-character subtitle and the 100-character keyword field are prime space: use related terms, check what competitors target, and borrow words from your reviews.
Only the first three screenshots appear in App Store search results, so choose them through A/B testing.
Ratings and reviews are both a ranking signal and a source of keywords. When ratings drop, pause asking for reviews and fix the underlying issues first.
Retention and stability (ANR rate) influence rankings, so ASO depends on product quality as well as metadata.
ASO cannot rescue an app in a market that is not ready or an app that users do not like.
About the author
The book is written by the team at ASOWin, a global App Store Optimization agency working with app brands such as Pepperfry, Bybit, Indiabulls Securities, LSM Apps and Viker Games. Questions about the book: support@asowin.com.