A store listing is the page that turns a search or a link into an install. This guide covers its parts, what Apple and Google say about search, and how to measure whether changes help.
App store optimisation (ASO) is improving how your app appears and performs in the Apple App Store and Google Play. It covers the name, subtitle or short description, keywords, icon, screenshots, description, ratings and translations. Both stores say text and user behaviour affect search, but neither publishes the weights. Measure impressions, page views and installs for each change.
What app store optimisation is
App store optimisation, also written app store optimization and shortened to ASO, is the work of making an app easy to find in the Apple App Store and Google Play and easy to choose once someone lands on its page. It has two jobs. The first is discovery: appearing when people search the store or browse a category. The second is conversion: persuading the people who see the page to install.
It resembles search engine optimisation, but it happens inside two closed stores with their own rules, fields and tools. Each store decides how it ranks apps and does not give a full formula. This guide therefore sticks to what the stores say about their own listings and does not repeat the many confident claims about exact ranking weights that circulate online.
ASO also cannot rescue a weak app. Google's Play Console help says apps with strong technical performance and a good user experience are generally favoured, and that apps which crash or have many bugs are less likely to rank higher. Listing work comes after the app does its main job reliably. If you are still deciding what the app should do, read about what to build in the first version of your app first, and keep the listing honest about what that version offers.
The parts of a store listing
The two stores use different names and different fields. The table compares them at the level of detail the stores document. Length limits differ for each field and can change, so check the current documentation in App Store Connect and Play Console before you write.
| Part | Apple App Store | Google Play |
|---|---|---|
| Name | App name. Apple advises a simple, memorable name that hints at what the app does | Title. Google asks for a unique title that reinforces what the app is, with no ranking claims or promotional text |
| One-line summary | Subtitle, shown under the name | Short description, which should state the biggest benefit |
| Search words | A separate keywords field that users never see | No keywords field. The title and descriptions supply the text |
| Description | Apple says the first sentence matters most | Google says many users read only the first few sentences |
| Promotional text | A short message above the description. Apple says it does not affect search ranking | No direct equivalent |
| Icon | Shown in search and on the page | Shown in search and on the page |
| Screenshots | The first ones appear in search results when there is no app preview | Required. They must reflect the app accurately |
| Video | App preview | Promo video, optional but recommended by Google |
| Category | Primary category is described as particularly important for discovery | Category forms part of the metadata used to match searches |
| Ratings and reviews | Shown on the page and in search results | Used with other signals; the rating shown leans on recent ratings |
| Translations | Localise description, keywords, previews and screenshots for each market | Localise the listing; Google says a professional translation can help discoverability |
How to rank an app in the app store: what the stores say
You cannot set your own rank. You can influence the signals the stores say they use. Apple states that search results are based on text relevance, meaning how well your title, subtitle, keywords and category match the query, together with user behaviour such as downloads and ratings and reviews. Google states that apps are ranked on a combination of metadata, ratings, reviews, downloads and other signals, that relevance to the query heavily influences search results, and that Top Charts depend more on popularity.
Neither store publishes how much each factor counts, and both can change their systems. Exact weights quoted elsewhere are estimates, not store statements. Three practical points follow from what the stores do say.
- Use clear words that match what users type. Stuffing the fields with unrelated terms does not work. Google says extra keywords will not improve ranking and make the listing worse for users, and Apple lists irrelevant terms among the common reasons for rejection.
- Earn the behaviour signals. People install, rate and keep apps that do the job. A listing that attracts the wrong audience produces poor ratings and quick uninstalls.
- Do not claim what is not true. Both stores require listing text and images to match the app.
Results also vary by device, country and language, so a search you run yourself may not show what your users see.
Write the name, subtitle, keywords and description
Write the plainest version first, then refine.
The name should be easy to say and spell, and it can include a short phrase that says what the app does. Do not include other companies' trademarks or competitors' names. Apple lists unauthorised trademarked terms and competing app names among the common causes of rejection. Google asks you not to put ranking claims or promotional wording such as discounts into titles or images.
The subtitle or short description should state what the app does for the user, in the words the user would choose. Avoid repeating the same message in the short description, the screenshots and the video. Google notes that these appear side by side, so repetition wastes space.
On Apple's store, the keywords field holds words that describe the app and do not already appear in the name, subtitle or category. Apple advises against plurals of words you already use in the singular, against trademarked terms and against competitor names. For research, type your app's topic into each store's search box and note the suggestions that appear. Then compare them with the words your users use, which you can find in support emails and reviews.
The description should open with the main benefit and then list the main features in short lines. Both stores say the first lines carry the most weight with readers. Apple advises against padding with keywords and against quoting prices. Write the rest for the person who wants detail, not for the search system.
Icon, screenshots and video
On a results page, a user sees the icon, the name, the one-line summary and the first screenshots before anything else. These decide whether the user taps. They are the part of the listing most like an advertisement, so give them time.
- Make the icon simple and legible at a small size. Test it beside other icons in the same category.
- Use the first screenshots to show the main task the app does, not the login screen or a logo.
- Give each screenshot one idea, with short text if text helps. Google recommends keeping screenshot text to a minimum and providing separate text for each language you support.
- Show real screens from the final build. Google says a mismatch between the listing and the app can lead to rejection.
- If the app supports dark mode, Apple suggests including a screenshot that shows it.
