Joseph Anady

Posted on May 24 • Originally published at thatdevpro.com

App Store Optimization (ASO)

#mobile #aso #seo #ios

Originally published at thatdevpro.com. This framework reference is part of the 14-tier Engine Optimization stack from ThatDevPro, an SDVOSB-certified veteran-owned web + AI engineering studio. You are reading the dev.to mirror; the source-of-truth canonical version with embedded validation tools lives at the link above.

App Store Connect and Google Play Console Ranking Signals, Visual Asset CRO, Reviews and Ratings Velocity, the SEO Plus ASO Coordination Layer, App Pack Inclusion, and Apple Intelligence App Discovery

A comprehensive installation and audit reference for App Store Optimization. ASO is the parallel discipline to SEO that governs how mobile apps are discovered inside Apple App Store and Google Play. It is its own surface (in-store search and browse, editorial features, store-level personalization) and it overlaps with SEO at the web layer (the marketing page that promotes the app, App Pack inclusion in Google SERPs, Apple Spotlight indexing, Siri Suggestions, deep-link infrastructure tying web URLs to in-app destinations). Dual purpose: installation manual and audit document.

Cross-stack implementation note: ASO has a stack-agnostic web layer (the marketing page, deep-link config files, schema, App Pack signaling) and an app-specific layer (App Store Connect, Play Console, in-app review APIs, on-device indexing). Web layer code samples are plain HTML for clarity. For React, Vue, Svelte, Next.js, Nuxt, SvelteKit, Astro, Hugo, 11ty, Remix, WordPress, Shopify, and Webflow equivalents see framework-cross-stack-implementation.md. For pure CSR SPAs see framework-react.md. For Tailwind concerns see framework-tailwind.md. The app-specific layer lives inside the developer consoles and is platform-bound regardless of web stack.

1. Document Purpose

1.1 What ASO Is and Why This Framework Exists

App Store Optimization ranks apps inside Apple App Store and Google Play, plus the coordination layer between web SEO and in-store discovery. ASO matters for any client shipping a mobile app and for any web property wanting App Pack inclusion in Google SERPs or Apple Intelligence visibility in Spotlight and Siri Suggestions.

App Pack is a SERP feature (Search Engine Land, 2016 to present). Apple began AI extraction of screenshot caption text in June 2025, treating captions as ranking metadata (Appfigures, "The Biggest App Store Algorithm Change is Here", June 2025; confirmed at WWDC 25 as AI extraction, not classical OCR). Apple Intelligence app discovery surfaces (Spotlight, Siri Suggestions, AI-tagged App Store browse) launched into beta in iOS 26 (TechCrunch, June 2025).

1.2 Document Scope

Covers: store ranking signals on both platforms, keyword research, visual asset CRO, reviews and ratings, the web marketing page, deep-link infrastructure, schema for SoftwareApplication/MobileApplication, App Pack, Apple Intelligence app discovery, Core Spotlight indexing, common rejection patterns, audit rubrics. Touches but does not exhaust: in-app monetization, paid acquisition spend, attribution platform setup, SDK integration.

1.3 Three Operating Modes

Mode A. Install. Building ASO from scratch. Sections 2 to 14 in order.
Mode B. Audit. Evaluating existing posture. Skip to Section 13.
Mode C. Hybrid. Audit, then install for failing items.

1.4 How Claude Code CLI Should Consume This Document

Read Section 2 (client variables).
Read Section 3 (SEO vs ASO parallels).
Apply Sections 4 to 7 (in-store).
Apply Sections 8 to 11 (web plus Apple Intelligence).
Validate against Section 13.
Generate report via Section 14.

1.5 Conflict Resolution Rules

Conflict	Rule
Listing with metadata errors	Audit and correct. Never delete-and-recreate; loses ranking history.
Multiple listings for same app	Submit duplicate removal through respective console.
Thin marketing page	Enrich to Section 8 standard. Do not noindex unless placeholder.
Rejection in progress	Pause ASO; resolve rejection first.
Client requests review incentivization	Refuse. Apple Guideline 1.1.7 and Google Play policy prohibit; app removal risk.

1.6 Required Tools

App Store Connect, Google Play Console. Native consoles.
Apple Search Ads (searchads.apple.com). Apple's own keyword popularity data; free account.
AppTweak, Sensor Tower, data.ai, AppFigures, Mobile Action. Paid third-party ASO intelligence.
SplitMetrics, Storemaven. Pre-launch A/B testing outside the platforms.
AppFollow, App Radar. Review management and ASO tracking.
curl plus jq. Validating apple-app-site-association and assetlinks.json at .well-known.

2. Client Variables Intake

# --- App Identity (REQUIRED) ---
app_name: ""                              # canonical app name as displayed in stores
developer_account_name: ""                # Apple team name / Google Play developer name
bundle_id_ios: ""                         # com.example.app
package_name_android: ""
app_store_id_ios: 0                       # numeric ID from App Store URL
play_store_url: ""

# --- Platforms ---
platforms:
  ios: false
  android: false
  ipados: false
  mac_catalyst: false
  vision_os: false
  android_tablets: false
  android_tv: false
  wear_os: false

# --- Distribution Status ---
ios_status: ""                            # live | in_review | rejected | unpublished | not_submitted
android_status: ""                        # live | internal_testing | closed_testing | open_testing | unpublished
launch_date_ios: ""                       # YYYY-MM-DD
launch_date_android: ""

# --- Current Performance ---
downloads_ios_total: 0
downloads_android_total: 0
downloads_last_30d_ios: 0
downloads_last_30d_android: 0
mau_ios: 0
mau_android: 0
rating_ios: 0.0
rating_android: 0.0
review_count_ios: 0
review_count_android: 0
review_count_last_30d_ios: 0
review_count_last_30d_android: 0
crash_rate_ios: 0.0                       # Xcode Organizer
crash_rate_android: 0.0                   # Android Vitals
anr_rate_android: 0.0

# --- Category and Competition ---
primary_category_ios: ""
secondary_category_ios: ""
primary_category_android: ""
top_competitors: []

# --- Current ASO State ---
title_ios: ""                             # max 30
subtitle_ios: ""                          # max 30
keyword_field_ios: ""                     # 100
promotional_text_ios: ""                  # max 170
description_ios: ""                       # max 4000
title_android: ""                         # max 30
short_description_android: ""             # max 80
long_description_android: ""              # max 4000
screenshot_count_ios: 0
screenshot_count_android: 0
preview_video_ios: false
preview_video_android: false
custom_product_pages_ios: 0               # CPP
custom_store_listings_android: 0          # CSL
ppo_tests_ios: 0
sle_tests_android: 0

# --- Web Coordination Layer ---
marketing_page_url: ""
universal_links_configured: false         # apple-app-site-association at .well-known
android_app_links_configured: false       # assetlinks.json at .well-known
smart_app_banner_present: false           # iOS Safari meta tag
applinks_meta_present: false
softwareapplication_schema_present: false
app_pack_visibility: ""                   # yes | no | intermittent | unknown
spotlight_indexing_implemented: false
nsuseractivity_implemented: false

# --- Localization ---
primary_languages_ios: []
primary_languages_android: []
cross_localization_enabled: false         # English (US) plus Spanish (MX) stack etc.

