Pillio
Pill Reminder & Tracker
89 ratings on the App Store, averaging 4.5 out of 5
App Store Optimization
App Store Optimization that gets your app found
Develak’s App Store Optimization (ASO) service helps iOS apps get found and downloaded: keyword research, titles and subtitles, keyword fields, screenshots and localized store listings. We practice it on our own catalogue of 34 apps, listed in up to 44 languages.
- Keywords
- Title & subtitle
- Screenshots
- Localized metadata
- Ratings
The service
What is App Store Optimization (ASO)?
App Store Optimization (ASO) is the work of improving an app’s store listing so that it ranks for the searches your future users type, and convinces them to download it once they see it. Search is one of the main ways people discover apps on the App Store, and search results depend largely on your app name, subtitle, keyword field and how well your product page converts.
ASO has two halves. Visibility: choosing the right keywords and placing them where Apple indexes them. Conversion: an icon, screenshots and a description that make the value obvious in a few seconds. Improving one multiplies the effect of the other.
Store metadata is also localized country by country. Translating your listing — not only your app — opens up search results in every market; our guide How to localize an iOS app with String Catalogs explains our method. And our App Store submission checklist covers the metadata rules Apple reviews.
At a glance
- Service
- App Store Optimization (ASO) for iOS apps
- Covers
- Keywords, metadata, screenshots, localization
- Stores
- App Store for iPhone, iPad and Mac
- Method
- Audit, research, rewrite, measure, iterate
- Our practice
- 34 listings of our own, in up to 44 languages
- Works best with
- Localization and regular updates
What’s included
What our ASO service covers
A complete pass on everything that decides whether your app is seen, and then chosen.
Keyword research
The terms your audience actually searches, with their relevance and competition, country by country.
Title, subtitle & keyword field
Metadata rewritten to rank for the right searches, within Apple’s character limits and rules.
Screenshots & app preview
A screenshot sequence that tells your value proposition from the very first frames.
Localized listings
Metadata adapted for each locale, so your app can rank in every country’s own language.
Ratings & reviews
A well-timed, guideline-compliant rating prompt and a method for replying to reviews.
Measurement & iteration
We read App Store Connect data — impressions, product page views, conversion — and adjust.
Metadata
30 characters, used on purpose
The app name is searched and seen first, and it holds only 30 characters. Here is how our own apps use them, read live from their App Store listings.
App Store name · 30 characters max.
- Pillio Pill Reminder & Tracker — 30/30 characters
ApexLap: Lap Timer & Telemetry — 30/30 characters
Corkwell: Wine Cellar Manager — 29/30 characters
Dwellog: Home Maintenance Log — 29/30 characters
Ratewell: Watch Timegrapher — 27/30 characters
Seizly: Seizure Diary — 21/30 characters
Across our 34 apps: 27.1 of 30 characters used on average.
Brand, then keywords
A short brand leaves room for the words people actually type, in the order they type them.
Every field has its job
Name and subtitle: 30 characters each. Keyword field: 100, never shown. Promotional text: 170, editable without a new version.
One set per language
Each localization gets its own name, subtitle and keywords, so the French listing is written for French searches.
Who it’s for
Who needs App Store Optimization?
Any app that relies on the App Store to find its users — which is most of them.
-
Apps with few downloads
Good product, weak visibility. ASO is usually the most affordable lever to try before paid acquisition.
-
Apps about to launch
Launch with the right keywords and screenshots, instead of fixing the listing after the first weeks.
-
Apps going international
Localized metadata opens search results in new countries, even before the app itself is translated.
Deliverables
What you receive
Ready-to-publish metadata and assets, plus the reasoning behind every change.
- An ASO audit of your current listing
- Keyword research for each target country
- A new app name, subtitle and keyword field
- A rewritten description and promotional text
- A screenshot storyboard with captions
- Localized metadata for your priority markets
- Rating prompt recommendations
- A follow-up plan based on App Store Connect data
Process
How we optimize your App Store listing
ASO is a loop, not a one-off: each cycle builds on the data of the previous one.