- Add a short video if the app is easier to understand in motion. Make it useful with the sound off.
Update the images when the screens change, and check them on a small phone. If you have not yet chosen how the app will be built, the technical choice described in Flutter, React Native and native compared does not change what the listing needs.
Ratings, reviews and translations
Both stores treat ratings and reviews as signals and show them on the page. Ask for them at a moment when the user has just finished something useful, not on first launch. Both stores provide an official in-app prompt for ratings, and they limit how often it appears, so ask your developer to use it and check the current documentation. Apple's rules do not allow custom review prompts. Do not offer rewards for ratings, because Google's policy prohibits incentivised reviews and ratings, and do not write fake ones.
Reply to reviews, especially the ones that report a fault. Both consoles let developers respond. Keep replies short, respectful and about the user's comment, with no marketing in them. When you have fixed a problem, say so. Reviews also show the words users use for your app, which can feed back into the listing.
Translate the listing for each country that matters to you, and translate the app as well. A listing is easier to read and judge in the user's own language, and both stores recommend localising it. Use a human translator for the main fields, because the text affects search and persuasion. Check that screenshots with text exist in each language.
Test changes to the listing
Do not change everything at once. Both stores let you test alternatives.
Apple's Product Page Optimization lets you test different icons, screenshots and app previews against your current page. Custom product pages let you publish extra versions of the page for specific audiences or campaigns. Google Play's store listing experiments test the icon, feature graphic and screenshots, and localised experiments can also test descriptions. Google advises testing one asset at a time so you can tell what caused a change. Google Play also offers custom store listings for particular user groups.
Check each store's current documentation for the limits on how many tests can run at once and how results are reported. Keep a log with the date of every change to text and images, so that you can match movements in the numbers to the cause. Let a test run until it has enough visitors to show a difference, and do not stop it early because the first days look good.
How to measure app store optimisation
Decide in advance which numbers show success. The stores report related measures under different names, and the names change, so read the current definitions in App Store Connect Analytics and Play Console before you compare anything.
| Question | Measure | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| Is the app being shown? | Impressions, meaning how often it appeared in results or on browse pages | App Store Connect Analytics; Play Console store performance reports |
| Do people open the page? | Product page views, or store listing visitors | The same consoles |
| Do they install? | Downloads, installs and the conversion rate from page views or impressions | The same consoles |
| Which words and sources bring people? | Search terms and traffic sources, where the console reports them | The same consoles |
| Did a change help? | Results of a listing test, or a before-and-after comparison | Product Page Optimization or store listing experiments |
| Do they stay? | Retention, uninstalls, crashes and the average rating | The consoles and your app analytics |
Both stores have reworked their listing reports in the past, and definitions differ between the stores and from your website analytics. Compare each store with itself over time and not with the other store. Look at quality as well as volume. A change that raises installs but lowers ratings has not helped. Installs matter less than the people who return, and push notifications are one of the ways an app can earn that return, provided users agree to receive them.
A listing checklist before launch
Store submission is one stage in the wider mobile app development process. Check these listing points before you submit.
- The name is free of other companies' trademarks and says what the app does.
- The short summary and the first lines of the description state the main benefit.
- Screenshots come from the final build and show the main task first.
- Nothing in the text or images promises a feature that is not in this version.
- Placeholder text and test content are gone, and every link in the listing opens. Apple asks for final versions with complete information and working links.
- The privacy policy link works and the data declarations match what the app collects.
- The listing is translated for the countries you target.
- You know which numbers you will watch in the first weeks and who checks them.
If you want a team to build and publish the app, the mobile app development page describes the apps Liftup builds.
Questions and answers
What is app store optimisation?
App store optimisation, or ASO, is the work of improving how an app appears and performs in the Apple App Store and Google Play. It covers the text fields, icon, screenshots, video, ratings and translations. Its two goals are to be found in search and to persuade visitors to install.
Which parts of a store listing matter most?
Neither store publishes a ranked list. Apple names the title, subtitle, keywords and category as search inputs, and Google names the title, descriptions and category together with behaviour signals. The icon, first screenshots and first lines of the description matter because users see them when deciding to install.
How do I measure app store optimisation?
Track impressions, product page views or store listing visitors, installs and the conversion rate in App Store Connect Analytics and Play Console. Log every listing change with its date. Also watch retention, crashes and ratings, since installs alone do not show whether the right people arrived.
Is app store optimisation the same as SEO?
They share ideas, such as matching the words people use and building trust, but they work in different places. SEO targets web search engines and ASO targets the Apple and Google stores, each with its own fields, rules and tools. Apple and Google do not publish full ranking formulas.
Do I need a different listing for Apple and Google?
Yes, in practice. The two stores use different fields, such as Apple's keywords field and Google's short description, and different image requirements. Write for each store separately, while keeping the same facts and tone on both.
Can I pay for ratings or keywords?
No. Both stores forbid manipulating ratings, reviews or installs, and Google's policy specifically prohibits offering rewards for ratings. Apple lists misused keywords among the common reasons for rejection. Ask real users at a good moment and use accurate words.
Should I translate my store listing?
If you want users in other countries, yes. Both stores encourage localising the listing, and users find text in their own language easier to read and judge. Translate the main text fields and any screenshots that carry words, and ideally use a professional translator for the fields that affect search.