My ASO Learning Journey
As an independent developer, most of my energy is focused on the product itself, code, design, interaction, every detail fascinates me. But when I actually launched the app, I realised that making a good product is only the first step, and getting users to find it is the bigger challenge. So I started studying ASO (App Store Optimisation).
Learning about ASO for the first time: Starting from scratch
Initially, my understanding of ASO was stuck at the level of "choosing good keywords", thinking that as long as I stuffed popular keywords into the title and description of the app, it would be able to bring in traffic. However, I soon realised that the reality was not that simple.
I started by studying the ASO strategies of several competitors, analysing their titles, keywords, screenshots and user reviews. I noticed that some apps ranked very high despite having average features because they had accurately captured users' search habits and continuously optimised their pages.
Keywords: not just traffic, but precise matching.
Choosing keywords is much more complicated than I thought. In the beginning, I intuitively chose a few relevant words, but the effect is general. Later, I learned to use ASO tools such as AppFigures, Sensor Tower, ASODesk to analyse which keywords have low competition but moderate traffic.
For example, I developed OrbitRing as a MacOS quick launcher, and the keywords I initially chose were "launcher" and "productivity", but the competition for these words was so fierce that my app couldn't rank at all. Later I tried some more segmented long tail keywords such as "mac app launcher", "workflow automation", the ranking gradually improved and the downloads were more accurate.
App Page Optimisation: The Art of Screenshots, Titles & Descriptions
Keywords only help users find your app, while the design of the app page decides whether they download it or not.
- Screenshots & Videos: At first, I casually included a few screenshots of my products, which resulted in a low conversion rate. Later, I followed the practice of well-known apps and tried to add text to the screenshots to visually demonstrate the core functions, such as "one click to launch the app" and "improve work efficiency", and the conversion rate increased significantly.
- Title & Subtitle: I found that the title of some apps would contain key selling points, such as "Minimalist Launcher for macOS", so I also added "Fast & Simple Mac App Launcher" to the subtitle of OrbitRing, so that users could understand the value of the product at a glance.
- Description: When I wrote the app description, I avoided using a lot of keywords and instead used clear and concise language to tell users what problems my app can solve. I also deliberately add a user pain point at the beginning, such as "Too slow to find apps on your Mac? Try OrbitRing to open frequently used tools in one click!" It resonates with the user.
User ratings and weighting: real feedback is key to growth
User ratings are heavily weighted in the App Store ranking algorithm. When my product first launched, there were very few user reviews and the ratings were unstable. Later, I guided users to rate the product appropriately within the app, for example, after users had used it for a while, they asked "If OrbitRing helped you, can you give us a positive review? This avoids bothering users too early and improves the rate of positive reviews.
Conclusion: ASO is not a shortcut, but a long-term optimisation process!
Learning about ASO made me realise that building a good product is just as important as getting it discovered by users, and that ASO is not a one-off job, but an ongoing optimisation process. Every time I adjust the keywords, optimise the screenshots and improve the description, I am helping users understand my product better.
As independent developers, we may not have the resources and budgets of big companies, but as long as we study and experiment, we can find our own ASO path. If you are also making an app, try to start with keyword optimisation, page design and user evaluation, you may find unexpected benefits!