# --- Goals ---
primary_goal: ""                          # increase_organic_installs | improve_cvr | expand_keywords | recover_rating | win_app_pack | launch_new
target_keywords_brief: ""

Platforms block determines which sections apply.

3. What ASO Is and How It Parallels SEO

3.1 The Parallel

ASO is SEO inside the app stores. A ranking algorithm scores entities (apps) against queries and returns a ranked list. Both disciplines share a vocabulary (keyword research, metadata, conversion optimization, reviews as trust signals, branded vs unbranded search, head vs long tail). A practitioner who knows SEO can pick up ASO quickly.

3.2 The Differences

Platform algorithms, not Google's web algorithm. App Store ranking is Apple's. Google Play ranking is Google's Play algorithm (different from Google's web algorithm). SEO signals (backlinks, E-E-A-T) do not directly affect in-store ranking, though they affect the web layer that promotes the app.

Indexed fields are explicit and tight. App Store indexes title, subtitle, the 100-char keyword field, AI-extracted screenshot text (since June 2025), and AI-generated tags. Google Play indexes title, short description, long description, category, tags. The web indexes everything rendered; stores index a small surface.

Conversion rate is a first-class ranking input. Both stores use product-page-view-to-install ratio (AppTweak 2025 ASO Trends and Benchmarks; Storemaven 26 to 33 percent median benchmark). SEO uses CTR as a much softer signal.

Reviews and ratings carry more weight. Star average, velocity, recency are explicit ranking inputs. A 0.3 star delta lifts conversion 22 to 28% in Finance and Health (Sensor Tower 2025).

Marketing page on the web is its own surface. App Pack is a Google SERP feature. Apple Spotlight, Siri Suggestions, and Apple Intelligence are device-side surfaces. In-store ASO and web SEO cooperate.

3.3 Overlap with the Four Pillars

The four pillars (SEO, AEO, AIO, GEO) apply to the web marketing page. Schema (SoftwareApplication, MobileApplication) feeds entity extraction. See framework-aicitations.md, framework-aioverviews.md, framework-eeat.md. In-store ASO is a sibling discipline, not one of the four pillars. Section 13 audits the two layers separately.

4. App Store Ranking Signals

4.1 Apple App Store Ranking Signals (2025-2026)

apple_app_store_ranking_signals:

  title:
    weight: "highest"
    max_chars: 30
    rule: "Brand plus 1 to 3 high-intent keywords. Strongest indexed field."
    source: "Search Engine Land 2022; AppTweak 2025 benchmark."

  subtitle:
    weight: "very_high"
    max_chars: 30
    rule: "Distinct keywords from title; weight roughly equal to the hidden keyword field."

  keyword_field:
    weight: "high"
    max_chars: 100
    rule: "Comma-separated, no spaces, no title/subtitle repeats, singular only."
    visibility: "Hidden from users."

  screenshot_text:
    weight: "high"
    method: "AI extraction (confirmed at WWDC 25; not classical OCR)"
    rule: "Caption text treated as keyword metadata; top and bottom regions weighted most."
    launched: "June 2025"
    source: "Appfigures, 'The Biggest App Store Algorithm Change is Here', June 2025."

  ai_generated_tags:
    weight: "emerging"
    status: "Beta iOS 26 as of WWDC 2025; not yet on public App Store"
    method: "LLM analyzes metadata, description, category, screenshots; tappable chips"
    developer_control: "Cannot add manually; can remove irrelevant ones in App Store Connect"
    source: "TechCrunch, June 2025."

  download_velocity:
    weight: "high"
    rule: "Recent velocity (last 7 to 30 days) outweighs total all-time downloads."

  conversion_rate:
    weight: "high"
    rule: "Product page views to installs. AppTweak 2025: 33.4% iOS median."

  retention:
    weight: "high_and_growing"
    note: "Post-install retention is a quality signal (AppScreenshotStudio 2026 ranking guide)."

  ratings_and_reviews:
    weight: "high"
    factors: ["Star rating", "Velocity", "Recency", "Helpful-vote weighting"]
    note: "Sensor Tower 2025: 4.3 to 4.6 lift increases conversion 22 to 28% in Finance and Health."

  category:
    weight: "medium"
    rule: "Drives Browse tab and category charts."

  in_app_purchase_names:
    weight: "low"
    rule: "IAP names indexed; can include keywords."

  developer_name:
    weight: "low_to_medium"

  description:
    weight: "negligible_for_search"
    note: "NOT indexed on iOS. Conversion only. Google Play DOES index its long description."

