ASO app audit: what to check?

A mobile app can operate without technical errors, receive good reviews, and still lose organic installs. Users stop finding it for relevant queries, competitors gain more prominent positions, and visitors to the app page click the install button less frequently.
The cause of such changes is difficult to determine without data analysis. Sometimes the problem is related to keywords, sometimes to page design, or the quality of the product itself. An ASO audit helps you consistently review these areas, identify weaknesses, and develop an improvement plan for the App Store and Google Play.
What is an ASO app audit?
An ASO audit is a comprehensive assessment of a mobile app's visibility and performance in the App Store and Google Play. The analysis examines search rankings, keywords, text metadata, icon, screenshots, ratings, reviews, localization, and user behavior on the app page.
The main goal of the audit is to determine why the app is receiving insufficient organic traffic or is losing potential installs. To do this, the specialist compares analytics metrics with historical changes, studies the competitive landscape, and checks whether the app profile meets the target audience's expectations.
The result is a list of identified issues and recommendations for their resolution. Each recommendation should include a rationale, priority, and a metric for verifying the results after implementation.
How is ASO audit different from ASO optimization?
ASO audits and ASO optimization are closely related but serve different purposes. An audit helps determine the current state of an app and the causes of potential issues, while optimization involves modifying metadata, visual assets, and other elements based on the analysis.
For example, an app has lost rankings for queries related to one of its core features. First, a specialist checks the ranking history, competitor queries, and metadata content. Then, they suggest changing the title, subtitle, or description if the collected data supports such a need.
| Criterion | ASO audit | ASO optimization |
|---|---|---|
| The main task | Identify problems and growth areas | Implement changes |
| Working with semantics | Checking queries and positions | Updating keywords |
| Graphic materials | Icon and screenshot evaluation | Development and testing of new options |
| Analytics | Diagnostics of current indicators | Control of changes and experiments |
| Result | Report and list of recommendations | Modified card and measurement results |
An audit can be conducted before launching a promotion or after a significant change in metrics. Optimization usually takes longer, as individual hypotheses require testing, data collection, and re-examination.
What tasks does a mobile app audit solve?
An ASO audit examines how well an app is presented in the store and whether its product page meets user needs. Special attention is paid to the causes of decreased visibility, keyword selection errors, and shortcomings in the product's visual presentation.
The audit covers several areas that may influence the result in different ways:
- Search visibility. They check the app's ranking for relevant queries, their dynamics, and the presence of competitors.
- Text optimization. The title, subtitle, short and full description, and other indexed fields are analyzed.
- Conversion. They study how successfully the card encourages visitors to perform the target action.
- Visual design. They check the icon's recognition, the content of the screenshots, and the usefulness of the video preview.
- Reputation. They analyze the app's rating, user reviews, and recurring complaints.
- Localization. They evaluate the conformity of texts and images with the language and characteristics of a specific market.
After reviewing, you can determine which changes require immediate attention and which are best postponed until further data is available. This approach helps allocate resources between tasks with different expected impacts on metrics.
Answers to your questions
What is an ASO audit of a mobile app?
An ASO audit of a mobile app is a review of its search visibility, product page effectiveness, and factors influencing user acquisition through the App Store or Google Play. The analysis includes the semantic core, metadata, graphic assets, competitive environment, localization, ratings, and reviews.
They also examine impression, target action, and install statistics to identify possible causes for the fluctuations in results. After reviewing, they compile a report with any identified issues, recommendations, and prioritized fixes.
The audit can cover one store or both platforms simultaneously. The depth of the audit depends on the number of markets, available data, and the application's objectives.
Is it possible to conduct an ASO audit independently?
A self-guided ASO audit is possible with access to the app profile, analytics dashboards, and basic keyword research tools. The product owner can check the title, description, screenshots, reviews, key search rankings, and metric changes.
A more in-depth investigation will require additional work with semantics, ranking history, and competitive data. Some information is only available through specialized services or the developer's internal statistics.
Self-checking is especially useful at the initial stage of promotion, when obvious flaws need to be identified. Complex issues with multiple possible causes may require the assistance of an ASO specialist.
