App Store Optimization is often treated as an afterthought, something to look at after a game is already live. In practice, the groundwork for ASO should start before launch, because the store listing is doing the work of a landing page — it has seconds to convince someone to install.
Keyword Research Comes First
Before writing a single word of a store listing, it is worth mapping out which search terms real players actually use, how competitive each term is, and which ones a new app realistically has a chance of ranking for. Chasing a high-volume keyword that every major publisher is also targeting is usually a waste of effort for a new title; finding a relevant, lower-competition term is often more valuable.
Metadata: Title, Subtitle and Description
Both the App Store and Google Play weight different fields differently in their search algorithms. A title and subtitle that naturally include your strongest keywords — without reading like keyword stuffing — tend to perform best. The long description matters less for search ranking but still matters for conversion, since some players read it before deciding to install.
Screenshots and Video Are Doing the Heavy Lifting
Most players never read the description. They look at the first two or three screenshots and decide. This is why screenshot order matters, why showing real gameplay outperforms showing menus, and why a short gameplay preview video tends to lift conversion more than almost any other single change.
Icon Testing
The icon is the first thing a player sees, often at a very small size in a crowded list of search results. An icon that reads clearly at a glance — strong silhouette, limited detail, recognizable at a thumb’s width — consistently outperforms a busy, detailed icon, even if the detailed version looks better at full size.
The Metrics That Actually Matter
- Impression-to-page-view rate — are your keywords and icon earning attention in search results?
- Page-view-to-install conversion rate — once someone is looking at the listing, are the screenshots and description convincing them?
- Keyword ranking movement over time — is visibility improving for the terms that matter, not just vanity terms?
ASO is not a one-time setup — it is an ongoing testing process. Our App Store Optimization service covers keyword research, creative testing and conversion tracking on an ongoing basis. If you want a review of an existing store listing, get in touch and we will take a look.