4.2 Google Play Store Ranking Signals (2025-2026)

google_play_store_ranking_signals:

  app_title: {weight: "highest", max_chars: 30}

  short_description:
    weight: "high"
    max_chars: 80
    note: "Indexed for search; visible. Google auto-localizes (AppTweak 2025: 88% apps / 94% games)."

  long_description:
    weight: "medium_to_high"
    max_chars: 4000
    rule: "Indexed; repeat each primary keyword 2 to 3 times naturally."

  install_count_and_velocity: {weight: "high"}

  ratings_and_reviews:
    weight: "high"
    factors: ["Star rating", "Velocity", "Recency", "Sentiment analysis on review text (Play Console)"]

  uninstalls:
    weight: "negative"
    rule: "High uninstall rate suppresses ranking."

  retention: {weight: "high", source: "30-day retention exposed in Play Console"}

  android_vitals:
    weight: "medium_to_high"
    thresholds:
      crash_rate: "under 1.09% (Play Store Bad Behavior threshold)"
      anr_rate: "under 0.47%"
    additional: ["Slow rendering", "Slow start", "Excessive wakeups", "Stuck wake locks"]
    source: "Android Vitals dashboard in Play Console."

  tags: {weight: "medium", rule: "Controlled vocabulary; up to 5 per app"}

  content_rating: {weight: "low", note: "Higher ratings limit reach; filter, not direct ranking signal"}

  developer_account_trust: {weight: "medium"}

4.3 Cross-Platform Differences

Signal	Apple App Store	Google Play
Title	30 chars	30 chars
Subtitle	30 chars	n/a
Short description	n/a	80 chars
Long description indexed for search	No	Yes
Hidden keyword field	100 chars	n/a
Screenshots OCR-indexed	Since June 2025	Less evidence
Screenshots count	Up to 10 / device size	Up to 8
Preview/promo video	Up to 3, 30 sec, autoplay muted	1 (YouTube-hosted)
Native A/B testing	PPO	SLEs
Alternate listings	CPPs (up to 70, since Oct 2025)	CSLs (up to 50)
Crash rate dashboard	Xcode Organizer	Android Vitals

5. Keyword Research for ASO

5.1 Principles

Three differences from web keyword research. Universe is smaller (fewer in-store searches). Intent is narrower (almost every in-store search is install intent). Data sources are platform-specific (Apple Search Ads, Google Play Console; third-party tools approximate).

5.2 Sources by Platform

keyword_research_sources:

  apple_app_store:
    apple_search_ads:
      url: "searchads.apple.com"
      data: "Search Popularity score (1 to 100, Apple internal)"
      access: "Free"
      caveat: "October 2025 update dropped the number of US App Store keywords with popularity above 5 by 77% (aso.dev analysis). Cross-reference with third-party data."
    apple_search_term_rank_report:
      status: "Insights section of Apple Search Ads, beta as of October 2025"
      data: "Monthly report; how search terms rank within genres and countries."
    third_party: ["AppTweak", "Sensor Tower", "AppFigures", "Mobile Action"]

  google_play_store:
    play_console_search_term_acquisition:
      path: "Acquire reports > Search term acquisition"
      data: "Real acquisition performance by search term for your own app"
    google_keyword_planner:
      note: "Web search volume; correlated to Play Store volume for high-intent terms"
    play_store_autocomplete:
      method: "Type seed term in Play Store search; record suggestions"
    third_party: ["AppTweak", "Sensor Tower", "AppFigures", "Mobile Action", "ASOdesk"]

5.3 Selection Heuristics

aso_keyword_heuristics:
  brand_terms: "Exact brand in title; brand searches convert at 50%+ install rate."
  high_intent_unbranded: "Subtitle (iOS) and short description (Android) hold 2 to 4 high-intent unbranded terms."
  long_tail_keyword_field: "iOS 100-char field holds long-tail combinations that do not fit in title or subtitle."

  cross_localization_ios:
    pattern: "Apple indexes keywords from primary language plus one or more secondary localizations."
    us_example: "In US, Apple indexes English (US) plus Spanish (Mexico), Russian, Chinese, others."
    leverage: "Use Spanish (Mexico) keyword field on US-targeted app for 100 additional English keyword characters (if not localized into Spanish)."
    citation: "AppTweak 'How to Benefit from Cross-Localization on the App Store'; AppFigures '10x Your Keyword List'."

  apple_search_ads_research_loop: "Discovery campaign broad-match harvests converting terms into organic keyword field."
  google_play_long_description_repetition: "Each primary keyword 2 to 3 times naturally; no stuffing (Google detects density anomalies)."
  competitor_gap_analysis: "Pull top 3 competitors' indexed keyword lists; target their high-volume terms you do not yet cover."

5.4 The 100-Character iOS Keyword Field

ios_keyword_field_rules:

  total_chars: 100
  format: "Comma-separated, no spaces after commas (every space wastes a char)."
  case: "Lowercase; capitalization does not affect matching."
  no_repeats: "Do not include words already in title or subtitle."
  singular_only: "Apple matches plural automatically. Including both wastes chars."
  no_competitor_names: "Trademark rejection risk under Guideline 4.0."
  no_apple_terms: "Avoid 'free', 'app', 'iPhone', 'iPad', 'app store'. Apple strips or rejects."
  no_punctuation_other_than_comma: true
  per_localization: "Each localization has its own 100-char field. Use cross-localization to expand surface."

  example:
    bad: "best, free, meditation, app, sleep, meditation app, sleeping, meditate"
    why_bad: "'best' and 'free' are filler; 'app' rejected; 'meditation app' repeats 'meditation'; 'sleeping' is just plural of 'sleep'."
    good: "meditation,sleep,calm,anxiety,mindfulness,breathing,relax,unwind,zen"
    why_good: "Nine distinct indexed terms in 67 chars; 33 chars remain."

6. Visual Asset Optimization

6.1 Icon

icon_guidelines:
  technical:
    ios: "1024x1024 PNG no alpha; Apple applies rounded-corner mask at runtime."
    android: "512x512 PNG alpha allowed; adaptive icon treatment."
  design:
    simplicity: "Recognizable at 60x60 px home screen size."
    contrast: "Strong against light and dark store backgrounds."
    no_text: "Brand letter only; full text illegible at thumbnail size."
    palette: "Two to three colors max."
    category_signaling: "Category-signaling icons outperform clever-but-ambiguous marks (SplitMetrics 2024-2025)."
  conversion_lift: "5 to 15% on average; outliers 30%+ (SplitMetrics 2024-2025)."
  priority: "Highest-leverage single asset to test first for most categories; Shopping exception (first screenshot leads)."
  testing:
    ios: "PPO; up to 3 treatments vs control."
    android: "SLE."