How often should you conduct an ASO audit of your app?
There's no mandatory frequency for ASO audits, as apps vary in user numbers, update frequency, and competition levels. It's best to monitor key metrics regularly to detect any significant changes promptly.
A comprehensive audit is typically planned when performance declines, before launching new markets, after a significant profile update, or before scaling up promotions. For actively developing apps, it's useful to periodically review the semantics and competitors' positions.
It's important to maintain the results of previous audits and the history of implemented changes. This helps evaluate long-term trends and avoid repeating experiments that have already yielded unsatisfactory results.
How is an ASO audit different from a website SEO audit?
An ASO audit examines a mobile app's performance within the App Store and Google Play, while a website SEO audit focuses on its visibility in web search. Both audits examine search queries, competitors, content relevance, and user behavior.
The differences are related to the structure of search engines and the available optimization elements. For a website, technical page indexing, links, URL structure, and other factors are important, while for an app, store fields, graphic materials, ratings, and installs are checked separately.
When promoting a single product through a website and app stores, the results of two audits can complement each other. However, recommendations must be prepared separately, taking into account the rules of the respective platform.
What tools are needed for ASO analytics?
For basic ASO analytics, use App Store Connect and Google Play Console, as these dashboards provide internal app data. They allow you to study available user acquisition metrics, card performance, and experiment results.
Specialized services such as ASOMobile, Asodesk, AppTweak, or Sensor Tower are used to research semantics and the competitive landscape. AppFollow solutions can also be used to analyze ratings and feedback.
It's best to choose a tool based on your specific needs and budget. For a small app, a single external ASO service along with the store's built-in analytics is often sufficient.
Does ASO audit guarantee an increase in the number of installs?
An ASO audit cannot guarantee an increase in installs, as the final result depends on demand, competition, app quality, and many other factors. The audit helps identify problems and determine which changes warrant implementation.
Even a well-founded hypothesis may not be confirmed during testing. For example, updating screenshots can improve card perception, but the actual result depends on the audience and the experimental conditions.
Therefore, after an audit, it's essential to monitor metrics, document the results of changes, and revise recommendations as new data emerges. This approach helps develop ASO based on measurements rather than subjective assumptions.
When is it necessary to conduct an ASO audit?

It's worth checking your app if you notice persistent negative changes in your statistics. This could be due to a decline in organic installs, a loss of rankings for important search queries, a decline in conversion, or the emergence of strong competitors in the selected category.
An audit is also useful when performance is stable, especially before launching a new product, entering a foreign market, or increasing the advertising budget. In these cases, an audit helps identify early any shortcomings in the profile that could limit promotional results.
Decline in organic installs and search visibility
A drop in organic traffic is often the first noticeable sign of a problem. However, a decline in installs doesn't necessarily mean an app has lost search rankings. Seasonality, changing demand, a shift in traffic sources, or a decline in conversion rates could be the cause.
It's best to begin your analysis by comparing several metrics over the same time periods. You should check ranking dynamics, visibility for keywords, number of impressions, competitor activity, and page performance.
If your app continues to rank but receives fewer clicks, you should evaluate the demand for relevant queries and changes in search results. If your app's rankings and organic traffic are declining simultaneously, you should take a closer look at the semantics and text metadata.
Low app page conversion rate
An app may receive a fair amount of views but rarely convert user interest into installs. In this situation, the problem often stems from the app's content: visitors don't see the features they need, doubt the product's quality, or don't understand its benefits.
The audit begins with an analysis of the selected store's conversion rates. The specialist then compares the app card design with competitors', assessing initial screenshots, text readability, ratings, and reviews.
For example, a user might see a budgeting app in their search results, but the screenshots primarily show profile settings. The card itself provides almost no information about spending control, even though this is precisely the feature the target audience is interested in. This discrepancy provides grounds for testing a new visual hypothesis.
Updating the app and entering new markets
After changing the app's name, card design, or functionality, it's helpful to monitor user reactions and key metrics. Updates affecting search metadata, initial screenshots, and product positioning should be analyzed especially carefully.
