Definition
App Store optimization (ASO) is the work of making your store page easier to find and more likely to win downloads.
ASO has two halves. The first is being found. Your app name, subtitle and keywords help your app show up in App Store search. The second is being chosen. Your icon, screenshots, preview video, description, rating and reviews all help people decide.
Ratings and reviews play a part in both. Your rating shows in search results, next to your icon. And reviews answer the question every shopper has: does this app actually work?
How reviews feed ASO
Read your reviews for the words users use. Those words make good keywords and screenshot captions. Then fix the complaints that keep coming up, so your rating and reviews help you rather than hurt you.
Example
A budget app's reviews keep saying "finally a simple budget app." The team adds "simple budget" to its subtitle and first screenshot. Now the store page matches how real users describe the app.
Related terms
- App Store rating An App Store rating is the 1 to 5 star score people give an app, shown as one overall score per country.
- Competitive analysis Competitive analysis means studying rival apps to find where they win, where they fail, and where you can stand out.
- In-app review prompt The in-app review prompt is Apple's built-in pop-up that lets people rate your app without leaving it.
Learn more
Updated by the Synthiya team. See all terms.