6.2 Screenshots

screenshot_guidelines:

  technical_ios:
    iphone_6_7: "1290x2796 px (iPhone 15 Pro Max). Required; Apple downsizes for smaller devices."
    iphone_5_5: "1242x2208 px legacy. Optional."
    ipad_12_9: "2048x2732 px. Required if iPad-compatible."
    count: "Up to 10 per device size."

  technical_android:
    phone: "Min 320 px, max 3840 px; aspect ratio 16:9 to 9:16."
    count: "Up to 8."
    feature_graphic: "1024x500 px banner at top of listing."

  composition:
    first_two_critical: "First two seen before scroll. Most decisions happen here."
    caption_text: "Since June 2025 Apple AI-extracts caption text as keyword metadata. Captions must be both human benefit AND indexed keyword."
    caption_example:
      bad: "The best app ever!"
      good: "Track Sleep Patterns"
      why: "Good caption surfaces 'track sleep' and 'sleep patterns' as indexed terms while reading as a benefit."
    device_frame_vs_full_bleed: "A/B test by category."
    visual_hierarchy: "Large text first, UI second, micro-text last."

  storytelling_pattern:
    s1: "Hero benefit with brand"
    s2: "Primary feature"
    s3: "Social proof"
    s4_5: "Secondary and tertiary features or use cases"
    s6_to_10: "Additional features and edge benefits"

  conversion_lift:
    source: "AppTweak 2025 ASO Trends and Benchmarks; SplitMetrics A/B compilation"
    findings:
      - "Quarterly A/B testing yields 20 to 30% higher CVR than static screenshots"
      - "Screenshot A/B tests produce 11.8% median CVR lift across variants"
      - "If first two screenshots do not change between PPO variants, the test is effectively identical to control"

  category_priorities:
    productivity: "Icon, then screenshots, then subtitle"
    shopping: "First screenshot, second screenshot, then preview video"
    games: "Gameplay screenshots and preview video dominate"
    finance_health: "Trust signaling critical (security badges, certifications, ratings)"

6.3 App Preview Video (iOS) and Promo Video (Android)

preview_video_guidelines:

  technical_ios:
    duration: "Up to 30 seconds"
    count: "Up to 3 per language"
    format: "MOV, M4V, MP4; under 500 MB"
    resolution: "Match device size (e.g., 2796x1290 for iPhone 15 Pro Max)"
    autoplay: "Yes, muted, on product page and in search results"
    source: "App Store Connect Help: App preview specifications."

  technical_android:
    hosting: "YouTube-hosted; one promo video per listing"
    duration: "Recommended under 30 sec; 2 min hard limit"
    autoplay: "On the listing page"

  content:
    audio_muted_default: "On-screen text and visuals must carry the message."
    first_3_seconds: "Open with hero benefit visually."
    actual_app_footage: "Both stores require footage of the actual app; concept videos risk rejection."

  conversion_lift:
    source: "Hilomedia 2025 Preview Videos guide; SplitMetrics aggregated data"
    findings:
      - "Well-produced preview lifts CVR 20 to 40% over screenshots-only listings"
      - "Watchers and engagers are roughly 2x more likely to install"
      - "At least half of viewers watch through to end"

  poster_frame_ios: "Apple shows when autoplay disabled. Pick a frame conveying value prop with caption text."

6.4 Custom Product Pages and Store Listing Experiments

custom_pages:

  ios_cpp:
    customizable: "Screenshots, preview videos, promotional text, deep link target"
    fixed: "Name, subtitle, icon, description, keywords"
    max_per_app: 70                       # since October 29, 2025
    keyword_assignment: "Since mid-2025 CPPs can be assigned keywords; appear in organic search results."
    deep_links: "Each CPP can deep-link into a specific in-app destination after install."
    use_cases: ["Audience segments", "Traffic sources", "Markets within a locale", "Feature emphasis for paid"]
    source: "Apple Developer App Store Connect Help: Custom Product Pages."

  ios_ppo:
    elements: "Icon, screenshots, preview videos"
    treatments: "Up to 3 vs control"
    duration: "Up to 90 days per test; one at a time"
    reporting: "App Analytics"

  android_csl:
    customizable: "Title, short description, long description, graphics, video"
    max_per_app: 50
    targeting: "Country, language, install state, pre-registration"
    google_ads_integration: "Integrates with Google Ads campaigns"
    ai_text_generation: "2025: experimental Gemini AI generates CSL text by theme, tone, audience."

  android_sle:
    elements: "Icon, feature graphic, screenshots, short description"
    concurrent_tests: "Up to 5 on main listing; up to 5 per CSL (50 CSLs = 250+ parallel)"
    reporting: "Significance and confidence interval"

7. Reviews and Ratings Management

7.1 Why Reviews Matter

Reviews and ratings are simultaneously a ranking signal, a conversion signal, and a trust signal. A 0.3 star delta lifts conversion 22 to 28% in competitive categories (Sensor Tower 2025 Finance and Health benchmark). High review velocity signals freshness; both stores reward it in ranking.

7.2 Review Acquisition (Compliant)

review_acquisition:

  ios_skstorereviewcontroller:
    api: "StoreKit SKStoreReviewController / requestReview()"
    throttle: "Apple limits prompts to 3 per user per 365-day period."
    timing: "Only after demonstrated user value. Never on launch."
    apple_control: "Apple decides whether to actually show; developer has no override."
    source: "Apple Developer Documentation: SKStoreReviewController."

  android_in_app_review_api:
    api: "Google Play In-App Review API (Play Core library)"
    throttle: "Quota enforced; over-frequent calls silently no-op."

  prohibited:
    - "Incentivized reviews (paying, rewarding, unlocking content for reviews)"
    - "Review gating (asking satisfaction first; only prompting happy users)"
    - "Custom non-platform review prompts (Apple Guideline 1.1.7)"
    - "Buying reviews"
    - "Asking employees, family, or paid actors"
  citation: "Apple App Store Review Guideline 1.1.7; Google Play Developer Program Policy on Ratings, Reviews, and User-Generated Content."

  ethical_pattern:
    - "Trigger after a moment of value"
    - "Pre-empt complaints with a voluntary in-app support channel that does NOT gate the rating prompt"

7.3 Review Response

review_response:
  why:
    ranking: "Developer responses are visible; signal active management."
    conversion: "Prospective users read responses to negative reviews."
    rating_recovery: "AppFollow benchmark: 5 to 15% of users update rating up after a thoughtful response."
  pattern:
    structure: ["Acknowledge specific issue", "Apologize where warranted (no unverified bug admissions)", "Offer specific next step", "Sign as a person"]
    tone: "Human, specific, accountable."
    timing: "Within 7 days; AppFollow top-100 median is under 48 hours."
    languages: "Respond in the language of the review."
  priority: "1-star first, 2-star second, selective on 4-5 star."
  rating_decay:
    finding: "Reviews older than 12 to 24 months deeply discounted in both stores."
    implication: "An app with 100K reviews from 5 years ago but 10 in the last 30 days behaves like a low-velocity app."
    citation: "Local Falcon; Sensor Tower review velocity studies."

