ASO on my own apps: what actually moved App Store impressions in a month
A month ago, almost nobody in the US or Europe could see my clay shooting app on the App Store: 97% of its impressions came from Russia, Kazakhstan and random countries. Today two thirds of impressions come from the US and Europe, and daily impressions are up 5×. And my Mac app went from #130 to #9 for "eye strain" in the UK store. Here is how I approach ASO as a solo developer, what I actually…
When I started tracking App Store Optimization (ASO) for my clay shooting app, Clay Sniper, and my Mac app, SafeYourEye, the results were disappointing. Almost all of Clay Sniper's impressions came from Russia and Kazakhstan, while SafeYourEye had no visibility outside of the regional storefront. After conducting a thorough ASO audit, I identified several key areas to improve.
First, I optimized the app names, subtitles, and keywords to better match the targeted markets. For Clay Sniper, I focused on refining the keyword pool around disciplines like double, compact, fitASC, 5stand, and scorecard. Meanwhile, SafeYourEye underwent a name change to "SafeYourEye: Eye Strain Timer" with a subtitle emphasizing the 20-20-20 break and vision test. I also added localized versions in German, French, and Italian, expanding the app's reach.
Next, I localized the storefronts by creating Custom Product Pages tailored to key queries and ad groups in different countries. This allowed me to present alternative versions of the app page for various searches, improving the chances of conversion. Additionally, I added a review prompt in the code to encourage users to leave feedback, which can positively impact search rankings.
The results were remarkable. Daily impressions for Clay Sniper increased by 5 times, and its share of US and European impressions rose from 3% to 36%. SafeYourEye's search rankings improved dramatically, moving from position #130 to #9 in the UK store. Conversion rates also saw a significant boost, with daily page views and new installs growing substantially.
Throughout this process, I emphasized the importance of improving visibility before focusing on conversion. By ensuring that more users could discover the apps in the first place, I created a solid foundation for increasing downloads and engagement. This data-driven approach, combined with strategic keyword optimization, localized storefronts, and custom product pages, yielded impressive results for both apps.
Written by urgent.news from Dev.to's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
