App Store Optimization Services
Most mobile apps rely entirely on paid user acquisition because their App Store and Google Play listings were never optimized for organic discovery. The title uses the brand name instead of a keyword. The description buries the value proposition. The screenshots were designed for aesthetics, not conversion.
RaftLabs builds App Store Optimization into every mobile product we ship - and takes over existing apps that are leaving organic downloads on the table.
Keyword research for both App Store (iOS) and Google Play - target terms with real search volume in your category.
Title, subtitle, and description copy optimized for the keywords your users are actually typing, not what you wish they were.
Screenshot and preview video strategy built to convert browsers into installers - not just look good in a design review.
Review management, A/B testing of listing elements, and localization for key markets.
Recent outcomes
Consumer App · ASO
Top 10 ASO rank
App Store and Google Play metadata rebuilt pre-launch. Ranked in top 10 for all primary keyword targets within 30 days of submission.
B2B Mobile App · ASO
35% organic install lift
Existing app with flat organic downloads. Keyword strategy rebuilt from search volume data. Organic installs up 35% in 60 days.
SaaS Mobile · Listing CRO
72% conversion uplift
Screenshot sequence and preview video rebuilt around user jobs-to-be-done. App Store listing conversion rate improved from 18% to 31%.
The problem
App live for three months but all downloads coming from paid campaigns - organic installs still flat?
No idea which keywords your target users are actually searching in the App Store or Google Play?
App Store rating sitting at 3.8 because no one is managing reviews or responding to issues?
Short answer
RaftLabs provides App Store Optimization (ASO) services for iOS App Store and Google Play - including keyword research, title and description optimization, screenshot and preview video strategy, review management, and A/B testing of listing elements. For apps built by RaftLabs, ASO starts before app submission so the listing ranks from day one. For existing apps, we audit the current metadata and rebuild the keyword strategy from search volume data.
Key takeaways
Trusted by
The people who write most app store listings are the same people who built the app: developers or product managers who understand the product deeply but have never done keyword research for an app store, never A/B tested a screenshot sequence, and have no data on what users type when they search for apps in this category.
The listing has three problems. The title is the brand name: zero keyword value. The description reads like an investor pitch: no search-term relevance. The screenshots show whichever feature screen the team is proudest of, not whichever converts a browser into an installer.
The App Store and Google Play are search engines. They have algorithms, ranking factors, and conversion metrics. Getting organic installs from them requires optimizing for those factors deliberately, not as an afterthought after the app is live.
According to Apple's official developer documentation, 65% of all App Store downloads happen directly after a search. For most apps, search is not a secondary discovery channel — it is the primary one, and the listing is either optimized to capture it or it is not.
What we do
Keyword Research
We research which terms your target users actually type in the App Store and Google Play when looking for apps in your category. Not the terms you want them to type. The terms they type. We use ASO-specific tools (AppFollow, data.ai, AppTweak) to pull search volume estimates, difficulty scores, and competitor keyword rankings. We map every relevant keyword to relevance, volume, and difficulty, then select the primary and secondary targets that represent the best balance of volume and attainability given the app's current authority.
Title, Subtitle & Description Optimization
The App Store algorithm weights keywords in the title and subtitle far more heavily than anywhere else. A keyword in the title is worth roughly 3 to 5 times the same keyword buried in the description. We write titles that include the primary keyword cluster without sacrificing clarity or brand recognition. Subtitles carry the secondary keyword load. Descriptions are written for human readers first, but structured with keyword density that reinforces the algorithmic signals from the title and subtitle.
Screenshot & Preview Video Strategy
Screenshots are the highest-conversion lever in an app store listing. The difference between a 15% and a 25% install rate on the same traffic is almost always the screenshot sequence. We design screenshot layouts that tell the value story in the first two frames: the ones visible without scrolling. Captions handle users who skip the video. The remaining frames address the most common objections before they arise. Preview videos are scripted, produced, and edited to the store's format specifications. We test variants where traffic volume supports it.
Review Management
Review velocity, average rating, and developer response rate all affect App Store ranking and listing conversion. We set up a system to prompt satisfied users to leave reviews at the right moment in the product experience (high-intent, post-value moments, not immediately after install when the user has not had time to form an opinion). We monitor incoming reviews daily, respond to negative reviews with specific resolution offers, and track rating trend. A brand that responds to negative reviews converts better than one that ignores them: buyers read the reviews and they read the responses.
A/B Testing
Google Play's native Store Listing Experiments and Apple's Product Page Optimization allow us to test listing elements against each other with real store traffic. We run tests on the elements with the highest conversion impact (screenshot sequence, preview video, icon) with enough sample size to reach statistical significance before declaring a winner. Every test is documented with hypothesis, result, and learning so you build a body of knowledge about what converts your specific audience, not just general ASO best practices.
