ASO Checklist: App Store Optimization for Play Store & App Store

ASO is SEO’s sibling with different machinery: two stores, different keyword systems, and ratings baked directly into ranking. This checklist covers both Google Play and the Apple App Store — discovery, conversion, and the review engine that drives both.

1. Keyword Research for Apps

Different index, same discipline.

• Seed list built from what users would type — features, problems, category termsApp store searchers use shorter, more functional queries than web searchers.
• Store autocomplete mined for real query variantsType seeds into Play/App Store search — the suggestions are actual demand.
• Competitor titles, subtitles and descriptions analysedThe terms top apps repeat are the terms that work — free recon.
• Keywords mapped to fields per store’s rulesPlay indexes title + short + long description; iOS uses title, subtitle and the hidden 100-char keyword field.
• Local language keywords researched for IndiaHindi/regional-language queries are high-volume, low-competition inventory.

2. Title & Descriptions

• App name: brand + top keyword within the character limitPlay allows 30 characters, iOS 30 — the strongest ranking field in both stores.
• iOS subtitle (30 chars) uses the next most valuable keywordsDon’t repeat title terms — every field extends coverage.
• iOS keyword field maxed: 100 chars, comma-separated, no spaces, no repeatsNo plurals of terms already used; every character is inventory.
• Play short description (80 chars) written as keyword-bearing ad copyIndexed AND shown above the fold — double duty.
• Long description front-loaded: value + keywords in the first linesMost users never tap ‘read more’ — and Play weights this text for ranking.
• Keywords used naturally 3–5 times in Play’s long description — never stuffedPlay’s spam detection works like Google’s: meaning over counting.

3. Visual Conversion Assets

Ranking gets you seen; these get you installed — and install rate feeds ranking back.

• Icon distinct at thumbnail size and tested against category competitorsThe single biggest conversion asset — A/B test it, don’t debate it.
• First 2–3 screenshots communicate the core value without readingMost decisions happen on the gallery’s first screen.
• Screenshots carry short benefit captionsShow the app doing the job, name the benefit.
• Preview video first 5 seconds show real app useAutoplay windows are short; no logo intros.
• Feature graphic (Play) designed for the store’s placementsIt headlines your listing in many surfaces.
• Assets localized for key Indian languages where the audience justifies itLocalized listings routinely lift conversion double digits.

4. Ratings & Reviews

Directly weighted in app ranking — more than in web SEO.

• In-app rating prompt triggered at the happiness momentAfter the task succeeds — never at first open, never mid-frustration.
• Native in-app review APIs usedPlay In-App Review / iOS SKStoreReviewController — one-tap, policy-safe.
• Every review responded to — negatives with the fix-and-follow-up patternDeveloper responses display publicly; updated reviews often revise the stars.
• Review keywords monitoredUser vocabulary in reviews feeds both your keyword list and Play’s understanding of the app.
• Nothing incentivized or fakedBoth stores purge and penalize — same rules as Google reviews.
• Crash-driven 1-stars treated as engineering prioritiesStability is ASO: rating dips follow crashes within days.

5. Performance & Technical

• App size minimized (Android App Bundles / asset packs)Every extra MB costs installs on budget Android devices and metered data — Indian market reality.
• Crash rate and ANRs within Play Console ‘good’ thresholdsPlay demotes apps that exceed bad-behavior thresholds — visibility, not just quality.
• Update cadence steadyRegular updates signal maintenance to stores and users alike.
• Android vitals / Xcode metrics reviewed monthlyThe stores tell you exactly what they’re unhappy about — read it.

6. Beyond the Store

• Web presence ranks for ‘[app name]’ and ‘best [category] app’ queriesWeb SEO drives app installs — a landing page with app schema and store links.
• Google Play listing appears in web search for brand queriesPlay pages rank in Google — their optimization is web SEO too.
• Deep links / app indexing configured where relevantLets your app content surface in search results for installed users.
• Referral tracking (UTM/Play referrer) separates ASO installs from campaignsOtherwise paid installs masquerade as organic wins.

7. Measure & Iterate

• Store consoles reviewed monthly: impressions → listing visits → installs funnelConversion rate per traffic source is the ASO scoreboard.
• Keyword rankings tracked for your core setBoth consoles expose search-term acquisition data — use it before buying tools.
• One listing experiment running at a time (Play Store listing experiments)Icons and screenshots respond to testing more than to opinions.
• Post-update checks: did the release move ratings, crashes, installs?Every release is an ASO event.