How to Market a Mobile App: ASO Plus Web SEO

Two search engines, two jobs

A mobile app competes in two separate search systems.

App store search is where users with install intent type "budget tracker" or "habit app". Ranking there depends on your metadata, ratings, downloads and engagement.

Web search and AI answers are where people research: "best budget app for couples", "how to track shared expenses". App store pages rarely rank well for these; your own website and third-party articles do.

Most indie apps only work on the first. Running both means your web content feeds installs, and installs plus ratings feed store rankings.

App Store (iOS) metadata

Apple indexes a small set of fields, so every character counts:

• App name (up to 30 characters): brand plus the most important keyword, for example "Splitly: Shared Expenses".
• Subtitle (up to 30 characters): a second keyword phrase framed as a benefit.
• Keyword field (100 characters, hidden): comma-separated, no spaces after commas, no repeats of words already in the name or subtitle, singular forms usually enough.
• Promotional text: not indexed, but editable without a new build; use it for timely messages.
• Description: not used for App Store search ranking, but it matters for conversion and for Google indexing of the web listing.

A practical keyword process: list 50 candidate terms, check which competitors rank for them, estimate difficulty, and put your top 10-15 into name, subtitle and keyword field. Revisit every release.

Google Play metadata

Google Play works differently because it reads the full description:

• Title (up to 30 characters): brand plus primary keyword.
• Short description (up to 80 characters): primary benefit and a secondary keyword.
• Full description (up to 4,000 characters): written for people, with your main keywords used naturally a few times. Google Play's policies prohibit keyword stuffing and misleading claims.

Structure the full description with a strong first paragraph, a features list, use cases, and a short line on privacy. Use the store listing experiments feature in Play Console to test icons, screenshots and short descriptions.

Screenshots, icon and preview video

Most users decide from the search result card: icon, first screenshots, rating. Optimize in this order:

1. First screenshot: the single most important asset. Show the core outcome with a 3-6 word caption ("Split bills in 2 taps").
2. Screenshots 2-4: one benefit each, real UI, large captions readable on a phone.
3. Icon: simple, high contrast, recognizable at small size; avoid text.
4. Preview video: the first three seconds should show the app doing its main job, not a logo animation.

Test variants. On iOS, Product Page Optimization lets you test alternate icons and screenshots; on Google Play, use store listing experiments.

Ratings and reviews

Ratings affect both ranking and conversion. Practical rules:

• Use the native prompt (SKStoreReviewController on iOS, the In-App Review API on Android). Apple limits how often the system prompt appears to a user, so choose the moment carefully.
• Trigger after a success moment: a completed workout, a settled bill, the third saved note.
• Do not gate the prompt by asking "do you like the app?" first and only showing it to happy users; store policies discourage manipulating ratings.
• Reply to reviews, especially bug reports, and mention the fix version.

A steady trickle of new ratings is healthier than a burst at launch.

Web SEO for an app

Your website should rank for the research queries the stores ignore:

• Homepage: what the app does, who it is for, store badges, and real screenshots.
• Use-case pages: "shared expenses app for roommates", "travel expense splitter".
• How-to guides: "how to split rent fairly", with your app as one step.
• Comparison pages: "[Competitor] alternative" and honest "[A] vs [B]" pages.
• Smart app banner and deep links so mobile visitors land in the app or the right store.

Add structured data for the software application where appropriate, and make sure each page is useful without installing the app. These pages also get cited by AI answer engines when people ask "what is the best app for X". Our mobile apps page explains how we support app teams with this.

Launch and promotion channels

• Product Hunt: works for consumer and productivity apps; prepare a web demo or video.
• Reddit: r/iosapps, r/androidapps, r/apphookup (for deals and discounts), and the subreddits for your use case. Follow each sidebar's rules.
• App review sites and newsletters: pitch with a press kit, promo codes and a 30-second video.
• Featuring: Apple accepts featuring nominations through App Store Connect, and Google Play's editorial team also considers apps for featuring. Nominate for real launches and meaningful updates, not routine releases.
• Cross-promotion: if you have another app or a newsletter, use it.

Also list your app on web directories and alternatives sites; see where to launch your startup.

What to measure

• Store impressions to product page views (are you showing up and is the card compelling?).
• Product page conversion rate (do the screenshots and ratings convince?).
• Day 1, day 7 and day 30 retention (does the app keep people?).
• Keyword rankings for your top 15 terms, weekly.
• Web traffic to store clicks by page.

Fix the weakest step first. A product page conversion problem is solved with screenshots, not more traffic.

Localization: the cheapest ASO win

Translating your store listing into additional languages is often the highest-return ASO task for a small team, because most indie competitors never do it.

• Start with metadata, not the app: localize the name, subtitle, keywords, short description and screenshot captions for 3-5 high-potential markets before translating the whole interface.
• Research keywords per language: direct translations often miss how people actually search. Check what local competitors use.
• Use extra localizations for keywords: on iOS, some storefronts index more than one localization, and ASO practitioners commonly use this to cover additional keywords. Check Apple's current localization list for each storefront before relying on it.
• Localize screenshots: captions in the user's language noticeably improve conversion in our experience, even when the app UI stays in English.

Track impressions and conversion per country in App Store Connect and Play Console so you can see which localizations earn their keep.