65% of all app downloads start with an App Store search — yet most apps invest nothing in app store discoverability. Lumo's ASO programs optimise iOS and Android app store presence through keyword research, metadata optimisation, creative A/B testing, and review management — driving organic installs that compound over time.
Most app publishers focus their acquisition budget on paid user acquisition — Apple Search Ads, Meta app install campaigns, Google UAC — while leaving their App Store presence unoptimised. The result is a paid acquisition ceiling: when ad spend stops, installs stop. ASO creates organic acquisition that doesn't switch off — search-driven installs that continue long after the initial optimisation investment.
App store algorithms behave differently from web search. Keyword placement in the app title carries 3–5x the weight of keywords in the description. Screenshots and preview videos drive conversion from listing to install — a well-designed screenshot sequence can double install rates with no change to the app itself. Review velocity and rating score affect both ranking and conversion. These levers require platform-specific expertise, not general SEO skills.
Lumo's ASO practice combines metadata optimisation with creative optimisation and review management — addressing all three components of App Store visibility simultaneously. We research keyword opportunities using store-specific tools, optimise metadata for ranking and conversion, test creative variants to improve listing-to-install rates, and manage the review response and generation program that supports rating health.
App Store-specific keyword research — search volume, difficulty, and relevance analysis for iOS (App Store Connect) and Android (Google Play Console) — identifying the highest-opportunity terms for your app's category and target user.
App title, subtitle (iOS), short description (Android), keyword field (iOS), and long description optimisation — structured for keyword coverage and conversion, within each platform's character limits and content guidelines.
Screenshot design and sequence optimisation, preview video strategy, app icon testing — A/B tested through App Store Connect and Google Play experiments to improve listing-to-install conversion rate.
In-app review request timing optimisation (using native request APIs), review response management, and rating health monitoring — building the social proof that drives both conversion and algorithmic favour.
Store analytics interpretation — impression-to-page view, page view-to-install conversion tracking, keyword ranking movement, and competitive positioning — with monthly reports mapping ASO performance to organic install growth.
App Store metadata localisation for target international markets — keyword research in local languages, screenshot adaptation, and description localisation that expands organic reach beyond English-language search.
Full audit of current metadata, keyword rankings, store page creative, and review health. Keyword research for primary and secondary terms. Competitive analysis of top 10 ranked apps in your category.
Optimised metadata delivered for both platforms, screenshot redesign concepts, and App Store Connect/Play Console update — deployed with store review submission.
Creative variant testing through native platform A/B tools — testing screenshot sequences, app icons, and preview video hooks to identify the highest-converting listing configuration.
Monthly keyword ranking tracking, install attribution review, review health monitoring, and iterative metadata updates as competitive landscape and algorithm signals evolve.
ASO (App Store Optimization) is the app store equivalent of SEO — optimising your app's discoverability within the App Store and Google Play Store search algorithms. Both disciplines involve keyword research, metadata optimisation, and conversion optimisation, but the platforms, signals, and tools are entirely different. App store algorithms weight title keywords heavily, penalise low ratings, and respond to install velocity — signals that don't exist in web SEO.
Keyword ranking changes typically become visible 2–4 weeks after a metadata update on both iOS and Android platforms, as store crawlers index and reassess your listing. Creative changes (screenshot A/B tests) show conversion impact within the test period set in App Store Connect (usually 7–28 days). Review rating improvements depend on the velocity of new reviews — typically 60–90 days for meaningful rating movement.
Yes — Lumo optimises for both platforms simultaneously, but with platform-specific strategies. iOS keyword optimisation uses the dedicated keyword field (100 characters) not visible to users, while Android optimises description text for keywords. iOS A/B testing uses App Store Connect's native testing feature; Android uses Google Play Experiments. Both platforms have different ranking algorithm weights and content policies.
Critical. App Store and Play Store algorithms use rating and review signals in ranking — a 4.7★ app ranks higher than a 3.8★ app for the same keywords, all else equal. Reviews also affect conversion: 79% of users check ratings before downloading. Lumo optimises review generation by timing in-app native review request prompts at high-satisfaction moments, and manages responses to all reviews for brand reputation and algorithmic signals.
Yes — and this is the primary commercial case for ASO investment. Paid acquisition costs are increasing across all platforms (Apple Search Ads, Google UAC, Meta). Well-executed ASO creates a growing organic install base that reduces your cost per acquisition over time. Apps in competitive categories that invest in ASO typically achieve 30–50% of their installs from organic search — significantly reducing the paid acquisition budget required to hit growth targets.
Get a free ASO audit — we'll review your current keyword rankings, metadata quality, store page conversion rate, and review health, then show you the organic install opportunity for your app.
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