Audit
We review your listing, ratings, competitors and App Store Connect analytics to find the biggest gaps.
You get: Gap analysis
Research
Keyword discovery and prioritization for each target country, balancing relevance, popularity and competition.
You get: Keyword shortlist
Rewrite
New name, subtitle, keywords, description and screenshot captions, within Apple’s limits and guidelines.
You get: New metadata
Ship
Metadata goes live with your next app version, together with new screenshots and localized listings.
You get: Live listing
Measure & iterate
We compare impressions, page views and conversion before and after, then refine the next cycle.
You get: Before/after report
Timeline
How long does ASO take to show results?
Metadata changes ship with an app update, then rankings need time to settle. As a guide:
Audit & research
Typical duration: A few days
Listing, competitors, keywords.
Rewrite & assets
Typical duration: Days to a few weeks
Metadata, captions, screenshots.
Release
Typical duration: With your next update
Goes live after App Review.
Measure
Typical duration: A few weeks per cycle
Rankings settle, data comes in.
Guidance, not a guarantee: nobody controls Apple’s ranking algorithm, so we measure over full cycles.
Tools
The tools behind our ASO work
Mostly Apple’s own data and features — plus two Mac apps we built for ourselves.
- App Store Connect analytics
- Impressions, page views, conversion and sources.
- Product Page Optimization
- A/B tests of icons and screenshots.
- Custom Product Pages
- Tailored pages for campaigns and audiences.
- Localized metadata
- Name, subtitle and keywords per locale.
- StoreKit rating prompt
- Rating requests at the right moment.
- In-App Events
- Timely events shown on the App Store.
- Appviary
- Our Mac dashboard for App Store sales and trends.
- Xlocalize
- Our Mac app for translating String Catalogs.
Proof
ASO we practice on our own apps
Every Develak listing is written, localized and optimized by us. Our store pages are our lab — your app gets the lessons.
Appviary
App Sales Dashboard
Our Mac dashboard for App Store sales, downloads and reviews
Corkwell
Wine Cellar Manager
Store listing localized in 44 languages
SimplyTask
To-Do & Reminder
On the App Store since March 22, 2025
FAQ
App Store Optimization: your questions
What app publishers ask us about ASO.
Ask your question Not covered here? Write to us — we answer every message ourselves.
contact@develak.comWhat is ASO, and how is it different from SEO?
ASO applies the logic of SEO to app stores, with different signals. On the App Store, the app name, subtitle and keyword field matter most for search, while the icon, screenshots and ratings drive conversion. Web SEO relies on content and links; ASO relies on metadata and product page performance.
Which metadata does Apple use for App Store search?
Mainly the app name, the subtitle and the hidden keyword field, along with the developer name and in-app purchase names. The description is not used for App Store search ranking, but it still matters for convincing visitors to download.
How long before ASO changes show results?
Metadata updates go live with a new app version, then rankings usually take a few weeks to settle. Develak measures over full cycles rather than reacting to daily movements.
Can you guarantee a top ranking?
No one can honestly guarantee App Store rankings: Apple’s algorithm and your competitors change all the time. What we commit to is a rigorous method, clear reasoning for every change and reporting based on App Store Connect data.
Do screenshots really affect downloads?
Yes. Many visitors decide from the icon and the first screenshots without reading the description. Screenshots that state the benefit clearly, in the visitor’s own language, are one of the strongest conversion levers.
Should I localize my App Store listing?
Usually, yes. Each locale has its own metadata and its own search results, so a localized listing can rank in markets where an English-only listing stays invisible. Develak localizes its own listings in up to 44 languages.
Can ASO help an app that is already live?
Yes — that is where it helps most, because there is real data to learn from. We start with an audit of your listing and App Store Connect analytics, then prioritize the changes with the biggest expected impact.
Get your app found
Send us your App Store link. We’ll tell you what we would change first.