App store optimization
App store optimization and app marketing that bring installs
App store optimization services in Canada that rank your app for the searches people make inside the App Store and Google Play, convert page views into installs and run the paid app marketing around the listing.
Canada Create™ researches store keywords, writes and tests listings, manages ratings and runs Apple Search Ads, Google App campaigns and social campaigns, measured by installs, activation and retention.
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What app store optimization gives your app
Found in store search
Rankings for the short, intent-driven terms people type inside the stores.
More installs from the same views
Screenshots, ratings and descriptions tested until the page converts.
Ratings that work for you
A review strategy within store rules that raises the rating visitors see first.
Paid channels that pay
Search Ads and App campaigns landing on a listing built to convert.
What is included in app store optimization
Each program is scoped to your app and its markets, but these are the building blocks we plan, run and report.
- Listing auditVisibility, conversion, ratings and competitors reviewed for both stores.
- Store keyword researchTerms weighed by volume, competition and relevance, mapped to the fields each store indexes.
- MetadataTitle, subtitle, keyword field and descriptions written for each store's rules.
- Screenshots and preview videoCreative that shows the outcome, captioned to answer the visitor's question.
- Listing experimentsGoogle Play experiments and Apple product page tests run continuously.
- Ratings and reviewsIn-app prompts, support routing and public replies within store rules.
- Paid app marketingApple Search Ads, Google App campaigns, Meta and TikTok where they fit.
- ReportingImpressions, conversion, installs by source, rankings, ratings and retention every month.
App store optimization cost
Cost depends on stores and markets, whether the app is new or established, ratings, creative production, localization, testing cadence and paid marketing. We separate the program from creative production and from advertising spend.
Launch listing
Quoted in writing
A new app going live on one or both stores
- Keyword research
- Metadata for each store
- Screenshots and description
- Launch review plan
Monthly ASO program
Quoted in writing
A live app that needs steady growth in installs
- Continuous keyword and listing tests
- Ratings management
- Localization where needed
- Monthly reporting
ASO plus paid app marketing
Quoted in writing
Apps with budget for Search Ads, App campaigns or social
- Everything in the monthly program
- Campaign setup and management
- Creative for ads
- Install and retention attribution
Advertising spend is billed by Apple, Google, Meta and TikTok and is separate from our management. Ask for a proposal and we will list every cost line for your app.
ASO agency
App marketers who measure installs, not downloads
Executive summary: Most installs come from people searching inside the App Store and Google Play, so an app’s listing is its most important marketing asset, and app store optimization is the work of making that listing rank for the searches that matter and convert the people who see it. Canada Create™ has marketed apps, websites and businesses since 2008 across Canada and the United States. This page explains what app store optimization covers, how the App Store and Google Play rank apps differently, how ratings, screenshots and metadata drive installs, how paid app marketing and web search fit around the listing, what drives the cost, and how to choose an ASO agency.
What app store optimization is
App store optimization (ASO) is search engine optimization for the two app stores. It has two halves. Visibility is about ranking in store search and browse for the terms your future users type, which depends on the title, subtitle, keyword field and description, the category, ratings and reviews, install velocity and retention. Conversion is about turning a store page view into an install, which depends on the icon, screenshots, preview video, the first lines of the description, ratings and localization. Both halves are measured in the store consoles, and both improve through disciplined testing rather than one-time setup.
How the App Store and Google Play rank apps
The two stores index different fields and weigh signals differently. Apple’s App Store indexes the app name, subtitle and a hidden keyword field, and it does not index the description, so every character in those fields is planned. Google Play indexes the title, short description and full description, and reads the text much as web search does, so the description is written for both readers and ranking. Both stores reward ratings, review volume and recency, install velocity, low uninstall rates and engagement, and both penalize keyword stuffing and misleading listings. Because the rules differ, every app gets two listing strategies rather than one copied twice.
Keyword research for app stores
ASO keyword research finds the terms people search inside the stores, which are shorter and more intent-driven than web searches, and weighs each by volume, competition and relevance to the job your app does. We map the terms to the fields each store indexes, choose a primary set for the title and subtitle, place secondary terms where each store reads them, and plan localized listings for French-speaking Canada and other markets where the app has users. Competitor listings are analyzed for the terms they rank on and the promises their screenshots make, so your listing can differentiate rather than imitate.
Screenshots, video and the listing that converts
People decide to install in seconds, mostly from the first two screenshots and the rating. We design screenshots that show the outcome the user wants rather than the interface, write captions that answer the question they arrived with, produce a preview video where it earns its place, and structure the description so the first lines carry the value. Google Play supports listing experiments that test icons, screenshots and descriptions against each other; Apple supports product page optimization tests and custom product pages for specific audiences and campaigns. We run those tests continuously, because conversion gains compound across every source of traffic.
Ratings, reviews and retention
Ratings are both a ranking signal and the first thing a visitor reads. A rating strategy asks satisfied users for a review at the right moment, inside the app and within each store’s rules, routes unhappy users to support before they reach the store, and answers reviews publicly so future visitors see a responsive team. Retention matters as much: both stores watch whether installed apps are used and kept, so onboarding, notifications and the first-session experience designed by our mobile app design team are part of ASO, not separate from it.