When entering a new market, it's essential to research local search queries, competitors, interface languages, and common ways of describing features. Direct translation of existing metadata often doesn't account for specific demand.
An audit is also conducted before scaling paid campaigns. If the card poorly explains the app's purpose, increasing ad traffic won't solve the problem. A preliminary audit will help identify which elements need to be improved before expanding advertising activity.
What data should be prepared before an ASO audit?

For a complete analysis, simply opening the app page and reading the description isn't enough. The public profile displays the product's design, but doesn't reveal any internal statistics on installs, traffic sources, or user behavior.
Before starting work, it's advisable to have access to analytics dashboards, metadata change history, and results from previous experiments. It's also important to determine the countries, language versions, app categories, and comparison periods to be tested.
It's optimal to study data for the past 30–90 days, and if there's significant seasonality, additionally compare it to the same period last year. The specific depth of analysis depends on the age of the app, traffic volume, and the availability of historical statistics.
App Store Connect and Google Play Console data
The primary sources of internal statistics are App Store Connect Analytics for Apple apps and Google Play Console for Android. Both dashboards contain metrics on user engagement with the app, but the definitions of individual metrics and report composition differ.
To start, it's worth gathering data on impressions, page views, target actions, installs, acquisition sources, countries, and languages. It's also useful to gather information on user retention, technical stability, and the results of previous experiments.
App Store Connect provides the following metrics: Impressions, Product Page Views, Total Downloads, and Conversion Rate. In Google Play Console, after the 2026 reporting update, visits, unique clicks, and CTR are used to analyze card performance.
Direct comparisons of values with the same or similar names are not allowed without verifying the methodology. Each store must use its own definitions of the indicators and separately document the calculation method.
Change history and baseline
When analyzing app dynamics, it's important to know what changes occurred to the app during the selected period. A new icon, updated description, ad launch, or new version release may coincide with changes in installs and search rankings.
It's helpful to create a timeline of events with precise dates of publications, updates, and experiments. The metrics before and after the changes are recorded side by side, maintaining the same comparison conditions.
For example, if the number of installs increased after updating screenshots, it's worth checking whether this was accompanied by the launch of an advertising campaign. Without such verification, it's easy to attribute the increase to a single change, when several factors were simultaneously influencing the results.
It's advisable to save the initial values before starting optimization. They will be needed later to test hypotheses and evaluate changes in each area.
How to Conduct an ASO Audit of an App: A Step-by-Step Guide

The verification process depends on the product's current state, but it's a good idea to start with analytics and the competitive environment. After that, you can move on to semantics, text metadata, graphic materials, reviews, and localization.
Each stage should conclude with a specific result: a discovered problem, a confirmed hypothesis, or a conclusion that there are no significant issues. For controversial cases, it's better to note the need for additional verification rather than immediately recommending a card revision.
Below is a review process that is suitable for most apps published in the App Store and Google Play. When reviewing a specific product, individual steps can be expanded based on its category and business objectives.
Step 1. Analyze the current app metrics
The first stage determines how effectively the app attracts users through the store. The specialist studies the dynamics of visibility, page visits, target actions, and installs, paying attention to changes compared to previous periods.
It's advisable to disaggregate data by country, language, device, and traffic source. General statistics can conceal opposing trends: for example, an app is growing in one market while simultaneously losing ground in another.
For initial diagnostics, it's useful to record baseline values and deviations from the previous period. If a decline is observed only in one traffic source, further testing should take into account the specifics of that acquisition channel.
Checking impressions, views, and organic installs
The analysis begins with the user's sequence of actions: discovering the app in the store, viewing its page, intent to install, and the actual download. At each stage, some of the audience may stop interacting with the app card.
The App Store uses Impressions and Product Page Views to measure discovery. However, showing an app in search results doesn't necessarily require a full page view, as users can make a decision directly from the search results.
In Google Play, you need to separately analyze your app card statistics and completed installs. Since June 2026, the key metrics in the updated app card performance reports are linked to unique Install, Open, and Pre-register clicks. Completed installs are available in other console reports.
