App Store Optimization (ASO) in 2025: A Complete Guide for Growth

In simple words, ASO or app store optimization is something like SEO, only focused on promoting mobile software in app marketplaces (instead of websites through conventional web search). At the same time, in 2025, ASO has ceased to be a set of basic techniques and implies the use of sophisticated approaches that should consider the latest data on user behavior and search algorithms. Below, we will share the insights on how to rank apps in 2025.  

What Is App Store Optimization (ASO)?

ASO implies a comprehensive work on all elements of the application “showcase” – the page in the app store where users can learn about it, view screenshots/description/reviews, and, of course, download it. This directly determines the mobile software’s visibility in the search and affects whether users decide to install it on their devices or not.

In general, the main task of ASO is to increase the number of organic app installations. However, today, this optimization covers not only user acquisition – it’s also aimed at their retention, because the latest updates to app store algorithms consider the uninstall rate, too. Additionally, it’s worth noting that these algorithms track not only keywords but also behavioral patterns, including the depth of the app’s use and returns to it. Therefore, the modern approach to ASO should be continuous and not involve only leading the user to download.

Key Ranking Factors in 2025

The basic aspects of ASO have remained the same since its inception, but their importance has changed:

• SEO meta like title, subtitle, and keywords. As for app title and description tips, it’s essential not only to select relevant keywords but also to ensure their coherence – in particular, the App Store and Google Play rank apps better where keywords are naturally integrated into their descriptions;
• Install volume and velocity. For app store algorithms, it has become increasingly important to measure both the number of installs and audience growth. For example, a rapid increase in downloads during the first 48 hours after the app’s release or update can push it to the top even in overcrowded niches;
• Ratings and reviews. Ratings affect both ranking and conversion. As for the latest algorithm updates, they increasingly take into account fresh reviews, while old ones are of less value;
• Engagement metrics like retention and uninstall rate. Now, retention on the 7th and 30th day has more weight than CTR. So, if a user deletes the app soon after installing it, it will have an even more negative impact on ranking than a low number of stars.

If you would like to promote your app according to the latest app store algorithm updates, choose us, and we’ll ensure its consistently high positions in the search.

Keyword Research for ASO

Keyword optimization for apps today requires meticulous selection, taking into account the visibility and potential traffic quality. To do this, we calculate quality-weighted KEI (these are search impressions multiplied by the expected conversion to installation, D7 retention, and a negative uninstall coefficient). We also segment semantics by intent (research, compare, transact, or support) and transfer each of them to a specific screen in the store listing. Here are some more valuable pro-tips from our team.

Tools and strategies

We typically use tools like AppTweak, Data.ai, and Sensor Tower to determine Share of Voice and Keyword Difficulty for different audiences. We supplement all of these insights with Cost-Per-Tap, Tap-Through Rate, and other metrics to ultimately build an expected value per keyword model. We also often collect semantics from competitor reviews, extracting terminology and/or slang and adding them as a long tail.

Competitive keyword benchmarking

We compare positions and SERP drift, that is, how often competitors lose or, conversely, gain keyword slots after updates. Along with this, we calculate the Listing Overlap Index – the share of matching features/messages on screenshots in the top-5 apps. Another trick is to record the cadence of competitors’ releases and the correlation with visibility by keyword clusters – this gives us an understanding of the windows when the app’s update can get the freed-up traffic.

Long-tail vs. high-volume terms

First, we identify long-tail keywords that provide the lowest retention, and then build a bridge to mid-volume via Custom Product Pages and Listing Groups. Only after this, we start using high-volume keywords. In particular, during the first 48 hours after the release, we stimulate installations via long-tail via CPP/UTM links, and only on the 3rd-5th day, we start spending the budget on mid-volume keywords – this allows us to maintain velocity throughout the entire process.

Optimizing Your App Listing

Listing optimization consists of synchronizing text and visuals for a specific cluster of queries and regions. We usually come up with 2-3 listing topics (for example, onboarding-pain, unique-feature, and social-proof) and define a relevant set of keywords and visual arguments for them. We also prepare separate sets of assets for different intents, connecting them via CPP/Store Listing Groups to receive both paid and organic traffic, as the algorithm always takes into account the connection between clicks and assets.

Writing effective titles and descriptions

The first characters in the mobile app metadata should immediately define what the application does, who it will be useful for, and what result it should bring. That's why we always build a description as a funnel: first comes the problem, then the promise, then the proof (for example, awards), and, finally, the CTA. As for tips for specific platforms, Apple App Store ranking factors include, first of all, semantic pairs (core in the title, clarification in the subtitle, and variations in the keywords field), while for ensuring better app visibility according to the Google Play algorithm 2025, we simply combine keywords into natural phrases.

