The short answer
ASO for games means two jobs: being found in store search and browse, and converting the people who land on your page. On the App Store, search ranking comes mainly from the 30-character name, 30-character subtitle and a hidden 100-byte keyword field; on Google Play, from the 30-character title, 80-character short description and the 4,000-character full description. Conversion comes from the icon, screenshots and video, which both stores now let you test and tailor with custom pages. Treat ASO as ongoing work, updated with every content release, not a one-time setup.
Text: what each store reads
| Field | App Store | Google Play |
|---|---|---|
| Name / title | 30 characters, indexed | 30 characters, indexed |
| Subtitle / short description | Subtitle, 30 characters, indexed | Short description, 80 characters, indexed |
| Keywords | Hidden field, 100 bytes, indexed | No keyword field |
| Description | Not used for search ranking | 4,000 characters, indexed |
On the App Store, do not repeat words across the name, subtitle and keyword field; separate keywords with commas. On Google Play, write a natural description that uses the phrases players search for. Google's guidance warns against repeating keywords, listing unrelated terms, emojis in titles and claims such as "#1" or "best".
Pick keywords players actually use: genre terms ("merge puzzle", "idle tycoon"), mechanics, themes and the names players use for similar games, without using other games' trademarks in your metadata.
Visuals: where installs are won
- Icon: readable at small size, one strong idea, distinct from competitors in search results.
- First screenshots: most visitors never scroll. Show real gameplay and the core fantasy in the first two or three, with short captions.
- Preview video: real gameplay in the first seconds. Store and advertising rules expect ads and store assets to reflect the actual game.
- Portrait or landscape to match how the game is played.
Test and tailor: the 2026 toolkit
App Store
- Product page optimisation tests up to three alternative versions of your icon, screenshots and previews against the original, for up to 90 days.
- Custom product pages: up to 70 extra versions of your page, each with its own screenshots, promotional text and previews. They can be assigned keywords so they appear in matching searches, linked from ads, and given deep links on iOS 18 and later. Apple reports that developers see higher conversion on average when sending people to a custom product page.
Google Play
- Store listing experiments test up to two variants of your icon, feature graphic, screenshots and descriptions against the current listing.
- Custom store listings: up to 50 versions targeted by country, search keywords, unique URLs, Google Ads campaigns or user states such as pre-registration.
Use these together with paid campaigns: a custom page per audience or creative theme lets an ad's promise continue onto the store page. Our guide to playable ads covers the ad side.
Events and updates keep the page fresh
Apple's in-app events appear on your product page, in search and in editorial selections. You can publish up to 10 at a time, each lasting up to 31 days and promoted up to 14 days before it starts, with an event name of up to 30 characters. Google Play's promotional content in Play Console serves a similar purpose for events, offers and major updates. Games with regular LiveOps should plan store events alongside in-game events.
Ratings, reviews and localisation
- Ratings affect both conversion and ranking. Ask at happy moments, such as after a win, using the stores' official in-app review prompts, and never offer rewards for ratings, which store rules prohibit.
- Reply to reviews, especially about bugs, and say when they are fixed.
- Localise metadata and screenshots for your biggest markets, not just the game text; each language is a separate search audience.
An ASO routine
- Research keywords for your genre and pick a primary phrase per market.
- Write store text to the limits above.
- Design the icon and first three screenshots, then test them.
- Create custom pages for your main audiences and campaigns.
- Plan store events with each content update.
- Review search terms, conversion and reviews monthly, and iterate.
ASO works best alongside a good launch plan; see our soft launch guide and how to publish on Google Play. Our mobile game development service includes App Store Optimization in the Launch package.
Sources: Apple: custom product pages · Apple: product page optimisation · Apple: in-app events · Google Play: store listing best practices · Google Play: store listing experiments · Google Play: custom store listings. Checked October 14, 2026.
Related: Mobile game development · Publishing on Google Play · Soft launch guide
Originally published on A Plus Games Studio, a game, AR and VR development studio in Sacramento, CA.
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