App store optimisation:
found in search, converted on the listing
An app can rank for the right search terms and still lose the download because the first screenshot does not say anything, or the rating sits at 3.8 because nobody ever asks a happy user to leave one. We fix the keyword side and the conversion side together, since optimising only one leaves real downloads on the table.
Where the money leaks today
An app can rank on page one for a relevant search term and still convert at half the category average, because the icon does not stand out among five similar competitors in the same results grid, or the first screenshot shows a splash screen instead of the actual value in the first three seconds a user’s attention is available. Nobody notices this gap because keyword ranking is the metric that gets watched, while listing conversion rate, the actual number that determines whether the ranking turns into a download, often goes unmeasured.
Localisation is a frequently skipped step with outsized impact: an app available in twelve countries but with a listing only in English misses both the keyword-matching benefit and the conversion lift of a correctly localised title, description and screenshots, which in several markets we have seen measurably outperform an English-only listing left as a default.
What we do
We research the keywords that actually drive App Store and Google Play search specifically, which behave differently from web search, and rewrite the title, subtitle and description for both discovery and conversion. We review the screenshot sequence and preview video against whatever conversion data exists, since the first visible screenshot usually decides more than the fifth. We also set up a review and rating strategy, timed in-app prompts after a genuinely positive moment, since rating is itself a ranking and conversion factor most apps leave to chance.
Where the app serves multiple markets, we prioritise localising the listing for the two or three highest-volume countries first rather than attempting all markets simultaneously, since a well-localised listing in a handful of key markets usually outperforms a thin, machine-translated version spread across every market the app is technically available in.
What we need from you
Access to App Store Connect and/or Google Play Console with their analytics, current listing assets (screenshots, icon, video if any), and whatever funnel data you track from impression through to install and first use. Share your install data by country if you have it, since that tells us where localisation is likely to pay back fastest, rather than guessing from population size alone, which often does not match actual demand. Any past A/B tests on the listing, even informal ones, save us from re-testing something you already know the answer to.
How we measure
Search ranking for priority keywords in both stores, listing conversion rate (impression to install) in each store’s own analytics, and average rating trend after any review-prompt changes. We separate organic and paid installs in the conversion-rate report wherever your attribution setup allows it, since a listing change can lift organic conversion while paid stays flat, or the reverse, and blending the two hides which lever actually moved, tracked monthly by store and by market where the app runs in more than one country.
Price and timeline
| Option | Price | What it covers | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launch or audit | from $500 | Keyword research, listing rewrite, screenshot and rating review | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Monthly management | from $400 / month | Ongoing A/B testing of listing assets, keyword tracking, monthly report | monthly, no lock-in |
| Full control, handover to your team | from $1,000 | Full optimisation plus a testing playbook handed to your product or growth team | 2 weeks |
Related
A better-converting listing makes every paid install campaign more efficient at the same time, since the same creative and targeting now sends traffic to a page that closes a larger share of it, which is the main reason we recommend fixing the listing before or alongside scaling paid spend rather than after. Where the app also has a presence on YouTube, the two discovery channels reinforce each other and are worth planning together rather than as entirely separate projects run by different people. Pair this with paid app install campaigns on the performance marketing service and with YouTube SEO if video drives installs too. For the testing discipline behind listing experiments, see automated A/B test analysis. We optimised discovery and conversion together in a 30k-install media-buying program. Get in touch with your current listing and we will flag the screenshot most likely losing you installs.
FAQ
How much does ASO cost?
From $500 for an initial keyword and listing optimisation pass on one app and store. Ongoing monthly management with A/B testing runs from $400 a month.
Does this replace paid app install campaigns?
No, it improves the conversion rate and organic discovery that paid campaigns depend on; see our Apple Search Ads and app install campaigns service for the paid side specifically.
How long until rankings or conversion improve?
Keyword and metadata changes can affect App Store search ranking within 1 to 2 weeks; screenshot and listing conversion changes show in your store's own analytics almost immediately after the new assets go live.
Do you design the screenshots?
We review and recommend what needs to change for conversion; design production runs through our creative production service if you need new assets built, not just a strategic review of existing ones.
What do you need from us?
Access to App Store Connect and/or Google Play Console analytics, your current listing assets, and whatever conversion or funnel data you already track from impression to install.