High-converting app screenshots

App screenshots best practices should be based on storytelling. The optimal number of them is 5-8 pcs, the first of which shows the main benefit, the second – the USP, the third – social proof, 4-6 – the main scenarios, and 7-8 – innovative features/updates. The design is most often standard – this is a Z-pattern with large headings. We also often create an anti-objection screen (for example, with a demonstration that the software works offline or its functionality is available without registration) – this brings an increase in mobile app conversion rates as well.

Video previews and their impact

Users need 3 seconds to understand whether they want to download your app or not. That's why it's better to show them the result that your software provides instead of demonstrating its logo. It's also important to create different versions for iOS and Android – the fact is that their guidelines and preview behavior are different.

A/B Testing Your Store Assets

Testing should always be based on the Install Rate and the D7 Retention metric. That’s why it’s crucial to evaluate CTR only together with post-install indicators. As for the objects of testing, these should be the color palette, icon, and the types of arguments (benefit vs feature vs social proof) – in particular, such a meticulous approach allows us to add 10-20% to the previous conversion rates.

Icons, screenshots, and CTAs

The icon, as you already understood, is the main trigger for the user. Here, you need to start with A/B testing app icons, including their contrast and color palette, and continue with test sets of screenshots. It’s also essential to change the CTA wording in screenshots (imperative for the result, and the result for social proof). Usually, this has a stronger impact on ASO’s KPIs than a well-chosen background or gradient.

Google Play Experiments

In Google Play, it makes sense to resort to the help of Store Listing Experiments with division by country/audience and Custom Store Listings for segmentation of traffic sources. It’s important to choose the optimal duration, since premature stopping gives a false impression of the success of your actions.

ASO Localization

In a number of countries, the highest conversion is achieved through visual patterns rather than keywords. In this regard, in addition to the organic traffic growth, localized ASO strategies reduce uninstall rates (as the user sees native slang and cases). This is especially effective for mobile applications in the fintech, health, and education categories, where trust is formed at the listing stage. It’s also worth remembering the localization of the value proposition.

More specifically, for the German audience, it’s better to break up compounds and pay special attention to morphology, for Slavic peoples – to take into account the case forms of keywords, and for Arabic and Hebrew – to ensure correct bidi-layout.

In general, the significance of influencing factors in a particular region may be different: somewhere the rating is most important, while somewhere the number of downloads plays the main role. Moreover, in some countries, uploading a mobile app on a weekend instead of a weekday can increase conversion by 15-20%.

Managing Ratings and Reviews

Ratings can and should be managed. In particular, it’s always better to ask for reviews in the local language and highlight the necessary topics through micro-placeholders in In-App Review – this way, reviews will become an additional source of semantics.

At the same time, it’s worth avoiding formulations like “rate us” – it’s much more correct to indicate the benefit of the user's actions (this can be a discount or bonus content).

It’s also worth paying attention to responses to reviews, since they are part of indexing (especially in Google Play). Here, you should use keywords naturally or even present a mini-FAQ block.

Finally, we would like to remind you that not only the average rating is critical, but also the freshness and stability of the dispersion: the crash-free rate after the release worsens the ranking for weeks. That’s why we first do a staged rollout and then monitor the crash-free rate. If risks are detected, we immediately roll back, because stable 4.6 stars are better than “jumps” between 4.9 and 4.2.

Common ASO Mistakes to Avoid

The main mistakes usually lie in blindly guessing how the search algorithm works. In particular, some teams abuse keywords, which worsens readability and conversion, and, in some regions, even reduces indexability. That is why it’s wiser to compose natural phrases and use synonyms.

Also, sometimes too much attention is paid to composing a text description, while the quality of the screenshots is ignored. That’s why you have to update assets for the season, releases, and regions (moreover, it’s better to prepare 2-3 sets in advance for quick updating).

Finally, you cannot do without analytics -- otherwise, you may get a false idea of what brings success and what lowers conversions. To prevent this, you should document tests and compare “before and after” for each traffic source.

How WEZOM Helps You Scale with ASO

Despite the development of paid channels and performance marketing, ASO still ensures long-term visibility of your mobile application in app stores, because, unlike advertising, the effect of properly executed optimization doesn’t disappear when the budget runs out.

At the same time, you can understand that the approach to the app store SEO should be as conscious as possible and not look like a set of random practices. Therefore, if you are looking for professionals to whom you can delegate this task without unnecessary doubts, feel free to contact us.

Conclusion

Proper ASO for mobile apps is an understanding of how to maintain a balance between keyword selection and ensuring correspondence to user scenarios. If several years ago, it was enough to find relevant terms, today, you need to think about which queries boost conversions, and which ones lead to unnecessary installations with subsequent rapid deletion of the app.

To avoid these undesirable consequences, you can delegate this task to us – we’ll improve app visibility as quickly as possible and with the lowest possible budget.