When analyzing organic traffic, it's important to separate search traffic from advertising and other sources. Without this distinction, it's difficult to determine whether an app's ranking in store searches has actually changed.
Analysis of conversion and performance dynamics
Conversion helps evaluate how successfully an app converts user interest into a target action. For accurate analysis, it's important to understand which event is included in the numerator of the metric and what is used as the basis for comparison.
According to Apple documentation, Conversion Rate is calculated based on the total number of downloads and pre-orders relative to unique app impressions. Therefore, this metric cannot be automatically equated to the ratio of installs to full page views.
In the updated Google Play reporting, Click-through Rate—the percentage of card visitors who clicked Install, Open, or Pre-register—is used. This metric replaces the previous Conversion Rate metric in card performance reports.
To assess changes, comparable periods are compared and traffic sources are taken into account. Differences in performance between countries or advertising campaigns are not always related to the quality of the page design.
Lead SEO specialist — Gennady
I recommend starting an ASO audit with a statistics analysis and then moving on to changing the title, description, or screenshots. When an app is losing installs, you first need to determine at what stage the problem occurs.
If search rankings are maintained but page performance is declining, I check the page's visuals, rankings, and how well it meets user expectations. When visibility for important queries drops, attention shifts to semantics, metadata, and competitor activity.
For each recommendation, I try to identify a metric by which to evaluate the result. Without baseline data, it's difficult to understand which change actually helped the app.
Step 2: Analyze Competitors and Search Visibility

Competitive analysis helps you understand which apps your product competes with in search results and what feature presentation methods other developers use. For comparison, it's advisable to select several apps with a similar audience and purpose.
Direct competitors aren't always the same as the largest products in the category. A small personal expense tracking app may compete with banking services, financial planners, and specialized calculators for specific search queries.
When researching competitors, they compare search positions, titles, keywords, descriptions, visuals, and user ratings. Particular attention is paid to apps that consistently rank higher than the product being tested for prioritized search queries.
Checking indexing and positions for key queries
Indexing means that the store takes your app into account when processing certain search queries. However, being listed in search results doesn't guarantee a prominent position or significant traffic.
During the check, the app's search queries, current rankings, and changes over a selected period are determined. Keyword Ranking is used in specialized ASO services, taking into account the country, language, and store.
It's helpful to categorize queries into groups: high-priority, additional, and irrelevant. If an app ranks well for keywords that poorly match its functionality, such visibility may generate little or no targeted users.
When analyzing search visibility, it's important to consider demand dynamics and search results. The same query can yield different results depending on the country, device, and competitive situation.
Collection and evaluation of the semantic core
The semantic core includes search queries used by potential users to search for an app or solve a related problem. It is formed taking into account the product's features, audience, competitive environment, and the specific store.
For each query, it's a good idea to evaluate its relevance, search volume, competition level, and current app ranking. Search demand metrics obtained from third-party services are often estimates and may differ from the actual number of searches.
After collecting queries, they are clustered, combining similar phrases based on user intent. For example, an expense tracking app might be searched for using queries about home budgeting, financial planning, and purchase tracking.
Branded searches should be analyzed separately from non-branded ones. High visibility by app name doesn't necessarily indicate how successful it is in attracting users who haven't previously encountered the brand.
Step 3. Audit text metadata

Text metadata helps users and store algorithms understand the app's purpose. It is checked for available fields, technical limitations, relevant queries, and the description's consistency with the product's actual capabilities.
The App Store and Google Play have different product listing structures and search indexing mechanisms. Therefore, the same description should not be automatically used on both platforms without separate evaluation.
Particular attention is paid to the title and short text elements that the user sees before the full description. They should quickly explain the app's main function and avoid repetition that interferes with comprehension.
Checking App Store text fields
In the App Store, the App Name is considered one of the key elements of search engine optimization. The name should be recognizable, relevant to the product, and, if possible, contain a relevant description of its purpose.
The subtitle complements the title and helps further highlight the app's features or benefits. The Keywords field is designed for search words and phrases that users can enter when searching for similar products.
