App Store Optimisation: Getting Your App Discovered

What is app store optimisation and why does it matter?

ASO is SEO for app stores. People search Google Play and the App Store with phrases like “gst billing app”, “tuition app” or “home cleaning Kochi”, and the stores decide which apps to show based on how relevant, popular and well rated they appear. A listing that ranks and converts brings installs every day without an ad budget.

ASO has two jobs: visibility, getting your app to appear for the right searches, and conversion, persuading people who see the listing to install. Many businesses only think about the first. In practice, improving screenshots and the first lines of the description often lifts installs faster than chasing new keywords.

ASO matters most for apps people find by category, such as billing, learning or booking. If your app mainly serves existing customers, like a restaurant’s own ordering app, people will search your brand name, so focus on ranking first for that name, converting well and driving installs from your own website, WhatsApp and outlets.

How do Google Play and the App Store differ?

Both stores reward relevance, install velocity, engagement and ratings, but they read your listing differently. The biggest difference: the App Store does not use your long description for search, while Google Play does.

How do you choose the right keywords?

1. List the jobs your app does, in the words customers use. A billing app might match “invoice maker”, “gst bill”, “pos for shop” and “billing software”.
2. Check store autocomplete. Type your terms into the search bar of both stores and note the suggestions; they reflect real searches.
3. Study the top-ranking apps. Look at the titles, subtitles and short descriptions of apps that rank for your terms, without copying them.
4. Balance volume and competition. A new app rarely ranks for a broad term like “billing”. Target specific phrases such as “gst billing app for retail” first, then broaden as ratings and installs grow.
5. Include local intent where it fits. For service apps, city or region terms like “Trivandrum” or “Kerala” can win searches big national apps ignore.
6. Track a short list. Keep 10–20 target phrases in a spreadsheet with your current rank for each, and revisit it monthly.

How should you write the title and descriptions?

• Title: brand name plus your most important keyword, such as “Brandname: GST Billing and POS”. Keep it readable; stuffing gets rejected or ignored.
• Subtitle or short description: a clear benefit with a second keyword, for example “Fast invoices, UPI and stock”.
• App Store keyword field: comma-separated single words with no spaces, no repeats of words already in the title, and no competitor brand names.
• Long description: open with two lines that sell the outcome, because most people never tap “more”. Then list key features, who it is for and how support works.
• Avoid policy traps: no rankings claims you cannot prove, no “best” or “#1” without evidence, and no misleading use of other brands.

What makes screenshots and icons convert?

Screenshots are your sales page. Most users decide from the first two or three, often without reading a word of description. Treat each one as a short benefit-led caption over a real screen, not a raw screenshot of a menu.

• Lead with the single most valuable outcome, such as “Create a GST invoice in 10 seconds”.
• Use large, legible captions that work on a small phone screen.
• Show real, local context: rupee prices, UPI, Indian names and addresses.
• Keep the icon simple and recognisable at small sizes, with one shape and strong contrast.
• Add a short preview video only if it shows the product clearly in the first few seconds.

How do ratings and reviews affect ranking?

Ratings influence both ranking and conversion: a listing below four stars loses installs even when it ranks well. Both stores also weigh signals of quality, such as crash rates, uninstalls and how long people keep using the app, so ASO cannot rescue a buggy product.

• Ask for a rating at a moment of success, such as after a completed order or booking, using the official in-app review prompts.
• Never offer rewards, discounts or freebies in exchange for ratings; both stores prohibit incentivised reviews.
• Reply to reviews, especially negative ones, within a few days. Future users read your replies.
• Treat recurring complaints as product backlog, then mention the fix in your release notes.
• Fix crash-prone releases fast; one bad update can drag your rating down for months.

Should you localise your listing for Indian languages?

If your customers search in Malayalam, Hindi or Tamil, a localised listing can help you appear and convert for those users. Google Play lets you add translated listings for many Indian languages, including Malayalam. Check which languages App Store Connect supports for your listing before planning iOS localisation. Google Play also lets you show a custom store listing to users in particular countries, which helps if you serve Gulf customers alongside Indian ones.

Localise properly rather than machine-translating: native speakers search with a mix of scripts and English words, so research how your customers actually type before writing. Localised screenshots with captions in the same language usually matter more than the description.

How do you measure and improve ASO?

Both stores offer free analytics: App Store Connect and Google Play Console show impressions, store listing visitors, conversion rate to install, and installs by source. Review them monthly. If impressions are low, work on keywords; if impressions are healthy but conversion is weak, work on screenshots, icon and ratings.

ASO also works best alongside other channels. Links from your website, WhatsApp campaigns and social posts drive installs that feed ranking. For the wider picture, see SEO vs AEO vs GEO and Digital Marketing Strategy.