App Store Optimization Services
Over 65 percent of app downloads begin with a store search. If your app does not rank for the keywords your users search, you pay for every install through UA spend. Oddtusk builds ASO programmes that improve keyword rankings on the App Store and Google Play, increase page conversion rates through optimised visuals and copy, and reduce your cost per install by growing the organic share of total downloads. The underlying keyword strategy follows the same intent-driven principles we apply across all organic channels.
ASO is the only user acquisition channel that compounds without ongoing spend.
Paid UA delivers installs while the budget runs. ASO builds organic install volume that grows over time as rankings improve and conversion rates compound. Most apps underinvest in ASO and overspend on paid channels to cover the gap. Oddtusk builds ASO programmes on both ranking and conversion signals: because ranking without converting and converting without ranking both leave significant install volume on the table. For apps that also need website visibility, our AEO and GEO optimisation service extends organic reach into AI-native search channels.
Dual-Signal ASO Strategy
ASO operates on two signals: keyword relevance which determines where you rank, and conversion rate which determines how many of those rankings turn into installs. We optimise both simultaneously: keyword architecture in title, subtitle, and metadata fields drives ranking, while screenshot design, icon testing, and description copy drives the conversion rate that turns impressions into downloads.
Keyword Architecture for Both Stores
The App Store and Google Play have different indexation rules. Apple indexes the title, subtitle, and keyword field. Google indexes the title, short description, long description, and app category. We build separate keyword strategies for each platform using App Radar, Sensor Tower, and AppFollow data, ensuring maximum keyword coverage within each store's specific character limits and indexation logic.
Conversion Rate Optimisation
Your app store page is a landing page. The icon, screenshots, preview video, and description are the only assets between a search impression and an install. We design screenshot frames that communicate core value propositions, advise on icon improvements, structure description copy to lead with the strongest benefit, and use A/B testing via App Store Connect product pages and Google Play experiments to validate what converts best.
Ratings and Review Strategy
Rating and review volume are direct store ranking signals on both platforms. We set up in-app review prompt workflows using Apple's SKStoreReviewRequest and Google's In-App Review API to maximise the rate at which satisfied users leave reviews. Review response templates are created for your team and negative reviews are monitored for product insight signals that improve both ratings and retention. This trust-building approach mirrors the E-E-A-T signals we build across all our SEO programmes.
Competitor and Category Intelligence
We analyse top-ranking competitors in your category for keyword coverage, visual strategy, rating velocity, update frequency, and store listing structure. This tells us exactly what the algorithm and user behaviour are currently rewarding in your category and where your app's specific gaps are compared to the apps that rank and convert above you today.
Tracked Against Organic Install Growth
ASO performance is measured in organic installs, keyword ranking movement, store page conversion rate, and cost per organic install versus paid channels. Monthly reports from App Store Connect and Google Play Console cover all key metrics alongside ASO keyword ranking data from third-party tools so every optimisation decision is backed by what the data shows, not assumptions.
ASO Outcomes Across iOS and Android Apps We Have Grown Through Organic Store Search.
Apps undergoing full metadata optimisation, keyword architecture, and visual conversion improvements consistently see organic install volume increase by 50 to 70 percent within 90 days as keyword rankings improve and store page conversion rates rise together.
Optimised screenshot frames, benefit-led description copy, and icon improvements consistently raise store page conversion rates by 25 to 40 percent. Higher conversion means each impression generates more installs without requiring additional ranking improvement or paid UA spend.
As organic installs grow through ASO, the paid UA share of total installs decreases. Apps with strong organic rankings consistently lower blended cost per install by 40 to 60 percent within 12 months as paid campaigns become less necessary to sustain total volume.
From Store Audit to Compounding Organic Installs
Store Listing & Keyword Audit
Keyword Research & Architecture
Metadata & Description Optimisation
Visual Asset Strategy & Testing
Ratings, Reviews & Update Cadence
Tracking, Reporting & Iteration
Straight answers to the questions that matter.
App Store Optimization is the process of improving an app's visibility in App Store and Google Play search results and increasing the conversion rate of the store listing page. It works by optimising metadata fields that the store algorithms index for keyword relevance, improving visual assets that influence whether a user installs after clicking, and building rating and review volume that acts as a trust and ranking signal on both platforms. It is the app-native equivalent of semantic SEO for the web.
Metadata updates are reflected in store rankings within 24 to 72 hours of submission and review approval. Meaningful keyword ranking movement is typically visible within 2 to 4 weeks of a full metadata update. Conversion rate improvements from visual asset changes show in store analytics within days of the update going live. The full compound effect of ranking and conversion improvements together becomes visible within 60 to 90 days.
Yes, significantly. Apple's App Store indexes the app title, subtitle, and a dedicated keyword field that is invisible to users. Google Play indexes the title, short description, long description, and app category. Character limits, update approval timescales, A/B testing tools, and algorithm weighting of different signals differ between platforms. We build and manage separate ASO strategies for each store rather than applying a single approach to both.
ASO and paid UA are complementary. Paid UA drives immediate install volume and can accelerate the velocity signals that help ASO rankings improve faster. ASO reduces the cost per install over time by growing the organic share of total installs. The goal is not to eliminate paid UA entirely but to shift the balance so organic contributes a larger percentage of installs, lowering the blended cost per install and reducing vulnerability to paid channel cost increases.
Screenshots are the highest-impact conversion asset on your store listing page. Most users decide whether to install based on the first two screenshots visible before they expand the listing. Screenshots that lead with a clear value proposition, use benefit-focused caption text, and show the app in use consistently outperform screenshots that are generic UI captures without context. We design screenshot frames and test them against your current assets using store-native A/B tools.
Rating and review signals directly influence rankings on both the App Store and Google Play. Apps with higher average ratings and more recent review volume consistently rank above comparable apps with fewer or older reviews. Beyond ranking, review content is read by prospective users before installing and influences conversion rate. We set up in-app review prompts to maximise collection rate and create a review monitoring process to address issues that are suppressing your rating. This trust function parallels the E-E-A-T authority signals we build across web SEO programmes.
We use App Radar, Sensor Tower, and AppFollow for keyword research and ranking tracking. These tools provide search volume estimates, keyword difficulty scores, competitor keyword gap data, and ranking history for both the App Store and Google Play. We supplement tool data with manual analysis of top-ranking competitor listings to identify keyword patterns and coverage gaps that automated tools alone may not surface.
We provide detailed screenshot frame design direction, copy for caption text, and structured briefs for icon improvements based on competitor visual analysis and category conventions. Final design execution can be handled by your in-house designer using our briefs or by our design partners. We do not produce final production-ready graphic files in-house but we ensure every visual decision is grounded in ASO performance data and competitive intelligence rather than aesthetic preference alone.
Yes. For new apps, ASO starts with keyword architecture that targets lower-competition terms where ranking is achievable without review volume, a store listing page that converts well from day one, and a review prompt strategy that builds velocity quickly from early users. The keyword target set expands as review volume and install velocity build, allowing the app to compete for higher-volume terms as the authority signals accumulate over the first 3 to 6 months.
Monthly reports cover organic installs from App Store Connect and Google Play Console, keyword ranking movement for all tracked terms across both stores, store page conversion rate, rating and review volume trends, and A/B test results from visual and metadata experiments. Cost per organic install is compared against paid UA benchmarks to demonstrate the compounding efficiency of the ASO programme over time. For apps also investing in web presence, see how our AEO and GEO optimisation service compounds organic reach further.