When checking, please take into account the field restrictions set by Apple:
| App Store field | Limitation | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| App Name | Up to 30 characters | Name, relevance, recognition |
| Subtitle | Up to 30 characters | Main function and additional keywords |
| Keywords | Up to 100 bytes | Relevance, repetitions, forbidden words |
| Description | Up to 4000 characters | Features, benefits, and clarity of description |
| Promotional Text | Up to 170 characters | Relevance of the message to the user |
In the Keywords field, it's especially important to consider the distinction between characters and bytes. For some languages, the number of available characters may be less than 100, so the actual length should be verified in App Store Connect.
The description thoroughly explains the app's features, but don't expect to improve your app's ranking by repeating keywords in this field. Promotional Text is also not used by Apple for search rankings, although it does help communicate current features and offers.
Checking Google Play text fields
On Google Play, the main text elements of an app card are the app title, short description, and full description. Each serves a specific purpose, so during an audit, the content of each field should be assessed separately.
The app name should clearly identify the product. The short description briefly explains its purpose, and the full description helps the user learn more about the app's features and capabilities.
The current Google Play restrictions are listed below:
| Google Play field | Limitation | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| App Name | Up to 30 characters | Relevance to name and functions |
| Short Description | Up to 80 characters | Clarity and main advantage |
| Full Description | Up to 4000 characters | Content, structure and naturalness of semantics |
When analyzing the full description, check for relevant queries, ensure the text is logical, and ensure the stated features match the app's capabilities. Avoid artificially repeating identical keywords and making unsubstantiated advertising promises.
It's also helpful to check the metadata guidelines, as Google restricts the use of misleading claims, third-party brands, and certain advertising language. The current requirements are published in Google Play Console Help.
Step 4. Graphic Optimization Audit

Visuals often play a decisive role in user engagement with an app. An icon helps users spot the product in search results, while screenshots showcase the interface, features, and benefits even before installation.
During the audit, they check how quickly a user can understand the app's purpose from its card. If this requires a lengthy reading of the description or independent analysis of images, the visual presentation requires further evaluation.
The display characteristics of materials on mobile devices should be taken into account separately. Elements that look great on a large screen may become less legible when viewed in a smaller version of search results.
Analysis of the icon, screenshots, and video preview
Icon testing begins with assessing recognition, contrast, and relevance to the app's theme. Too many small details can detract from the experience, especially when the image is displayed next to several competitors.
Initial screenshots should demonstrate the product's most useful features and answer key user questions. It's best to show actual app screens, accompanied by short, clear explanations.
If necessary, use an app preview to demonstrate the sequence of actions or interface features. The video should meet the specific store's requirements and showcase the app's actual capabilities.
For Google Play, they also check the feature graphic used in specific app display scenarios. They also evaluate image localization, the interface's relevance, and the absence of promises that aren't supported by functionality.
Testing hypotheses with A/B testing
When visuals raise doubts, it's helpful to compare several options in a controlled experiment. For example, you could test which first screenshot best explains the app's core function and leads users to the desired action more often.
The App Store offers Product Page Optimization for experimenting with graphic design. Google Play uses Store Listing Experiments, which allows you to test specific design variations and text elements for your card.
Before launching, it's necessary to define the hypothesis, outcome measure, and experimental conditions. If you change several elements simultaneously, interpreting the impact of each will be significantly more difficult.
The results should be evaluated taking into account the size of the observations, confidence intervals, and audience characteristics. If statistical data are insufficient, it is better to continue the experiment or declare the result indeterminate than to choose an option based on random fluctuations.
Step 5. Analyze ratings and user reviews
Ratings and reviews influence how an app is perceived and can reveal issues that are difficult to detect by analyzing a single card. Low ratings are often associated with technical errors, complex registration, unclear subscription terms, or a lack of expected features.
During an audit, the average rating and its dynamics are examined, as well as the number of new reviews and the frequency of recurring complaints. It's especially useful to examine reviews after major updates, when users may report new issues.
Not only negative ratings but also positive ones provide important information. They can be used to identify the features that users find most useful and compare these benefits with the current messages in screenshots and descriptions.
Feedback management should be included in a regular monitoring plan. The team should respond to meaningful feedback, forward technical comments to developers, and check whether the number of repeat complaints has decreased after fixes.