7.4 Negative Review Recovery

When rating drops below 4.0 (iOS) or 3.8 (Android), conversion collapse risk.

negative_review_recovery:
  triage: ["Pull last 30 days of 1- and 2-star reviews", "Categorize: bugs, feature requests, UX, content, monetization", "Identify dominant category"]
  fix_then_respond:
    - "Ship fix addressing dominant complaint"
    - "Respond to each negative review noting the fix; ask user to try new version"
    - "Bump version conspicuously"
  reset_options:
    ios: "Reset applies to new version only; cumulative still includes legacy."
    android: "No reset feature; dilute via fresh positive velocity."
  flag_for_removal: "Both stores allow flagging spam, off-topic, or defamatory reviews; success rate varies."

8. App Marketing Pages on the Web

The marketing page is the web URL that promotes the app to users arriving from Google, social, email, or direct paste. Must rank for app-name and feature queries, convert into store landings, deep-link into the app when installed, and feed schema for AI Overviews and citations.

8.1 Page Structure

app_marketing_page_structure:

  url:
    pattern: "/apps/[app-slug]/ or /[app-slug]/"
    rule: "Stable. Do not version; deep-link records depend on it."

  above_the_fold:
    - "App name (H1)"
    - "One-line value proposition"
    - "App Store badge"
    - "Google Play badge (both present; missing platform labeled 'Coming soon' or 'Not available on [platform]')"
    - "Hero image"
    - "Star rating and review count"

  body_content:
    - "What the app does (3 to 5 paragraphs)"
    - "Key features (5 to 10 bullets)"
    - "How it works (3 to 5 steps)"
    - "Screenshots gallery (3 to 6 with captions)"
    - "Reviews (2 to 5 best, linked to stores)"
    - "FAQ (5 to 10: pricing, platforms, privacy, support, cancellation)"
    - "About the developer (1 to 2 paragraphs, linked to Organization)"
  rule: "Content first. Every section in initial server response HTML, not JS-injected. See framework-contentfirst.md."

  conversion_elements:
    primary_cta: "Both store badges in hero"
    secondary_cta: "Repeated badges after each major section"
    smart_app_banner: "iOS Safari meta tag (Section 8.3)"
    qr_code_for_desktop: "QR opening store page on user's phone"

  trust_signals: ["Star rating linked to store reviews", "Press logos if real", "Privacy and terms", "Award badges if real and current"]

8.2 Store Badges

Apple and Google publish official badge artwork. Use the official version.

<a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/example-app/id123456789">
  <img src="/img/app-store-badge.svg" alt="Download on the App Store" width="180" height="60">
</a>
<a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.example.app">
  <img src="/img/google-play-badge.png" alt="Get it on Google Play" width="200" height="60">
</a>

Brand guidelines: Apple developer.apple.com/app-store/marketing/guidelines/; Google play.google.com/intl/en_us/badges/.

8.3 Smart App Banner (iOS Safari)

iOS Safari renders a native banner at the top if the meta tag is present. Shows app name, icon, rating, and "View" or "Open" depending on install state.

<meta name="apple-itunes-app" content="app-id=123456789, app-argument=https://example.com/path/to/content">

Rules:

app-id is the numeric App Store ID.
app-argument is the URL that opens inside the app via Universal Links (Section 9). If app installed, tapping opens app at that URL.
No Android equivalent. Android requires applinks: meta tags or a custom widget.

Citation: Apple Safari Web Content Guide on Smart App Banners; Branch and Adjust cross-platform smart banner documentation.

8.4 AppLinks Meta Tags (Cross-Platform)

The AppLinks spec (originally Facebook's, now broadly supported) defines OpenGraph-style meta tags declaring deep-link targets across platforms.

<meta property="al:ios:url" content="exampleapp://path/to/content">
<meta property="al:ios:app_store_id" content="123456789">
<meta property="al:ios:app_name" content="Example App">
<meta property="al:android:url" content="exampleapp://path/to/content">
<meta property="al:android:package" content="com.example.app">
<meta property="al:android:app_name" content="Example App">
<meta property="al:web:url" content="https://example.com/path/to/content">

8.5 The Hosting Layer

Marketing page lives on the client's own infrastructure, not a third-party CDN. For Joseph's agency stack: static HTML at /var/www/sites/[domain]/ on Bubbles, served via nginx. The page includes server-rendered HTML, schema, AppLinks and Smart App Banner meta tags, fetchable /.well-known/apple-app-site-association and /.well-known/assetlinks.json, plus standard SEO basics.

The nginx vhost must set proper Content-Type for the two well-known files:

location = /.well-known/apple-app-site-association {
    default_type application/json;
    add_header Cache-Control "public, max-age=3600";
}
location = /.well-known/assetlinks.json {
    default_type application/json;
    add_header Cache-Control "public, max-age=3600";
}

9. App Schema and Deep Linking

9.1 SoftwareApplication and MobileApplication Schema

Schema.org SoftwareApplication and its subtype MobileApplication declare the app as a structured entity. Enables rich results (price, rating, install count) and feeds AI entity extraction.

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "MobileApplication",
  "name": "Example App",
  "applicationCategory": "HealthApplication",
  "applicationSubCategory": "Meditation",
  "operatingSystem": "iOS, Android",
  "offers": {"@type": "Offer", "price": "0", "priceCurrency": "USD", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock"},
  "aggregateRating": {"@type": "AggregateRating", "ratingValue": "4.7", "ratingCount": "12453", "bestRating": "5", "worstRating": "1"},
  "downloadUrl": ["https://apps.apple.com/us/app/example-app/id123456789", "https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.example.app"],
  "installUrl": ["https://apps.apple.com/us/app/example-app/id123456789", "https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.example.app"],
  "screenshot": ["https://example.com/img/screenshot-1.jpg", "https://example.com/img/screenshot-2.jpg", "https://example.com/img/screenshot-3.jpg"],
  "publisher": {"@type": "Organization", "name": "Example, Inc.", "url": "https://example.com"},
  "datePublished": "2024-03-15",
  "softwareVersion": "3.2.1"
}
</script>

Notes:

Use MobileApplication for native iOS/Android. SoftwareApplication for desktop or cross-platform. WebApplication for web-only PWAs. (schema.org/MobileApplication; Google Search Central Software App Schema).
applicationCategory uses schema.org enumerated values: HealthApplication, GameApplication, BusinessApplication, EducationalApplication, FinanceApplication, LifestyleApplication, MultimediaApplication, MusicApplication, NavigationApplication, PhotoApplication, ProductivityApplication, ShoppingApplication, SocialNetworkingApplication, SportsApplication, TravelApplication, UtilitiesApplication.
aggregateRating must be accurate. Falsified ratings risk manual action.
Integrate with the page's @graph so MobileApplication cross-references Organization and WebSite nodes (see framework-schema.md Section 4).

