Glossary
ASO glossary
The App Store Optimization terms you will meet in AppSqeez and in our guides, defined in plain English.
App Store Optimization (ASO)
- The practice of improving an app's visibility and conversion in the Apple App Store and Google Play. ASO covers keyword research, metadata, screenshots, ratings, and localization — the store-side equivalent of SEO.ASO keyword research guide
Apple Search Ads popularity
- A 0–100 score from Apple that reflects how often a keyword is searched in a given App Store storefront. It is the most direct traffic signal available for App Store keywords.Popularity scores in AppSqeez
Competitor analysis
- Comparing your app's keyword rankings with rival apps to find keyword gaps: terms a competitor ranks for and you do not.Competitor analysis docs
Conversion rate
- The share of store visitors who install your app after seeing its listing. Icon, screenshots, ratings, and the first lines of the description influence it most.
Keyword difficulty
- An estimate of how hard it is to reach the top search results for a keyword, based on the strength of the apps that already rank for it. Lower is easier.How AppSqeez scores keywords
Keyword field
- A hidden, 100-character App Store Connect field of comma-separated keywords that Apple indexes for search. Google Play has no equivalent.App Store vs Google Play
Keyword opportunity
- A combined score that balances a keyword's traffic against its difficulty to surface terms that are both worth ranking for and realistically winnable.Keyword research docs
Keyword rank
- Your app's position in the store's search results for a specific keyword, in a specific country. Position 1 is the top result.Rank tracking docs
Keyword stuffing
- Repeating keywords unnaturally in a title or description to manipulate ranking. Both stores discourage it, and it hurts conversion.
Localization
- Adapting your store listing — metadata, keywords, and screenshots — for each country and language. The same app often ranks for entirely different terms in different markets.Store listing docs
Long description
- Google Play's main description field, up to 4,000 characters. Google indexes it for search, so keyword placement in it matters, especially in the first lines.
Long-tail keyword
- A longer, more specific search phrase. Long-tail keywords get less traffic individually but are far easier to rank for and usually convert better.
Metadata
- The text fields of a store listing: app name, subtitle, keyword field, promotional text, and descriptions. Metadata is where researched keywords are placed.Store listing editor
Promotional text
- A 170-character App Store field shown above the description. It can be changed without submitting a new app version, which makes it useful for seasonal messaging.
Rank delta
- The change in keyword rank since the previous check. A positive delta means the app climbed; a negative one means it slipped.How to track keyword rankings
Rank tracking
- Recording keyword ranks on a schedule — ideally daily — so you can see trends and measure whether a metadata change helped or hurt.Rank tracking docs
Ratings and reviews
- User star ratings and written reviews. They affect both search ranking and conversion, and they vary by country.Ratings monitoring docs
Short description
- An 80-character Google Play field shown on the listing before the full description. It is indexed for search and is the first text most visitors read.
Store listing
- The public page for an app in the App Store or Google Play: name, icon, screenshots, description, ratings, and other metadata.Store listing docs
Store screenshots
- The images shown on a store listing. Each device class has required dimensions, and screenshots are often the deciding factor in whether a visitor installs.Screenshot studio docs
Storefront
- A country-specific version of the App Store. Rankings, popularity scores, and metadata are all tracked per storefront.
Subtitle
- A 30-character App Store field shown under the app name. Together with the 30-character name, it carries the most keyword weight on the App Store.
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