Paid app marketing and web search around the listing
The listing is where every channel lands, so once it converts, paid and organic channels earn more. Apple Search Ads place the app at the top of App Store results for chosen terms and are the most direct install channel on iPhone. Google App campaigns reach Google Play, search, YouTube and the display network from one campaign. Meta and TikTok campaigns drive installs for consumer apps with strong creative. Web search matters too: a landing page for the app, built with our SEO team, ranks for the same problems the app solves and sends people to the store from outside it. As a marketing agency first, Canada Create™ runs these channels and measures installs, activation and retention rather than downloads alone, with the same discipline as our Google Ads management.
Measurement and reporting
ASO is measured in impressions, product page views, conversion rate, installs by source, keyword rankings, ratings and retention, drawn from the store consoles and from the app’s analytics. Monthly reporting shows which terms drive installs, which tests won, how ratings moved and what changes next, so the listing improves every month rather than being set once at launch.
What drives app store optimization cost
Every program is quoted in writing after a review of the app and its listings. The cost drivers are the number of stores and markets, whether the app is new or established, the state of ratings and reviews, screenshot and video production, the number of localized listings, the testing cadence, and whether paid app marketing is included. A proposal separates the ASO program from creative production and from advertising spend, which is billed by the platforms.
How to choose an ASO agency
Ask to see listings the agency manages and the before-and-after of conversion rate and keyword rankings. Ask how the agency researches store keywords and how it treats the App Store and Google Play differently. Ask who designs screenshots and who runs tests, and how ratings are handled within store rules. Ask how installs are attributed to sources and how the agency reports retention. Written answers before you sign are the best sign of an agency that measures what it does.
Your next step
If your app is live and installs are flat, or your launch is coming and the listing is an afterthought, start with a listing review. Canada Create™ has helped businesses across Canada and the United States since 2008 and is BBB Accredited with an A+ rating. Call us toll-free, 24/7*, at +1 (800) 808-9235, or request your proposal and hear back in one business day.
Talk to a strategist
Ready when you are!
Get a proposal in one business day.
Tell us your goals, budget and timeline. You get a plan, a price and a named strategist, with no long-term contract.
How your app comes together
A clear sequence from first call to launch and beyond, so you always know what is being built, why, and what comes next.
- Discovery Week 1
We review your goals, users, existing systems and budget, then agree on what the first release must achieve.
- Scope and design Weeks 2 to 4
User flows, wireframes and clickable prototypes are approved before any code is written, so the build starts from a shared picture.
- Build and integrate By scope
Short, testable cycles with a working version you can try every two weeks, connected to your data, payments and back office.
- Test and launch 2 to 3 weeks
Device, security and load testing, store submission or deployment, and a launch checklist your team signs off on.
- Support and grow Ongoing
Monitoring, updates for new operating systems, and improvements planned from real usage data.
What clients say on Google
Reviews pulled live from our Google Business Profile.
Free review
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Share your current site, campaign or brief. A strategist reviews it and replies within one business day with a written recommendation and a fixed quote.
Why businesses choose Canada Create™ for app development
Since 2008
More than 18 years building websites, apps and marketing for businesses across Canada and the United States.
BBB Accredited A+
A BBB Accredited Business with an A+ rating and zero complaints, so you work with a team that answers for its work.
Build and marketing under one roof
The same team that builds your app runs the SEO, app store optimization and advertising that bring users to it.
You own the code
Source code, accounts, app store listings and data are registered in your name from day one.
Quoted in writing
Every fee is confirmed in writing before work starts. Get a proposal in one business day.
Senior developers
Architecture, security and store compliance are handled by senior people, not learned on your project.
Connected to your business
Apps are built around your CRM, payments, booking, inventory and reporting, not as islands.
24/7* sales line
Reach us by phone around the clock at +1 (800) 808-9235.
App store optimization questions
What is app store optimization?
Search engine optimization for the App Store and Google Play: ranking the listing for the terms people search inside the stores, and converting page views into installs through the icon, screenshots, description and ratings.
How is ASO different for Apple and Google?
Apple indexes the name, subtitle and a hidden keyword field but not the description. Google Play indexes the title and both descriptions. Both reward ratings, installs, retention and engagement, so every app gets two listing strategies.
How long does ASO take to show results?
Conversion improvements from screenshot and description tests can show within weeks. Keyword rankings and rating improvements build over a few months, depending on competition and install velocity.
Can you improve our app's rating?
A rating strategy asks satisfied users for a review at the right moment inside the app, routes unhappy users to support first and answers reviews publicly, all within each store's rules. We never buy or fabricate reviews.
Do you run Apple Search Ads and Google App campaigns?
Yes. Both are managed alongside the listing, because paid installs cost less when the listing converts, and installs are attributed by source.
How much does app store optimization cost?
It depends on stores and markets, the state of the app and its ratings, creative production, localization, testing cadence and whether paid marketing is included. We quote in writing after a listing review.
Should our listing be in French as well as English?
For apps serving Quebec or French-speaking users, a localized listing improves both ranking and conversion. Other markets are localized where the app has users.
Does web SEO help an app?
Yes. A landing page that ranks for the problems the app solves sends people to the store from outside it, and web content supports the brand searches that drive store installs.
How do you report on ASO?
Monthly reports cover impressions, product page views, conversion rate, installs by source, keyword rankings, ratings and retention, with the tests that won and the changes planned next.
An app that nobody uses costs more than an app that was never built
Most failed apps are not failed code. They were built without a clear job, launched without a plan to reach users and left without updates. We scope the first release around one measurable outcome, connect the app to your existing systems and market it after launch, so the investment keeps paying.
