What Is ASO? How to Rank Your App in the App Store and Google Play
29 October 2026 · By Mohammad Khalil · SEO & GEO
App store optimization (ASO) is the work of making your app easier to find and more convincing to download inside the Apple App Store and Google Play. It covers the words the stores read to rank you (title, subtitle, keywords and descriptions) and the things people look at before tapping "Get" or "Install" (icon, screenshots, ratings and reviews). Good ASO brings steady, free installs from people who are already searching for what your app does.
What is app store optimization (ASO), and why does it matter?
ASO is to app stores what SEO is to Google: you improve your listing so it ranks higher for relevant searches and turns more visitors into installs. It matters because store search is one of the main ways people discover apps, and every install it brings costs you nothing per click.
For an app in Jordan or the Gulf, ASO usually affects two numbers you can track in App Store Connect and the Google Play Console:
- Visibility: how many people see your app in search results, categories and charts (impressions).
- Conversion: what share of those people open your page and install (your store conversion rate).
If either number is weak, paid campaigns get more expensive too, so ASO is often the first thing to fix before scaling app install ads.
ASO vs SEO: what is the difference?
ASO and SEO share the same idea, matching what people search for, but they work in different places with different rules. SEO ranks web pages on Google using content, links and technical signals; ASO ranks app listings inside a closed store using a short set of metadata fields plus performance signals such as downloads and ratings.
| SEO (websites) | ASO (app stores) | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it ranks | Google and other search engines | App Store and Google Play |
| Main text signals | Page content, titles, headings | App name, subtitle, keyword field, descriptions |
| Space you control | Unlimited pages and words | A few fields with strict character limits |
| Off-page signals | Backlinks and mentions | Downloads, ratings, reviews, engagement |
| Conversion element | Search snippet and landing page | Icon, screenshots, preview video, ratings |
| How often you update | Any time | With each app or listing update |
They also overlap: AI assistants increasingly recommend apps by name, so the clarity that helps your website get cited (see our guide to GEO and AI answers) helps your app too.
What are the main App Store and Google Play ranking factors?
The biggest ranking factors are the text fields each store indexes, followed by how well your app performs once people find it. The fields differ between Apple and Google, so you cannot copy one listing into the other.
Apple App Store (iOS)
- App name (up to 30 characters): the strongest text signal. Use your brand plus a short description of what the app does.
- Subtitle (up to 30 characters): shown under the name and indexed for search. Use it for your second most important phrase.
- Keyword field (100 characters): hidden from users, separated by commas. Do not repeat words already in your name or subtitle, and skip spaces after commas to save room.
- Description: Apple does not use the long description for search ranking, so write it for people, not for keywords.
- Promotional text (170 characters): can be changed without a new app version, but it is not indexed for search.
Google Play (Android)
- App title (up to 30 characters): the strongest text signal, as on iOS.
- Short description (up to 80 characters): shown on the listing and read by Google's ranking systems.
- Full description (up to 4,000 characters): indexed for search. Use your main phrases naturally a few times; Google Play's policies forbid keyword stuffing and repetitive text.
- There is no hidden keyword field on Google Play.
On both stores, performance signals carry real weight: downloads, ratings, reviews, and whether people keep the app. Text gets you considered; behaviour decides how high you stay.
How do screenshots and your icon affect downloads?
Screenshots and the icon decide whether someone who sees your app installs it, so they drive conversion more than any text field. Most people glance at the icon, the first few screenshots and the rating, then decide.
Practical rules that work in Arabic and English markets:
- Lead with the benefit, not the menu. The first screenshot should say what the user gets ("Order groceries in 30 minutes"), not show a login screen.
- One message per screenshot, with short, large captions that are readable on a phone.
- Show local reality. Prices in JOD or SAR, Arabic interface, local payment options and delivery areas tell a Jordanian or Saudi user the app is built for them.
- Mirror the layout for Arabic. Right-to-left screenshots with Arabic captions look native; English screenshots with translated captions do not.
- Test before you decide. Google Play offers store listing experiments, and Apple offers product page optimization, both of which let you run an A/B test on icons and screenshots with real traffic.
You can practise judging which creative wins with our Which ad wins? game.
Why do ratings and reviews matter for ASO?
Ratings and reviews affect both ranking and conversion: stores favour apps that users rate well, and people hesitate to install anything below about four stars. A strong rating with recent, detailed reviews is one of the clearest trust signals on your page.
