You've spent three months and significant budget building a mobile app. You publish it on the App Store and Google Play, and... nothing. No downloads. No feedback. This is the reality for most apps that launch without a discovery strategy.
App Store Optimisation (ASO) is not optional
ASO is to app stores what SEO is to Google. It's the practice of optimising your app listing so it ranks higher in search results and converts more browsers into installers. And unlike paid acquisition, it's compounding — an optimised listing keeps working for you indefinitely.
The keywords are everything
Your app's title, subtitle, and keyword field determine which searches your app appears in. Research keywords your target audience actually types — not the technical terms developers use, but the words a frustrated small business owner or busy parent would use. Tools like AppTweak and Sensor Tower help, but so does asking your actual users what they searched.
Put your highest-relevance, highest-volume keywords in the title. Don't waste the title on your brand name if no one knows you yet.
Screenshots that sell, not decorate
Most app screenshots are a waste. They show the login screen, a loading spinner, and a generic dashboard. The screenshots that convert show the value — the before/after of using your app, the specific feature that solves the user's problem, the proof (logos of companies using it, a star rating).
Your first screenshot is your headline. It needs to communicate what the app does and who it's for in under two seconds.
Reviews are your growth engine
A 4.8-star app with 300 reviews beats a 4.5-star app with 3 reviews in every ranking algorithm. Build a review-asking flow into your app at the moment of success — after a user completes a purchase, finishes a task, or hits a milestone. That's when they're most satisfied and most likely to leave a review.
Respond to every review, positive and negative. It signals to future browsers that you care about your product and your users.