ASO glossary

App Store Optimization, in plain English.

38 Google Play ASO terms — each with a full explanation: what it is, why it matters, how to improve it and how to measure it.

A/B testing: Showing different versions of a listing element to different visitors to find out which converts better.; Full explanation
Acquisition report: Play Console data showing where your store listing visitors and installs come from.; Full explanation
Android vitals: Google Play’s technical-quality metrics, such as crash and ANR rates, which can affect how visible your app is.; Full explanation
ANR (Application Not Responding): When an Android app’s main thread is blocked long enough that the system reports it isn’t responding.; Full explanation
App Store Optimization (ASO): Improving an app’s store listing so it ranks higher in store search and converts more visitors into installs.; Full explanation
Ask Play: Google Play’s Gemini-powered feature that answers users’ questions about an app on its listing.; Full explanation
Closed testing: A Google Play test track for a limited group of testers — required for new personal developer accounts before production.; Full explanation
Conversion rate (CVR): The percentage of store listing visitors who install your app.; Full explanation
Custom store listing: An alternative version of your Google Play listing shown to a specific audience, such as a country or people searching certain keywords.; Full explanation
Feature graphic: A 1024×500 banner image used in featuring and recommendation placements and required for a promo video to show.; Full explanation
Found rate: In ASODrift, the share of checks in which your app appeared in the top 100 for a keyword.; Full explanation
In-App Review API: Google Play’s API that lets users rate and review your app without leaving it.; Full explanation
Keyword density: How often a keyword appears relative to the total length of your listing text.; Full explanation
Keyword difficulty: An estimate of how hard it is to reach the top results for a keyword.; Full explanation
Keyword drift: A change in your app’s ranking for a keyword that you didn’t cause.; Full explanation
Keyword ranking: Your app’s position in Google Play search results for a specific keyword, country and language.; Full explanation
Keyword stuffing: Unnaturally repeating keywords in listing text to try to rank.; Full explanation
Localization: Adapting your listing (and ideally your app) for another language and market.; Full explanation
Long description: The main description on a Google Play listing — up to 4,000 characters and indexed for search.; Full explanation
Long-tail keyword: A longer, more specific search phrase — lower volume, less competition and higher intent.; Full explanation
Metadata policy: Google Play’s rules for titles, icons, developer names and descriptions.; Full explanation
Organic installs: Installs that come without paid advertising — from search, browsing, recommendations and word of mouth.; Full explanation
Play Shorts: Google Play’s short-form, full-screen video discovery feed.; Full explanation
Pre-registration: Letting users sign up on Google Play to be notified when your app launches.; Full explanation
Promo video: A YouTube video shown at the start of your listing’s media gallery.; Full explanation
Promotional content: Time-limited events, offers and updates shown on Google Play for eligible apps (often called LiveOps).; Full explanation
Rating: The average star score shown on your listing, which affects conversion and quality signals.; Full explanation
Retention: The share of users who keep using your app after a period such as day 1, day 7 or day 30.; Full explanation
Screenshots: Up to 8 images per device type showing your app on the Google Play listing.; Full explanation
Search terms report: Play Console data on the search queries that led people to your listing and to installs.; Full explanation
Share of voice: The share of total visibility on a set of keywords held by each app — who owns the searches you care about.; Full explanation
Short description: The 80-character summary near the top of a Google Play listing — indexed for search and widely read.; Full explanation
Store listing experiment: Play Console’s free A/B testing tool for your Google Play listing.; Full explanation
Striking-distance keyword: A keyword where you already rank just outside the top spots (about #4–20), so a small push can bring many more visitors.; Full explanation
Title: Your app’s name on Google Play — up to 30 characters and the strongest text signal for search.; Full explanation
Top charts: Category rankings on Google Play that reflect overall momentum rather than a specific search.; Full explanation
UTM parameters: Tags added to a Play Store link so installs can be attributed to a specific campaign.; Full explanation
Visibility: How often your app is shown to users across search, browse and recommendations.; Full explanation

See where your app ranks — free.

One app and five keywords free, forever. Your first rank check runs the moment you add your app.

Start tracking free