How to improve them without breaking store rules:
- Ask at the right moment. Use Apple's and Google's official in-app review prompts after a success moment, such as a completed order, not at first launch.
- Do not buy or incentivise reviews. Both stores prohibit fake or rewarded reviews and can remove your app.
- Reply to reviews, especially negative ones, in the language the user wrote in. Arabic users notice when a business answers in Arabic.
- Fix what reviews complain about, then mention the fix in your update notes.
- Watch ratings after every release, because a buggy update can drag your average down within days.
Should your app listing be in Arabic or English in Jordan and the Gulf?
In most cases you need both: an Arabic listing for Arabic-speaking users and an English one for everyone else, each written natively rather than translated word for word. Both stores let you add localized metadata per language, and people search in the language they think in.
Local realities to plan for:
- People search in both languages and in mixed forms. A Jordanian user might type "توصيل" or "delivery", and many brand names are searched in English letters. Research each language separately.
- Arabic keywords have variants. Spelling with or without hamza, ta marbuta versus ha, and dialect words (Levantine versus Gulf) can all be different searches. List the variants people actually use.
- Gulf storefronts are separate markets. The Saudi, Emirati and Jordanian storefronts can have different competitors and search habits, so check rankings per country, not only per language.
- Your listing is a first impression. Jordan has 10.7 million internet users, 92.5% of the population (DataReportal), and most of them will judge your app on a phone screen in a few seconds.
If you are deciding where an app's marketing budget should go first, our guide on where a small business should start advertising covers how store visibility fits next to Google, Meta, TikTok and Snapchat. This is exactly the kind of bilingual listing work we practise in the ASO Workshop: App Store Optimization in Amman.
How do you start app store optimization? A step-by-step plan
Start with keyword research, write the fields each store indexes, design screenshots for conversion, then measure and repeat every few weeks. ASO is not a one-time task; rankings move as competitors and user behaviour change.
| Step | What to do | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Research | List the phrases your users type in Arabic and English, and check which competitors rank for them | Store search on a phone, both stores |
| 2. Prioritise | Pick a few main phrases per language that are relevant and realistic for a new app | Spreadsheet |
| 3. Write metadata | Name, subtitle and keyword field on iOS; title, short and full description on Google Play | App Store Connect, Play Console |
| 4. Design visuals | Icon and first three screenshots focused on the main benefit, in both languages | Design tool |
| 5. Launch and ask for ratings | Add in-app review prompts after success moments | App code |
| 6. Measure | Track impressions, page views, conversion rate and rankings per country | App Store Connect, Play Console |
| 7. Test and update | Run listing experiments and refresh keywords with each release | Both stores |
Avoid keyword stuffing, copying the iOS listing to Google Play, and changing everything at once so you cannot tell what worked.
ASO is also a useful skill on a marketer's CV, since app businesses in Jordan and the Gulf need people who understand both store listings and paid campaigns; see how to become a performance marketer in Jordan. If you want to check where your marketing knowledge stands overall, take the Marketing IQ quiz.
Read also: Local SEO in Amman: How to Rank Your Business on Google Maps
Learn ASO hands-on, live online
The fastest way to learn app store optimization is on a real listing with feedback. Our ASO Workshop: App Store Optimization in Amman is a one-day, 6-hour workshop on ranking apps in the App Store and Google Play: keyword research, listings, ratings and conversion, in Arabic and English markets. It runs live online. The price is 90 JOD, or 3 payments of 30 JOD, with the last payment due before the course ends.
If you also want to rank your website on Google and get cited by AI assistants, look at our SEO & GEO Mastery course, or browse all courses.
Questions? Contact us or message us on WhatsApp.
Frequently asked questions
How long does ASO take to show results?
Metadata changes are usually indexed within days, but rankings settle over several weeks as the stores see how users respond. Plan to review results and adjust every few weeks rather than judging a change after one day.
Does the app description affect ranking on the App Store?
No. Apple does not use the long description for search ranking; the app name, subtitle and keyword field carry the text weight. On Google Play, however, the short and full descriptions are indexed.
Can paid ads help my app rank higher in the stores?
Paid installs can raise download volume, which is one of the signals stores consider, but they do not replace a strong listing. Ads sent to a weak store page waste budget, so fix your listing and screenshots first.
Where can I learn app store optimization in Jordan?
Algurus Academy runs the ASO Workshop: App Store Optimization, a one-day, 6-hour workshop live online. It costs 90 JOD, or 3 payments of 30 JOD with the last one due before the course ends.
