App Store Optimisation (ASO)
Short definition
ASO is the work of optimising a mobile app so it ranks higher in App Store and Google Play searches and earns more downloads.
In-store elements such as the app name, keywords, description text, screenshots and user rating are all refined; the store's algorithm weighs these to decide which app it shows higher for a given search.
You meet it when a new app launches, or when an existing app's download numbers sit below expectations; the store listing is the mobile equivalent of web SEO.
It is often confused with web SEO. Both are about visibility and ranking, but ASO looks only at in-store search and listing-page behaviour, while SEO looks at search engine results on the web.
The effect of ASO work is tracked through the Product Page Optimisation section in App Store Connect and the search terms report in Google Play Console; both panels show which keywords surface the app and what share of listing page visitors go on to download it. That conversion rate, rather than raw ranking position, is the figure worth watching closely over time.
Why it matters
However good an app is, it will not be downloaded if it cannot be found in the store. ASO increases organic downloads without spending ad budget and lowers the cost per download.
Illustrative example
An event equipment hire app rewrote its store description and screenshots and saw organic downloads rise noticeably on the same ad budget.
