App Store Optimization (AKA ASO or App Store SEO) is the process of optimizing a game or application in order to maximize its visibility in the Apple App Store, Google Play Store or other markets in Search (when users search on the app stores), Top Charts, and Featured, boost traffic to listing and improve conversion rate to generate the maximum volume of organic downloads. ASO brings free high-quality users to your Android or iOS app and is the base of any Mobile Growth strategy. App Store SEO = Traffic + Conversion This process requires a critical understanding of how the stores work, the target user base, and the most relevant keywords potential users are typing or speaking to find apps or discover new ones. In order to stay up-to-date with rapidly evolving app stores and the changes in their algorithms, we have decided to created the most updated guides to ASO strategy for the biggest markets: ASO Guide for Google Play Store and this ASO Guide for Apple App Store (iOS 13), that that we are now proudly presenting. ENJOY this Apple iOS App Store Optimization guide! (Update 2020)

1. The Ultimate ASO Guide for:
App Store
ASO Guide
iOS
updated ✅

2. ASO, or App Store Optimization, is an essential strategy for
mobile businesses - the process of optimizing mobile apps and
games to maximize the visibility on the app stores and improve
the conversion rate to download.
What is ASO?
The Ultimate ASO Guide for APP STORE

3. ASO Strategy
The App Store Optimization strategy consists in 3 main
processes:
1. Market & Keyword Research
2. Product page optimization & A/B testing
3. Tracking and monitoring
The Ultimate ASO Guide for APP STORE

4. 1. Market & Keyword
Research
The Ultimate ASO Guide for APP STORE

5. 1. Keyword Research
This is most often the 1st step of the ASO process, carried out
even before launching an app / game.
Just like for SEO, keywords optimization is crucial in ASO and in
discoverability in Search & Explore.
The Ultimate ASO Guide for APP STORE

6. a. Brainstorm the initial list of all the keywords related to
your app - what your app does, its main features, its in-app
purchases, its characters & gameplay if its a game. What
does your app solves? What’s its added value?
b. Amplify the list with suggestions - you can check them in
the App Store toolbar, or use a specific tool for keyword
research such as TheTool.
1. Keyword Research:
How to select the right keywords?
The Ultimate ASO Guide for APP STORE

7. 1. Keyword Research:
Keyword suggestions in TheTool
The Ultimate ASO Guide for APP STORE

8. 1. Keyword Research:
Keyword Density Spy in TheTool
The Ultimate ASO Guide for APP STORE

9. 1. Keyword Research:
How to identify the best keywords?
The best practice is to target mid / long-tailed keywords at
the beginning, i.e. combinations of keywords that have a high
enough traffic & low competition.
You can usually find this information within the research tool
you use, as it’s the case with TheTool.
The Ultimate ASO Guide for APP STORE

10. The Ultimate ASO Guide for APP STORE
2. Product page
optimization & A/B
testing

11. 2. Product page optimization & A/B testing
The next important step is to work directly on the App Store
product page elements. There are two types of ranking factors
in ASO:
● On-metadata factors: app name, subtitle, description, icon, screenshots,
videos, promotional text, in-app purchase name, listing localization
● Off-metadata factors: downloads, user ratings & reviews
The Ultimate ASO Guide for APP STORE

12. The Ultimate ASO Guide for APP STORE

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The Ultimate ASO Guide for APP STORE

14. 2. Optimizing App Store product page:
App Name
● One of the strongest ranking factors + an impact on
conversion rate
● Up to 30 characters
● Make it short & memorable + include core keywords
💡 Keywords included in the App Name perform twice as good as the ones
in the keywords field.
The Ultimate ASO Guide for APP STORE

15. 2. Optimizing App Store product page:
Subtitle
● Summarize product + highlight best features
● Up to 30 characters
● Impacts keywords rankings: add keywords
● Appears on app snippets (everywhere) and has an impact
on CTR and on Conversion Rate
The Ultimate ASO Guide for APP STORE

16. 2. Optimizing App Store product page:
App Name & Subtitle
The Ultimate ASO Guide for APP STORE
App name
Subtitle

17. This field is limited to 100 characters, so follow the best
practices to make the most out of them:
● Don’t include plural word forms if you already added the singular
● Separate words with commas and don’t use spaces - Apple will “mix
and match” your keywords & create combinations to rank your app
● Don’t include keywords already added in the App Name (it already
has the biggest weight for Search & Explore ranking)
The Ultimate ASO Guide for APP STORE
2. Optimizing App Store product page:
Keywords field

18. The Ultimate ASO Guide for APP STORE
2. Optimizing App Store product page:
Keywords field - How to edit it on App Store Connect

19. 2. Optimizing App Store product page:
Description
● Can only be updated when submitting a new version
● Up to 4.000 characters, but the 1st sentence is the most
important one (users don’t need to click on read more to
see it)
● Does not impact keywords ranking but Conversion Rate
The Ultimate ASO Guide for APP STORE

20. 2. Optimizing App Store product page:
Description - Our tips 😎
● Highlight key features, focus on uniqueness
● Be clear and concise, share the core values of your app / game
● Use the brand’s tone to communicate with your target audience
● Mention your awards (or keep it for the Promotional Text for more highlight)
● No keyword stuffing
● Avoid mentioning prices - might not be accurate for all countries
● Localize your description!
The Ultimate ASO Guide for APP STORE