Artificially inflating ratings and encouraging false reviews creates additional risks for a product. Reputation metrics should be based on real user experiences.
Step 6. Checking the app's localization
Localization involves adapting an app's product page to the specific needs of a specific country and language audience. Even a high-quality translation may contain phrases that local users rarely use when searching.
Therefore, it's advisable to separately collect semantics for each market, study competitors, and check the relevance of names, descriptions, and graphics. For example, financial terms and common ways of describing functions can vary significantly between countries.
Visual localization includes checking screenshot text, currencies, date formats, and app usage examples. If a user opens a card in their native language and the images contain inappropriate captions, this can reduce trust in the product.
After implementing localization, it's important to analyze metrics separately by country and language. Overall growth in installs doesn't guarantee that all new locales are performing equally well.
Step 7: Checking factors not directly related to metadata
App issues can affect how the app is perceived even when its store page is well prepared. Frequent crashes, inconvenient registration, slow performance, or inconsistencies between advertised features and actual product performance can lead to negative reviews and reduced user satisfaction.
During the audit, it's useful to additionally examine crash rates, stability indicators, and retention rates. This data helps assess whether users remain interested in the app after installation and whether there are any technical reasons for its deteriorating reputation.
The user experience within the product should also be considered. If an app promises quick task completion but requires complex registration to access the core functionality, the problem may lie outside the scope of ASO.
It's advisable to separate any issues identified into marketing, design, and development tasks. This separation helps identify those responsible and avoid attempting to resolve product limitations solely by changing the store's product page.
ASO analytics: which tools to use for auditing?

ASO analytics encompasses the collection and analysis of data on an app's search visibility, its competitive landscape, and user interactions with its store page. Integrated store dashboards and specialized monitoring services are used for diagnostics.
The choice of tools depends on the problem being investigated. Some systems provide actual statistics from the app owner, while others help study search rankings, keywords, and competitor activity.
If the primary concern is declining installs, it's best to start with the store's internal statistics. Advanced analysis of semantics and competitor search results usually requires an additional ASO service.
Built-in analytics for the App Store and Google Play
App Store Connect Analytics provides insights into app discovery, downloads, acquisition sources, and user engagement. The Acquisition section lets you explore traffic sources, while other reports cover retention, revenue, and experiment results.
The Google Play Console provides data on app card performance, user acquisition, experiments, and app health. Reports allow you to analyze metrics by country, language, traffic source, and other available dimensions.
Following the Google Play reporting changes in 2026, it is necessary to distinguish between unique clicks on app card buttons and actual installs. To analyze completed downloads, use the corresponding user acquisition reports rather than replacing them with CTR metrics.
Built-in tools are usually sufficient to detect a general problem and identify affected markets. However, for detailed research into competitors' search queries and their ranking history, specialized solutions are useful.
Third-party ASO analytics services
Specialized ASO services help track keyword rankings, analyze competitors, collect queries, and monitor metadata changes. Some systems offer tools for managing reviews, evaluating search demand, and comparing apps.
Well-known solutions include ASOMobile, Asodesk, AppTweak, Sensor Tower, and AppFollow. Their functionality varies, so it's a good idea to check the available countries, stores, reports, and limitations of your chosen plan before connecting.
| Service | Main direction of use |
|---|---|
| ASOMobile | Semantics, search rankings, and metadata analysis |
| Asodesk | Keywords, competitive analysis, and review management |
| AppTweak | Market research, semantics and search visibility |
| Sensor Tower | Market analysis, competitors and trend assessment |
| AppFollow | Analysis of reviews, ratings, and user feedback |
Data from third-party services should be interpreted taking into account the methodology used to calculate them. For example, estimated keyword volume or a competitor's estimated number of installs are not equivalent to the developer's internal statistics.
For a small app, a combination of the store console and one additional tool is often sufficient. Connecting multiple services makes sense when they address different analytical needs and truly support decision making.
How to choose metrics to evaluate ASO effectiveness?