9.2 Apple Universal Links

Universal Links (since iOS 9, 2015) let https:// URLs open inside the native app when installed, or fall back to Safari when not.

universal_links_setup:

  capabilities:
    location: "Xcode > Project > Signing and Capabilities > Associated Domains"
    add: "applinks:example.com"

  aasa_file:
    path: "https://example.com/.well-known/apple-app-site-association"
    content_type: "application/json"
    https: "Required; no HTTP fallback."
    no_redirect: "Apple's request must hit a 200 directly."
    size_limit: "128 KB uncompressed."
    example: |
      {"applinks": {"apps": [],
        "details": [{"appID": "ABCD1234EF.com.example.app",
                     "paths": ["/path/to/content/*", "/another/*", "NOT /admin/*"]}]}}
    appID_format: "TeamID.BundleID (10-char Apple Developer Team ID)."
    paths_syntax: "Glob patterns; NOT prefix excludes."

  validation:
    apple_validator: "search.developer.apple.com/appsearch-validation-tool/"
    curl_check: "curl -I https://example.com/.well-known/apple-app-site-association"
    cache: "iOS caches AASA up to 7 days; force refresh by deleting and reinstalling."

  source: "Apple Developer Documentation: Supporting universal links in your app."

9.3 Android App Links

Android App Links use the Digital Asset Links protocol. The assetlinks.json file declares which apps may handle URLs for a domain.

android_app_links_setup:

  manifest:
    location: "AndroidManifest.xml > Activity > intent-filter"
    example: |
      <intent-filter android:autoVerify="true">
        <action android:name="android.intent.action.VIEW" />
        <category android:name="android.intent.category.DEFAULT" />
        <category android:name="android.intent.category.BROWSABLE" />
        <data android:scheme="https" android:host="example.com" android:pathPrefix="/path" />
      </intent-filter>

  assetlinks_file:
    path: "https://example.com/.well-known/assetlinks.json"
    content_type: "application/json"
    example: |
      [{"relation": ["delegate_permission/common.handle_all_urls"],
        "target": {"namespace": "android_app",
                   "package_name": "com.example.app",
                   "sha256_cert_fingerprints": ["14:6D:E9:83:C5:73:..."]}}]
    sha256_source: "`keytool -list -v -keystore [keystore]` or Play Console > Setup > App Integrity."

  dynamic_app_links_2025:
    feature: "Android 15 (API 35)+ supports Dynamic App Links."
    declaration: "Path, query, fragment matchers in assetlinks.json itself; merged with manifest at runtime."
    source: "Android Developers Blog: Dynamic App Links, October 2025."

  validation:
    google_tool: "developers.google.com/digital-asset-links/tools/generator"
    curl_check: "curl -I https://example.com/.well-known/assetlinks.json"
    auto_verify: "android:autoVerify=true triggers fetch on install."

  source: "Google Developers Digital Asset Links; Android Developers Configure website associations."

9.4 ITMS Scheme

Legacy itms-apps://itunes.apple.com/app/idXXXXXXXX opens App Store at the app page. Modern pattern: link https://apps.apple.com/...; Apple auto-routes to the App Store app on iOS, web App Store elsewhere.

9.5 Spotlight and Core Spotlight Indexing (iOS Apps)

Apps can index their own content into the device's local Spotlight index. Makes content searchable from iOS Spotlight even when the app is not open. Feeds Apple Intelligence app discovery (Section 11).

core_spotlight_indexing:

  apis:
    nsuseractivity: "Index activities as user performs them (visiting page, creating content, viewing items)."
    corespotlight: "Index content programmatically without user visit. For documents, photos, persistent data."
    web_markup: "Web URLs with matching schema can also be crawled by Apple for Spotlight."

  best_practice: "Use the same identifier across NSUserActivity, CoreSpotlight, and web URL. Apple deduplicates by identifier; same item in multiple APIs ranks stronger."

  privacy: "Index is on-device. Apple does not see the content."

  source: "Apple Developer Documentation: Core Spotlight; Technical Note TN2416 iOS Search API Best Practices."

10. App Pack in Google SERPs

10.1 What App Pack Is

App Pack is a mobile-only SERP feature. Horizontal carousel of apps (icon, title, rating, install CTA) for install-intent queries. Mobile equivalent of Local Pack for apps. Citation: Search Engine Land "App Indexing and the New Frontier Of SEO" (2016).

10.2 When App Pack Appears

Triggers on:

Query contains "app", "download", "for iPhone", "for Android".
Query is a known app category (meditation, budgeting, habit tracker, ride share).
Historical install conversion from SERP is high.
User is on mobile.

Appearance rate varies by category. SERP-tracking platforms (AdvancedWebRanking, Semrush, Ahrefs) track App Pack but report only on tracked keyword sets; no published universal rate.

10.3 How to Win App Pack Inclusion

app_pack_inclusion:
  prerequisite_published: "Live on at least one store; apps in review do not appear."
  prerequisite_metadata_alignment: "Store title or category aligns with query."
  signal_install_velocity: "Recent install velocity in relevant category."
  signal_rating: "Higher star rating favored."
  signal_marketing_page_seo: "Well-ranked marketing page increases App Pack inclusion for target queries."
  signal_appindex_legacy: "Historical Google App Indexing signals persist in part."
  practical_strategy:
    - "Optimize store metadata for target query"
    - "Optimize marketing page for target query"
    - "Link marketing page to store URLs"
    - "Configure Universal Links and assetlinks.json"
    - "Monitor via Semrush, Ahrefs, AccuRanker SERP features filter"

10.4 Web Marketing Page Plus App Pack Coordination

When the same query produces both a marketing-page organic result and an App Pack inclusion, the combined SERP dominates visible area. Dual-surface play: rank marketing page AND win App Pack.