21. 2. Optimizing App Store product page:
Promotional Text
● On top of the description, can be updated anytime
● Up to 170 characters
● Does not impact keywords ranking but Conversion Rate
● Include special offers, promotions, latest news or
upcoming features
The Ultimate ASO Guide for APP STORE

22. 2. Optimizing App Store product page:
Developer Name
● Below the Description field → hardly has any effect on
Conversion Rate
● A positive historic record can have a great impact on
rankings + help appear on Featured
● Affects Search
● Can’t be changed
The Ultimate ASO Guide for APP STORE

23. 2. Optimizing App Store product page:
Icon
● First element that users see when
searching or browsing the store
● Has a strong effect on click-through
rate & conversion rate
The Ultimate ASO Guide for APP STORE

24. 2. Optimizing App Store product page:
Icon - Our tips 😎
● Make it simple & recognizable - it should give a clear idea of what the app is about
● Don’t overload it - work with simple forms & harmonized colors
● Think of scalability - your icon should be visible in any size
● Follow the overall style of the app
● Match your icon not to create confusion
● Avoid text
● A / B test different icons to identify the best performing one
● Test your icon with different background - with the new iOS 13 dark mode,
your icon should be visible in clear AND dark mode
💡 Read more: App Icon: 17 Ultimate Tips to Improve It + Tools to Create It
The Ultimate ASO Guide for APP STORE

25. 2. Optimizing App Store product page:
App Previews (Video)
● Up to 3 preview videos (max. 30 sec. each), displayed
before screenshots
● Encourage users to visit the product page
● Autoplay on mute - a strong on-metadata factor
● Show app experience in an attractive, clear way
with visual explanations of the features
The Ultimate ASO Guide for APP STORE

26. 2. Optimizing App Store product page:
App Previews (Video)
The Ultimate ASO Guide for APP STORE

27. 2. Optimizing App Store product page:
App Previews (Video) - Our tips 😎
● Show real experience - use footage captured on device, avoid overproducing
● Focus on the first videos, the one that will autoplay
● Make the first seconds really compelling - catch users’ attention and convince them to watch
the whole video + go to the product page
● Get the audience excited - showcase the app / game’s best features
● Use copy & CTA to drive interest + provide explanation for when autoplayed
● Don’t forget about localization - provide narration & copy on
different languages
The Ultimate ASO Guide for APP STORE

28. 2. Optimizing App Store product page:
Screenshots
● Important on-metadata factor for CTR & Conversion Rate
● Up to 10 screenshots (at least 1 per localization)
● Displayed right after video previews: highlight main
features + provide details
● Aim to convince users to download the app
The Ultimate ASO Guide for APP STORE

29. 2. Optimizing App Store product page:
Screenshots
Localizing screenshots is very important when making
an app / game available in different countries!
The Ultimate ASO Guide for APP STORE

30. 2. Optimizing App Store product page:
Screenshots - Our tips 😎
● Display the best features on the first 2 screenshots
● Preferably work with portrait orientation so the users can see 2 screenshots in Search results
instead of just 1
● Follow the design of your app to be consistent
● Make the most of the 10 screenshots possibles
● Work on a challenging copy to encourage users to install your app
● Showcase special offers & promos
● Mention any award you might have
● A / B test your screenshots to know what works best!
The Ultimate ASO Guide for APP STORE

31. 2. Optimizing App Store product page:
Ratings & Reviews
● The all-time ratings are displayed on
the product page + users reviews and
the developer’s answers are quite
visible
● Apps ratings appear on Search - it’s
important to take care of users’
experience & ensure their positive
feedback
The Ultimate ASO Guide for APP STORE

32. 2. Optimizing App Store product page:
A / B testing
● Use A / B testing to find out what provides your app with
the best Conversion Rate
● With A / B testing, traffic is sent to 2 different versions of
the product page to determine which works best
● Crucial to ASO + only way to know the most effective
content in attracting users
● Tools: Testnest, SpliteMetrics, Storemaven
💡 Common mistakes in A / B testing - Make sure you avoid them!
The Ultimate ASO Guide for APP STORE

33. The Ultimate ASO Guide for APP STORE
3. Tracking
& Monitoring

34. 3. Monitoring the results
It is vital to check on your KPIs on a regular basis:
● Keywords rankings
● Top charts rankings
● Featurings
● Reviews & ratings
● Conversion Rate to visit / download
● Volume of organic downloads
● Revenue
● COMPETITORS
Keep in mind that to be successful, it is crucial to
have a great product, i.e. a quality app.
The Ultimate ASO Guide for APP STORE

35. Final thoughts
The App Store has gone & is still going through many changes.
It’s important you keep everything in mind & stay up to date.
Always work on your strategy to improve rankings, convince
users to download your app & drive more organic installs.
Happy optimizing!
The Ultimate ASO Guide for APP STORE

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The Ultimate ASO Guide for APP STORE

37. Thank you!
The Ultimate ASO Guide for APP STORE