# ASO (app store optimization) Human Guide

## What This Is For
Optimize an app's store listing for maximum visibility and downloads — keyword strategy, title and subtitle optimization, screenshots, preview videos, rating and review management, and A/B. It gives the agent a clearer input/output frame for ASO (app store optimization): what context to ask for, what decisions to make, and what usable artifact to return.

Use this as a human-readable version of the ASO (app store optimization) agent skill. It is meant for marketers, operators, founders, and other non-coders who want the workflow without reading agent-specific implementation instructions.

## When To Use This
- Use this when you need a repeatable process for ASO (app store optimization).
- Use this when the task needs judgment, examples, constraints, or a clear output format rather than a one-off prompt.
- Use this when you want to hand an AI assistant enough context to produce a usable marketing artifact.

## When Not To Use This
- Do not use this when you only need a quick factual answer.
- Do not use this when the work depends on private data you cannot share with the assistant.
- Do not use this as a replacement for legal, compliance, financial, or medical review.

## What You Need Before Starting
- The goal or business outcome you want.
- The audience, customer segment, or market context.
- Any source material the assistant should respect, such as notes, briefs, examples, URLs, or brand guidance.
- Constraints such as tone, length, channel, deadline, region, or approval requirements.
- A clear definition of what a good final answer should look like.

## Step-By-Step Workflow
1. State the job clearly: "Use the ASO (app store optimization) guide to help me with..."
2. Add context: audience, goal, offer, channel, source material, and constraints.
3. Ask the assistant to identify missing inputs before producing the final output.
4. Have the assistant follow the skill-specific guidance below.
5. Review the result against the final checklist and ask for revisions where needed.

## Skill-Specific Guidance
- **Visibility** (like SEO): Getting the app to appear in search results for the right keywords
- **Conversion** (like CRO): Getting people who find the listing to download
- **App name and description** — what does the app do?
- **Target platform** — iOS, Android, or both?
- **App Store URL** — if live, share the link for audit
- **Target audience** — who is this app for?
- **Primary use case** — what job does the app do for the user?
- **Current metrics** — downloads, rating, conversion rate from listing (if known)?
- **Top competitors** — which apps compete directly?
- **Primary keywords** — what words does the team think users search for?
- Primary job (e.g., "meditation", "budget tracker", "photo editor")
- Audience type (e.g., "for runners", "small business")

## Decision Points And Nuance
The original skill emphasizes: Before You Start, ASO = SEO + CRO for App Stores, Information to Gather, Output: ASO Optimization Plan, 01 — KEYWORD RESEARCH AND STRATEGY, 02 — TITLE AND SUBTITLE OPTIMIZATION, 03 — DESCRIPTION OPTIMIZATION, 04 — SCREENSHOTS AND PREVIEW VIDEO, 05 — RATINGS AND REVIEW STRATEGY, 06 — A/B TESTING ON THE APP STORE.

Use these questions to steer the work:
- What is the intended audience or buyer?
- What source material must be preserved?
- What should the assistant optimize for: clarity, persuasion, accuracy, speed, creativity, or conversion?
- What examples represent the desired quality bar?
- What should the assistant avoid?

## Common Mistakes
- Both must be optimized. High ranking with poor creative = low downloads. Great creative with poor ranking = no traffic.
- Note which keywords they rank for that you don't
- Include the single most important keyword in the title
- Don't keyword stuff — it hurts ranking and looks spammy
- The most important — most users don't tap "more." Must communicate:
- iOS: The App Store description does NOT directly affect search ranking (keywords here don't count for iOS ASO). Focus on conversion.
- The most important. Many users only see this one.
- Screenshot 2: Second most important feature

## Copy-And-Paste Prompt
```text
Use the ASO (app store optimization) human guide.

My goal:
[Describe the business outcome]

Audience:
[Describe who this is for]

Context and source material:
[Paste notes, examples, links, or existing copy]

Constraints:
[Tone, length, channel, timeline, must-include items, must-avoid items]

Before producing the final output, ask me for any missing information that would materially improve the result.
```

## Final Checklist
- [ ] The output matches the original goal.
- [ ] The audience and context are reflected in the answer.
- [ ] Important constraints and source material were preserved.
- [ ] The assistant made the relevant decisions explicit.
- [ ] The final artifact is ready to use, review, or hand to the next person.

## Source
This guide was generated from the arnabbagxd/brand-building-skills skill entry for `aso`.

## Source Skill Notes
These notes preserve the nuance from the original skill. Use them as supporting reference when the workflow above feels too generic.

# ASO (App Store Optimization)

You are an App Store Optimization specialist. Your job is to maximize an app's visibility in search results and its conversion rate from listing page visitor to download — across both the Apple App Store and Google Play.

## Before You Start

Check if `.agents/brand-context.md` exists. Read it to understand the brand, audience, and app positioning before optimizing the listing.

---

## ASO = SEO + CRO for App Stores

ASO has two distinct jobs:
1. **Visibility** (like SEO): Getting the app to appear in search results for the right keywords
2. **Conversion** (like CRO): Getting people who find the listing to download

Both must be optimized. High ranking with poor creative = low downloads. Great creative with poor ranking = no traffic.

---

## Information to Gather

1. **App name and description** — what does the app do?
2. **Target platform** — iOS, Android, or both?
3. **App Store URL** — if live, share the link for audit
4. **Target audience** — who is this app for?
5. **Primary use case** — what job does the app do for the user?
6. **Current metrics** — downloads, rating, conversion rate from listing (if known)?
7. **Top competitors** — which apps compete directly?
8. **Primary keywords** — what words does the team think users search for?

---

## Output: ASO Optimization Plan

---

### 01 — KEYWORD RESEARCH AND STRATEGY

Keywords are the foundation of app store visibility. The goal: rank for high-volume, relevant terms where competition isn't impossible.

**Keyword research process:**

**Step 1 — Seed keywords:**
What words describe what the app does? What would a user type to find it?
- Primary job (e.g., "meditation", "budget tracker", "photo editor")
- Audience type (e.g., "for runners", "small business")
- Feature-based (e.g., "AI writing", "offline maps")

**Step 2 — Competitor keyword mining:**
- Look at top 3–5 competitors' titles, subtitles, and keyword fields
- Note which keywords they rank for that you don't
- Identify gaps — keywords they're not using that you could own

**Step 3 — Keyword scoring:**
Rate each keyword on:
- **Volume**: How many people search for this? (high/medium/low)
- **Competition**: How hard is it to rank? (high/medium/low)
- **Relevance**: How closely does it match the app?

**Priority**: Medium volume + low competition + high relevance (the sweet spot)

**Keyword placement — where they count:**
- **App name/title**: Highest weight — put primary keyword here
- **Subtitle** (iOS) / **Short description** (Android): Second highest — secondary keywords
- **Keyword field** (iOS only, 100 chars): Additional keywords — no spaces, use commas
- **Long description**: Helps on Google Play (more like SEO); lesser on iOS

---

### 02 — TITLE AND SUBTITLE OPTIMIZATION

**App title formula:**
`[Brand Name] — [Primary Keyword + Value Proposition]`

Examples:
- "Calm — Sleep & Meditation" (brand + primary keyword + secondary use)
- "YNAB — Budget & Finance" (brand + category keyword)
- "Headspace: Mindful Meditation" (brand + adjective + keyword)