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App Store Optimization (ASO)

October 20, 2026

App Store Optimization (ASO) is the work of tuning an app’s name, keywords, description, icon, screenshots and video on the App Store and Google Play so the app ranks higher when people search the store and more of the people who view its page tap download. Think of ASO as SEO for an app’s store page.

What is ASO?

ASO has two separate goals. The first is visibility: ranking in store search results and showing up in the store’s recommendation slots. The second is conversion: out of everyone who views the product page, how many actually download. Keywords handle the first goal. The icon, screenshots, video and rating handle the second.

For a launch, ASO is one part of a larger plan that also covers a detailed checklist for the app page, a 30-day schedule around launch day and the metrics to track once the app is live.

Text fields on an app page

Field App Store Google Play
App name 30 characters 30 characters
Secondary line Subtitle, 30 characters Short description, 80 characters
Hidden keywords 100 characters, separated by commas, no spaces Not available
Long description Yes, and Apple advises against stuffing it with keywords 4,000 characters
Quick-update text Promotional text, 170 characters, editable without submitting a new version Not available

Sources: Apple Developer, Creating your product page, accessed October 2026; Play Console Help, Create and set up your app, accessed October 2026. Google Play warns that repetitive or irrelevant keywords in the title and description can get an app suspended.

What changed in 2025 and 2026

  • Apple lets developers create up to 70 custom product pages and assign keywords to each one, so that page shows up in place of the default page when someone searches that exact keyword. Each keyword combination can be assigned to only one page. Since iOS 18, each page can also carry its own deep link (Apple Developer, Custom product pages, accessed October 2026).
  • Product Page Optimization lets you test up to three variants of the icon, screenshots and video against the original (Apple Developer, accessed October 2026).
  • On April 14, 2025, Apple Search Ads was renamed Apple Ads (Apple Ads News, April 2025).
  • Apple introduced a new type of creative asset for the App Store in June 2026 and opened it to developers on October 5, 2026. These are images and videos for the top of the product page and for search results, managed through a new Asset Library in App Store Connect (Apple Developer News, October 2026).
  • Google Play allows up to 50 custom store listings, targeted by country, pre-registered users, search keywords or inactive users (Play Console Help, accessed October 2026).

ASO vs. paid store ads

ASO goes after organic installs, while Apple Ads and Google App campaigns are paid advertising. Both send people to the same product page, so strong screenshots help both. Watch one thing when you measure: App Store Connect counts downloads from ads in search results under the App Store search source, so that number is not purely organic installs.

Frequently asked questions

Should I stuff keywords into the description?

No. Apple advises against adding extra keywords to the description, and Google Play can suspend an app for repeated keywords. Put keywords in the keyword field and the secondary line, and write the description for the person reading it.

What should I test first?

Usually the first screenshot, because it is what users see straight away in search results. Run a test with Product Page Optimization or store listing experiments instead of switching the page for everyone at once.

If you are getting ready to launch an app or want a second look at your current store page, see Adtek’s App User Acquisition solution or reach the team through the contact page.

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