The set of metrics depends on the promotion goals and the issues identified. If the app is losing rankings, visibility, search relevance, and ranking dynamics become priorities. When users find the card but rarely complete the desired action, the focus shifts to conversion and page design.
To assess the quality of the acquired audience, installs, retention, and user engagement with the product are additionally studied. These metrics help understand how well the new audience fits the app's purpose.
| Indicator | What does it show? | Possible reason for the change |
|---|---|---|
| Search Visibility | Presence in search results | Changing the position or coverage of queries |
| Keyword Ranking | App position for a query | Competition, metadata, algorithms |
| Search Volume | Search demand assessment | Seasonality or change in interest |
| Product Page Views | App Store Page Views | Changing traffic sources and volumes |
| Conversion Rate | Conversion according to Apple's methodology | Card design, audience, demand |
| CTR on Google Play | The share of visitors with a targeted click | Visuals, description, user expectations |
| Organic Installs | Installations from organic sources | Changes in demand, visibility, or conversion |
| Retention Rate | User retention | Product quality and meeting expectations |
It's best to consider these metrics together, as individual changes can have multiple explanations. For example, an increase in search visibility alongside a decrease in conversions could indicate that the app is showing up for less relevant searches.
For monitoring purposes, it's convenient to maintain a table with the change date, initial value, suspected cause, and remeasurement results. This format helps preserve the optimization history and avoid returning to previously tested hypotheses without justification.
What errors does an ASO audit most often detect?

Some errors are immediately noticeable when viewing the card, while others only become apparent after analyzing the statistics. For example, outdated screenshots can be detected visually, while a loss of rankings for important queries can only be detected with search monitoring data.
In practice, several shortcomings may be present simultaneously. The app uses overly general keywords, poorly explains its functions, and fails to take into account the specifics of local markets. Therefore, it's advisable to group comments by area and assess their impact separately.
| Error | How to detect | What to check or change |
|---|---|---|
| Irrelevant keywords | Compare semantics with product features | Review priority queries |
| Loss of search rankings | Study the Keyword Ranking history | Check competitors and metadata changes |
| Weak short description | Rate the first text elements of the card | Clarify the main offer to the user |
| Bad icon | Compare with competitors and test results | Prepare options for testing |
| The first screenshots are unclear | Assess the visibility of key features | Change the order and captions |
| Outdated localization | Compare texts with local queries | Adapt semantics and images |
| Rating decline | Explore new reviews and rating dynamics | Identify recurring product problems |
| Lack of analytics | Check report availability and change history | Set up performance monitoring |
| The card does not match the product | Compare the described functions with a real application | Clarify texts and correct restrictions |
Not all detected errors require immediate correction. If the card meets the store's requirements, and the suspected defects are not supported by data, it's prudent to conduct additional verification first.
Changes that affect multiple elements simultaneously should be approached with particular caution. Massive changes to metadata, graphics, and localization complicate subsequent analysis, as it becomes difficult to determine the source of a positive or negative result.
What should be included in the final ASO audit report?
The report should show the current state of the application, any issues detected, and a sequence of recommended actions. For each task, it's advisable to indicate the specific card element, supporting data, and the expected direction of change.
It's convenient to divide the document into several sections: initial statistics, search visibility, competitive analysis, semantics, text and visual optimization, reviews, localization, and the final work plan.
If the detected issue requires further investigation, this should also be noted. For example, low conversion rates may be due to poor screenshots, but without testing, it's impossible to confidently say that replacing them will improve the results.
Issue map and fix priorities

After reviewing, it's advisable to compile all comments into a single table. For each issue, record the source of the data, potential consequences, difficulty of correction, and estimated priority.
First, they examine violations of store requirements, critical display errors, and issues confirmed by a significant deterioration in performance. Next, they move on to hypotheses requiring testing or additional material preparation.
To determine the priority, one can consider the potential impact, confidence in the hypothesis, and the amount of resources required for implementation. This approach is more convenient than a universal list, where all comments are given equal importance.
For example, the lack of localized screenshots in an app's primary market may be prioritized over a minor stylistic inaccuracy in a lengthy description. However, the final decision should be made after evaluating the actual data.
