Fundamentals
22 guides on fundamentals for app store optimization, from the team behind AppRankr.
Does Your App Ever Show Up in Google's AI Overviews? What the Data Actually Shows
Google's AI Overviews now appear on a huge share of searches. Here's what independent research actually shows about which content gets cited, and where that leaves an app's own listing.
If You Distribute Outside the App Store in the EU, Does Your App Still Rank in App Store Search?
Apple's EU rules let you distribute through alternative marketplaces or the web. Here's what Apple's own docs say about your App Store search visibility if you do.
How Do You Get Your App Listed in ChatGPT's App Directory?
OpenAI opened its App Directory to outside developers. Here's what the actual submission rules require, and what OpenAI itself says about ranking inside it.
Does Deep Linking Actually Affect Your App Store Ranking?
Apple's own documentation talks about search ranking and deep links in the same breath. It's easy to misread as an App Store ranking claim. Here's what it actually means.
Does Your 'What's New' Release Notes Text Actually Matter for ASO?
Apple requires it. Google caps it at a tenth of Apple's length. Neither confirms it's searchable. Here's what's actually documented about release notes and ASO, and what's just industry consensus.
Why You Should Stop Doing ASO Manually (And What to Automate)
Checking rankings by hand once a week feels manageable, until it isn't. Here's why manual tracking misses real regressions, and what to actually hand off to automation.
How to Get Your App Discovered by ChatGPT and AI Assistants
A growing share of app recommendations happen inside a chat, not a store search bar. Here's what's real, what's vendor marketing, and what you can actually do about being the app an AI assistant mentions.
Why Didn't My New App Get the Launch Boost?
You've seen other new apps, even weaker ones, get a visibility bump in their first days that yours never got. Here's what's actually documented about new-app treatment, and what isn't.
Do Backlinks Actually Affect Your App Store Ranking?
Web SEO agencies sell 'app backlink' packages promising a ranking boost. Here's what Google's and Apple's own ranking documentation actually lists as factors — and what it never mentions.
My App Disappeared From Search — Delisted, or Just Not Ranking?
Real developer-community reports split into two very different problems: an app pulled from the store, and an app still live but invisible in search. Here's how to tell which one you have in under five minutes.
Sudden Drop in Play Store Visitors: Is It Your Rank, or Demand?
A visitor/impression cliff and a keyword-rank cliff look identical on a traffic dashboard but come from different causes. Here's the checklist real developers use to tell them apart.
Do Search Ads Affect Your App's Organic Ranking?
Running Apple Search Ads or Google Ads for App campaigns doesn't buy you organic rank, but the two aren't unrelated either. Here's what actually connects them.
New App Launch: How Rankings Actually Behave in the First Two Weeks
A new listing doesn't rank like an established one, and the volatility in the first two weeks isn't a sign anything's wrong. Here's what's actually happening and what to check instead of panicking.
Tracking App Rankings Across Countries: What Actually Changes Market to Market
A #4 in India and a #180 in the US can be the exact same keyword, same listing, same day. Here's what genuinely differs between markets, and what doesn't.
Setting Up Rank-Drop Alerts: How to Know the Moment It Happens
Finding out a keyword fell out of range during next week's manual check means it already cost you days of visibility. Here's how to set up alerts that catch it same-day instead.
The Questions Everyone Asks ChatGPT About App Rankings, Answered With Real Data
The app-ranking questions people now ask an AI assistant instead of a search engine, answered directly, with the actual mechanics behind each answer.
What Is a Visibility Score in ASO? How It's Calculated
One number meant to summarize where you stand across every keyword you're tracked on. Not any single keyword's rank. Here's what actually goes into it and why it's weighted the way it is.
Why Did My App's Ranking Drop? A Diagnosis Checklist
A sudden rank drop has a real cause, and it's almost always one of a short list. Here's the order to check them in, before you start guessing.
Do App Downloads Affect Your Store Search Ranking?
Total downloads and average star rating are the numbers everyone screenshots. Neither is what either store has confirmed actually moves search rank.
How Often Should You Check Your App Store Rankings?
Daily checks and full keyword-coverage checks answer different questions. Here's why you need both, on different clocks, and what changing either one too rarely actually costs you.
How to Track Competitor Apps the Right Way
The most common mistake in competitive ASO tracking isn't picking the wrong rivals. It's accidentally tracking your own sister apps as if they were competitors.
App Store Optimization 101: What Actually Moves Your Rank
A plain-language breakdown of what App Store Optimization really is, which levers you control, and which ones you don't, for anyone starting from zero.