11. Apple Intelligence App Discovery and Spotlight

11.1 The 2025-2026 Surface

Apple Intelligence (on-device AI; iOS 18 late 2024, expanded through 2025) added app-discovery surfaces outside the App Store and Google. Device-side search and suggestion layer, powered by on-device models personalizing on user behavior.

apple_intelligence_app_discovery:

  spotlight_search:
    description: "Device-wide search (swipe down on home; Cmd+Space on Mac)."
    indexes: "Apps, files, contacts, messages, calendar, in-app content (via CoreSpotlight)."
    ai_layer: "Results personalized by on-device AI; usage patterns, time, location, recent activity."
    scale: "Approximately 700 to 900M daily users globally; 85% of iPhone users engage weekly (TechLila 2026 statistics)."

  siri_suggestions:
    description: "Proactive suggestions in Lock Screen, Notifications, Spotlight."
    overlap: "80 to 90% same data as Spotlight."

  app_store_today_tab:
    scale: "Approximately 500M weekly users begin discovery here (Apple Developer documentation)."
    ai_layer: "AI-generated tag chips (beta in iOS 26)."
    featuring: "Featuring Nominations in App Store Connect; 2-week minimum notice."

  ai_generated_tags:
    description: "Tappable chips grouping apps by inferred function ('Meditation', 'Sleep Tracking')."
    status: "Beta iOS 26 developer build as of WWDC 2025; not yet on public App Store."
    source: "TechCrunch June 2025; Apple WWDC 2025 keynote."

  writing_tools_app_picks: "Some flows suggest apps during Apple Intelligence drafting, replying, summarizing."
  control_center_widget_suggestions: "Suggested apps in Control Center and Widget Gallery."

11.2 ASO Levers on Apple Intelligence Surfaces

apple_intelligence_aso_levers:
  spotlight_indexing: "Implement CoreSpotlight and NSUserActivity (Section 9.5)."
  app_store_metadata_quality: "AI tags pull from metadata, screenshots, description, category. Precise metadata leads to accurate tags."
  ai_tags_review: "When live, audit and remove inaccurate tags in App Store Connect at launch and quarterly."
  featuring_nominations: "Submit for Today tab editorial consideration."
  category_choice: "Primary category drives Today tab placement."
  cannot_influence: ["Personalization weights", "Siri Suggestions ranking", "Spotlight ranking from external content"]

11.3 Apple Intelligence x AIO Convergence

Apple Intelligence is an AI surface in the same sense as Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini. The AI surface disciplines (framework-aicitations.md, framework-aioverviews.md) apply in modified form: citation surface is in-device, entity model is Apple's, input data is App Store metadata plus on-device indexing rather than the open web. The four pillars for the marketing page are unchanged. ASO for in-store and in-device surfaces is a sibling discipline that benefits from the same fundamentals: clear entity declaration, precise metadata, structured data, trust signals.

12. Common ASO Mistakes (Top 10 Anti-Patterns)

common_aso_mistakes:

  m1_keyword_stuffing_title:
    pattern: "Title is 'YourBrand: Meditation, Sleep, Calm, Yoga, Mindfulness'."
    why_bad: "Apple rejects under Guideline 2.3 (misleading metadata). Users skip as spammy."
    fix: "Brand plus 1 to 2 keywords; subtitle for additional terms."

  m2_skipping_subtitle:
    pattern: "Subtitle blank or generic tagline like 'The best app ever'."
    why_bad: "Wastes 30 chars equivalent in weight to the keyword field."
    fix: "Keyword-dense readable description: 'Sleep, Meditate, Relax Daily'."

  m3_keyword_field_repeats_title:
    pattern: "Title has 'meditation'; keyword field has 'meditation, meditate, meditations'."
    why_bad: "Title/subtitle indexed separately; repetition wastes the 100-char field."
    fix: "Audit after each metadata change."

  m4_screenshots_without_captions:
    pattern: "Bare device renders, no caption text."
    why_bad: "Since June 2025 Apple AI-extracts caption text as metadata. Wasted ranking signal."
    fix: "Caption every screenshot; match to real keywords with conversion phrasing."

  m5_no_a_b_testing:
    pattern: "Screenshots and icon set at launch, never updated."
    why_bad: "AppTweak: quarterly A/B testers see 20 to 30% higher CVR."
    fix: "Quarterly PPO (iOS) / SLE (Android)."

  m6_review_gating:
    pattern: "Asks 'Are you happy?' then only prompts SKStoreReviewController on yes."
    why_bad: "Violates Apple Guideline 1.1.7 and Google Play Developer Policy. Removal risk."
    fix: "Trigger native prompt unconditionally after value moment; separate support channel for complaints."

  m7_no_universal_links_no_assetlinks:
    pattern: "Marketing page links to store URLs but app does not handle domain via Universal Links / App Links."
    why_bad: "Installed-app users land on marketing page instead of in the app."
    fix: "Implement both; validate .well-known files."

  m8_marketing_page_is_csr_spa:
    pattern: "Client-rendered React/Vue; server returns empty shell."
    why_bad: "AI bots (GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot) cannot render; page invisible to AI citation. App Pack suffers."
    fix: "Server-render. Next.js, Astro, Hugo, plain HTML. See framework-contentfirst.md."

  m9_no_schema:
    pattern: "No MobileApplication or SoftwareApplication schema."
    why_bad: "No rich results; AI engines cannot extract app as structured entity."
    fix: "MobileApplication in @graph cross-referencing Organization and WebSite. Validate at validator.schema.org."

  m10_ignoring_play_long_description:
    pattern: "200-word Play long description with no keyword strategy."
    why_bad: "Google Play indexes long description for search."
    fix: "1500 to 3000 chars; each primary keyword 2 to 3 times naturally."

