ASO

Purpose

Use App Store Optimization to help the right people find an app in the Apple App Store and Google Play, and to convince them to install it once they land on the listing. ASO has two halves: visibility, through the metadata the stores index for search, and conversion, through the icon, screenshots, video, ratings and description that persuade a visitor. The two stores index different fields and offer different testing tools, so optimise each separately.

Frameworks & Standards

Item	Value
Framework ID	`aso`
Category	Content Marketing — App Store Optimization
Version	2.0.0
Authoritative sources	Apple App Store Review Guidelines and App Store Connect documentation · Google Play Console documentation
Note	Field limits and features change; confirm them in each store's current documentation

The Levers

Visibility (search)

App name / title and subtitle (Apple) or short description (Google Play).
Keyword field (Apple only), which is indexed but not shown to users.
Full description, which Google Play indexes for search; Apple does not use it for search ranking.
Category selection.

Conversion (the listing)

Icon, the first thing seen in search results.
Screenshots and preview video, which carry most of the persuasion.
Ratings and reviews, both the average and recent written reviews.
Store-native tools: Apple custom product pages and in-app events; Google Play store listing experiments and custom store listings.

Core Principles

Visibility and conversion are separate problems. Ranking for a keyword is wasted if the listing does not convert.
The first screenshots do most of the work. Many visitors never scroll past them.
Each store indexes different fields. What helps in one may do nothing in the other.
Ratings drive both trust and ranking. Ask for reviews at moments of satisfaction, within store rules.
Test with the stores' own tools where available, since they measure real store visitors.

Applications & Use Cases

Use Case	Application	Lever
New app launch	Research keywords and write metadata per store	Visibility
Low install rate	Redesign the first screenshots around the main benefit	Conversion
Seasonal campaigns	Use in-app events or custom listings	Conversion
Paid campaigns	Point ads at tailored custom product pages	Conversion
Rating decline	Fix the issues behind recent reviews, then prompt satisfied users	Ratings
Localisation	Translate and adapt metadata and screenshots per market	Both

Usage Guidelines

Research keywords per store and per locale; search behavior differs.
Confirm current field limits in each store's documentation before writing metadata.
Lead screenshots with the core benefit, not the login screen.
Use the official in-app review prompts, which the stores govern, rather than custom rating gates.
Test one listing element at a time with the store's experiment tools.

Prompt Template

You are optimising an app store listing.

APP AND CORE BENEFIT: [[what it does for whom]]
STORE: Apple App Store | Google Play (optimise each separately)

VISIBILITY
- Target keywords per locale:
- Name / title and subtitle or short description:
- Apple keyword field (Apple only):

CONVERSION
- Icon:
- First three screenshots, each with one benefit:
- Review strategy within store rules:

TEST PLAN using the store's own experiment tools:

Ethical Guidelines

Do not buy or fake reviews, and do not incentivise ratings; both breach store rules.
Keep screenshots and claims accurate; misleading listings breach review guidelines and raise uninstalls.
Do not stuff competitors' trademarks into metadata.

Testing Strategy

Use Google Play store listing experiments and Apple product page optimization to test variants.
Measure installs and early retention, not just conversion.

Success Metrics

Keyword rankings for target terms.
Listing conversion rate (visitors to installs).
Average rating and review volume.
Day-one and day-seven retention of new installs.

Collaboration Protocol

Inbound from: app-store-optimizer · growth-hacker · content-creator
Outbound to: analytics-reporter for conversion and retention tracking
Cross-framework: A/B testing principles apply to store experiments; brand guidelines govern visual assets.

Related Skills

composable-skills/frameworks/ab-testing/SKILL.md — experiment discipline for listing tests
composable-skills/frameworks/brand-guidelines/SKILL.md — consistent icon and screenshot style
composable-skills/frameworks/search-intent-mapping/SKILL.md — understanding what users search for

Reference Materials

Apple. App Store Review Guidelines and App Store Connect Help. developer.apple.com.
Google. Play Console Help: Store listing and experiments. support.google.com.

ASO

SKILL.mdcomposable-skills/frameworks/aso/SKILL.md

ASO