Plan for implementing recommendations and monitoring results
After identifying priorities, a work plan is created with responsibilities, deadlines, and verification criteria. Each task should contain a clear description of the change and a metric that will be used to evaluate the outcome.
Let's assume the app maintains search visibility, but the card conversion rate is declining. In this case, you could test the hypothesis that the initial screenshots aren't informative enough, prepare a new image sequence, and run the experiment.
Example of sequence of actions:
- Record baseline data. Save conversion values, traffic sources, and comparison conditions.
- Formulate a hypothesis. Suggest that the first images do not show the key features clearly enough.
- Prepare a change. Create alternative screenshots without distorting the application's capabilities.
- Conduct testing. Use the available store tool and wait for sufficient data.
- Evaluate the result. Compare options taking into account confidence intervals and other factors.
If the experiment fails to confirm improvement, the change should not be implemented simply because the new option appears more attractive. The test results are saved in the optimization history so they can be taken into account in future tests.
Self-Guided ASO Audit Checklist

It's convenient to conduct independent audits using a pre-prepared checklist. This helps you consistently review the main ASO areas and avoid missing issues that may lie outside the scope of text metadata.
For each item, it's recommended to use one of three statuses: “Verified”, “Requires Attention”, or “No Data”. The latter status is especially important, as the lack of analytics doesn't mean the corresponding metric is normal.
ASO app audit checklist:
- Search visibility was verified. The app's rankings for key queries in target countries were analyzed.
- Traffic sources were analyzed. Organic search was separated from advertising and other acquisition channels.
- The card's effectiveness was assessed. Current conversion rates or CTR for the relevant store were verified.
- A semantic core has been compiled. Key queries correspond to the actual functions of the app.
- Text metadata has been verified. The title, description, and other fields comply with the platform's requirements.
- The app icon was evaluated. The image is recognizable and easy to read at a small size.
- Screenshots have been verified. The first images show the product's most important features.
- Additional visual materials have been verified. Videos and graphic elements are up-to-date and display correctly.
- Ratings and reviews were analyzed. Recurring comments and changes in user ratings were identified.
- Localization has been verified. Texts and images correspond to the language and specifics of the target markets.
- Key competitors were studied. Their positions, metadata, and product presentation methods were compared.
- A change history has been compiled. Card updates, releases, and important promotional events are recorded.
- ASO analytics has been verified. Access to the necessary reports is available, and the methodology for key metrics is clear.
- Fix priorities have been determined. For each significant issue, a recommendation has been prepared and a responsible person has been assigned.
- A follow-up audit is planned. The metrics and conditions for assessment after the changes are specified.
After completing the checklist, you should separately note any comments that could actually impact the app's performance. For example, the lack of a video preview doesn't in itself indicate a serious problem if the other elements of the card clearly explain the product's purpose.
Particular attention should be paid to items with the “No Data” status. In such cases, you should first access the relevant reports or set up a measurement before making optimization decisions.
How long does a full ASO audit take?
The audit duration depends on the number of apps, stores, language versions, and target countries. Reviewing a single app with a limited set of queries typically requires fewer resources than researching multiple markets with competitor analysis and historical data.
Additional time may be required to access analytics, collect semantics, verify localizations, and prepare the report. If the statistics are incomplete, some recommendations will have to be formulated as hypotheses for subsequent testing.
Before beginning work, it's helpful to agree on the scope of the audit and the expected outcome. This will help determine which areas will be examined in detail and which will simply be checked for obvious issues.
An ASO audit helps determine why an app is losing search visibility, receiving insufficient organic installs, or showing poor app store performance. A comprehensive analysis requires a thorough review of analytics, competitors, semantics, metadata, graphics, reviews, and localization.
You can start with a self-assessment using the checklist, and then move on to a detailed analysis of problem areas. It's a good idea to formulate the results into an action plan with priorities, responsibilities, and review criteria.
If your app requires a professional ASO audit, contact Seo-Gen. We'll analyze available App Store and Google Play metrics, check search visibility and product page design, identify potential causes of issues, and prepare recommendations for further optimization.