Localization
If your app targets users in multiple countries, a single English listing is leaving downloads in non-English markets on the table. App Store and Google Play both support fully localized listings: separate titles, descriptions, screenshots, and keywords per market. We prioritize markets by your existing download data and the search volume data for your keyword set in each language. Localized listings consistently outperform English-only listings in non-English markets by a factor of 2 to 4x on organic install rate.
How we work
We audit your current listing against competitors: keyword coverage gaps, metadata effectiveness, screenshot conversion potential, review health, and category ranking positions. You leave week one knowing exactly where you are losing organic installs and why.
We build the full keyword map (primary targets, secondary cluster, long-tail coverage) and brief the creative work: screenshot sequence, captions, preview video script. Metadata copy is drafted and reviewed before implementation.
Updated metadata goes live on both platforms. Creative assets are submitted through the app update process. Review management system is activated. The listing is live with the new strategy before the end of week three.
Weekly keyword ranking reports. Install rate tracking against the pre-optimisation baseline. A/B tests launched on screenshots and creative variants where traffic volume supports them. Keyword strategy updated as the store algorithm responds to the changes and new ranking data accumulates.
Why us
For mobile products built by RaftLabs, ASO starts before app submission, not as a last step. Keyword strategy, metadata, screenshots, and the review prompt moment are all planned during the build phase. The listing is optimized from the first day it is live in the store.
Writing effective ASO copy requires understanding what problem the app solves and why users care. We know the product (the jobs-to-be-done, the user segments, the key value moments) because we either built it or spent time auditing it properly before writing a word. Generic ASO copy written by an agency that does not understand the product converts worse than copy written by someone who does.
Every keyword selection is backed by search volume data. Every screenshot decision is backed by conversion rate data or a test. We do not pick keywords because they sound good or design screenshots because they look nice. We pick what the data says converts your specific audience.
Paid user acquisition stops the moment you stop spending. Organic installs from a well-ranked listing compound: higher ranking drives more installs, more installs drive more reviews, more reviews drive higher ranking. The work we do in month one is still paying off in month twelve.
We will pull the keyword data for your category and show you which terms are generating search volume, who is currently ranking for them, and what it would take to rank above them.
Growth Marketing
the full growth marketing stack: SEO, content, social, PR, paid, and analytics run alongside the build.
Mobile App Development
iOS and Android apps built offline-first, load-tested, and submitted to both stores.
AI Search Visibility
AEO, AIO, and GEO: get cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews.
Content Marketing
keyword-driven articles and AEO content that ranks and earns AI citations.
Performance Marketing
paid acquisition on Google, Meta, and LinkedIn tied to cost per install and cost per acquisition.
Tell us what's broken. Within one business day you get a straight take on cost, timeline, and the right first step. No deck, no pressure.
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Read moreApp 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 optimizing 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 optimizes web pages to rank in Google search results. ASO optimizes app listings to rank in App Store and Google Play search results. The mechanisms share some concepts - keyword research, content optimization, 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 optimization 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 optimized 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 underoptimized 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 optimization, 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.
Work with us
We scope App Store Optimization in 30 minutes. You walk away with a clear cost, timeline, and approach. No commitment required.
App Store Optimization (ASO) is the process of improving an app's visibility in the App Store (iOS) and Google Play Store (Android) to increase organic downloads. ASO covers keyword research specific to app store search behavior, metadata optimization (title, subtitle, description), screenshot and preview video strategy to improve install conversion rate, review management, and A/B testing of listing elements. The App Store algorithm ranks apps by keyword relevance in the metadata, listing conversion rate, and review velocity.
SEO optimizes web pages to rank in Google search results. ASO optimizes app listings to rank in App Store and Google Play search results. The ranking factors are different: the App Store algorithm weights keywords in the title and subtitle far more heavily than those in the description, and conversion rate (the percentage of users who install after viewing the listing) directly affects ranking. ASO also includes visual optimization - screenshots and preview videos - which traditional SEO does not.
Initial keyword ranking movement typically appears within 2 to 4 weeks of publishing an optimized listing. Screenshot and preview video changes affect install conversion rate within days of going live. Full category ranking improvement, which depends on cumulative install volume and review velocity, takes 3 to 6 months of sustained ASO effort. Apps launching with an optimized listing from day one consistently outperform apps that optimize retrospectively.
An ASO audit covers keyword coverage gaps (which target terms are missing from the title, subtitle, and description), metadata effectiveness (how well current keywords rank), screenshot conversion performance (how the current listing converts browsers to installers versus competitors), review health (average rating, review velocity, developer response rate), and competitive positioning (where the app ranks relative to competitors on shared keywords).