Your app is live. Now make sure the right users can find it.

App Store Optimization is the process of improving an app's visibility in the App Store (iOS) and Google Play Store (Android) so more of the right users find and install it organically — without paid ads. ASO covers keyword research (identifying which search terms your target users type in the store), metadata optimization (using those keywords in your title, subtitle, and description in ways the store algorithm rewards), visual optimization (screenshots and preview videos that convert browsers into installers), and reputation management (rating, review volume, and review sentiment that affect both ranking and conversion). The App Store search engine has its own algorithm, separate from Google's, and optimising for it requires understanding both the keyword ranking signals and the conversion rate signals that determine how high your app appears and how many people install it from the listing.

SEO optimises web pages to rank in Google search results. ASO optimises app listings to rank in App Store and Google Play search results. The mechanisms share some concepts — keyword research, content optimisation, authority signals — but the ranking factors are different. The App Store algorithm weights keyword placement in the title and subtitle heavily (keyword density in the main description matters much less than on the web). Google Play's algorithm is closer to traditional SEO and gives more weight to the description text. Both stores factor in conversion rate (what percentage of users who see the listing install the app), review velocity and sentiment, and download volume. In practice, ASO requires a separate keyword research process, different optimisation techniques, and different measurement tools from web SEO.

Yes. For apps built by RaftLabs, ASO is integrated into the pre-submission process — keyword strategy, metadata, screenshots, and preview video are ready before the app goes live in the store. For existing apps built by other teams, we start with a full ASO audit covering the current keyword strategy, metadata effectiveness, screenshot conversion performance, review health, and competitor positioning. The audit produces a ranked list of improvements by expected impact. We then implement those changes, measure the result, and iterate. We work within whatever development relationship you have for the app itself — ASO changes do not require access to the codebase, only the store listing and developer accounts.

For a new app launching with an optimised listing, ranking movement on target keywords typically becomes visible within 2 to 4 weeks of publication as the store indexes the listing and accumulates install data. For an existing app with an underoptimised listing, metadata changes can produce ranking movement within 1 to 3 weeks on the keywords targeted in the update. Screenshot and preview video changes affect conversion rate more immediately — you will see the change in install rate within days of the update going live. Review management improvements take longer to show in the store rating — typically 4 to 8 weeks before enough new reviews accumulate to move the average meaningfully. Full category ranking improvement, which depends on cumulative install volume and review velocity, typically takes 3 to 6 months of sustained ASO and UA effort to move significantly.

Google Play allows developers to run native A/B tests on store listing elements — you can test two different icon designs, screenshot sequences, preview videos, or short descriptions against each other, with Google randomly showing each variant to a portion of visitors and measuring which produces more installs. Apple's App Store offers a similar feature called Product Page Optimization for testing icons, screenshots, and preview videos. These tests run on real store traffic, so the sample sizes are large and the results are statistically meaningful. We design the test variants, set up the experiments, monitor for statistical significance, and implement the winning variant. We typically test screenshots and preview video first because they have the highest impact on conversion rate — a 5-point improvement in install rate is worth more per dollar than most paid UA campaigns.

ASO engagements at RaftLabs are structured in two parts. The first is a one-time audit and implementation project covering the full keyword strategy rebuild, metadata optimisation, screenshot and creative refresh, and review management setup — typically $2,500 to $6,000 depending on the number of platforms, markets, and the scope of creative work required. The second is an ongoing monthly retainer for continued keyword tracking, A/B test management, review monitoring, and listing updates as the store algorithm evolves — typically $800 to $2,500 per month. For apps built by RaftLabs, ASO is included in the project scope. For existing apps, we start with the audit and implementation project and then agree on the ongoing retainer based on what level of ongoing management makes sense for your install volume and category competitiveness.