13. Audit Mode

13.1 In-Store Audit Rubric

#	Criterion	iOS	Android
ASO1	Title uses brand plus 1 to 2 keywords; 30 chars used efficiently
ASO2	Subtitle (iOS) / short description (Android) keyword-dense; no overlap with title
ASO3	iOS 100-char keyword field: comma-separated, no spaces, singular, no repeats		n/a
ASO4	Android long description: 1500 to 3000 chars, 2 to 3 reps per primary keyword	n/a
ASO5	Icon: simple, high contrast, legible at 60x60
ASO6	At least 5 screenshots per device size on iOS; 5 to 8 on Android
ASO7	Screenshot caption text matches keyword strategy (post-June 2025 Apple AI extraction)		n/a
ASO8	App preview video / promo video present
ASO9	Custom Product Pages configured for paid campaigns and segments		n/a
ASO10	Custom Store Listings configured by country and audience	n/a
ASO11	PPO test active or recent		n/a
ASO12	SLE test active or recent	n/a
ASO13	Rating above 4.3 (iOS) / 4.0 (Android)
ASO14	Review velocity at or above category median
ASO15	Recent reviews receive developer responses within 7 days
ASO16	SKStoreReviewController / In-App Review API triggered after value moment
ASO17	Crash rate under 1% (Xcode Organizer)		n/a
ASO18	Crash under 1.09% AND ANR under 0.47% (Android Vitals)	n/a
ASO19	Category selection aligns with core function
ASO20	Featuring nomination submitted at least once in last 12 months		n/a

13.2 Web Coordination Layer Audit Rubric

#	Criterion	Pass/Fail
ASOW1	Marketing page at stable URL on client's own infrastructure
ASOW2	Server-rendered (content in first byte of HTML)
ASOW3	Clear primary CTA with both store badges above the fold
ASOW4	iOS Smart App Banner meta tag present
ASOW5	AppLinks meta tags for iOS, Android, and web
ASOW6	`MobileApplication`/`SoftwareApplication` schema in JSON-LD `@graph`
ASOW7	Schema includes `aggregateRating`, `offers`, `screenshot`, `downloadUrl`
ASOW8	`apple-app-site-association` at `/.well-known/`: 200, application/json, no redirects
ASOW9	`assetlinks.json` at `/.well-known/`: 200, application/json
ASOW10	Universal Links validated with Apple's validator
ASOW11	App Links validated with Google's Statement List Tester
ASOW12	App Pack visibility tracked for at least 3 target queries
ASOW13	CoreSpotlight or NSUserActivity indexing in iOS app
ASOW14	Marketing page in XML sitemap
ASOW15	Page 1 of Google for exact app name brand query
ASOW16	Marketing page passes Core Web Vitals on mobile
ASOW17	Compliant with framework-contentfirst.md (no JS-required content)

Score: 17 web layer plus 20 in-store layer, minus n/a items by platform. World-class ASO: 90%+ on applicable items.

13.3 First-90-Days Action Plan

first_90_days:
  day_0_to_7:
    - "Pull current metadata, assets, ratings, reviews into intake"
    - "Run keyword research (Apple Search Ads, Play Console, AppTweak/Sensor Tower)"
    - "Identify top 10 target keywords per platform"
    - "Audit competitor metadata for top 3"
  day_8_to_30:
    - "Rewrite title, subtitle, keyword field (iOS); short description (Android)"
    - "Write new long description (Android) with target keywords"
    - "Design and ship new screenshots with keyword-aligned captions"
    - "Submit new metadata for review"
    - "Build or refresh marketing page; ship schema, AppLinks, Smart App Banner"
    - "Deploy apple-app-site-association and assetlinks.json"
  day_31_to_60:
    - "Launch first PPO (iOS) / SLE (Android) on icon or first screenshot"
    - "Configure first CPPs / CSLs"
    - "Implement SKStoreReviewController / In-App Review API"
    - "Implement Core Spotlight indexing (iOS)"
    - "Set up review response workflow"
    - "Submit featuring nomination for an upcoming product moment"
  day_61_to_90:
    - "Conclude first test; ship winner"
    - "Launch second test on next priority element"
    - "Add 2 to 3 additional CPPs / CSLs"
    - "Refine keyword performance"
    - "Audit App Pack inclusion; refine marketing page if not appearing"
    - "Audit Apple Intelligence surfaces"
    - "Generate first 90-day report"

14. Maintenance Schedule and Report Templates

14.1 Ongoing Cadence

aso_maintenance_cadence:
  weekly:
    - "Rating and review velocity"
    - "Respond to 1- and 2-star within 7 days"
    - "Monitor App Pack and Spotlight visibility for top queries"
    - "Crash rate (Xcode Organizer) and Android Vitals"
  monthly:
    - "Keyword ranking deltas"
    - "Competitor metadata changes"
    - "PPO / SLE; ship winners; queue next test"
    - "Downloads and CVR numbers"
    - "Refresh featuring nominations if product moment"
  quarterly:
    - "Full metadata audit (title, subtitle, keyword field, descriptions)"
    - "Refresh screenshots with new feature or seasonal angle"
    - "Refresh preview video if older than 6 to 9 months"
    - "Re-run keyword research"
    - "Audit Apple AI-generated tags when public"
    - "Audit Universal Links and assetlinks.json"
    - "Review marketing page SEO (Core Web Vitals, schema, content)"
  annually:
    - "Full ASO audit against Section 13 rubric"
    - "Strategic competitive position review"
    - "Re-evaluate primary category if app function drifted"
    - "Refresh icon if older than 18 to 24 months and trend shifted"

14.2 Monthly Report Template

aso_monthly_report:
  period: "[YYYY-MM-DD] to [YYYY-MM-DD]"
  downloads:
    ios_new: 0
    android_new: 0
    delta_vs_prior: ""
  conversion_rate:
    ios_cvr_pct: 0.0                      # store as percentage; compare to category benchmark
    android_cvr_pct: 0.0
  ratings:
    ios_rating: 0.0
    android_rating: 0.0
    new_reviews_ios: 0
    new_reviews_android: 0
    response_rate_pct: 0
  keyword_ranking:
    tracked_top_10_ios: "N of N"
    tracked_top_10_android: "N of N"
    notable_movements: []
  tests:
    active_or_concluded: []
  web_marketing_page:
    sessions: 0
    branded_query_rank: 0
    non_branded_query_rank: 0
    app_pack_visibility: ""
  action_items_next_period: []

14.3 Quarterly Report Template

aso_quarterly_report:
  quarter: "Q[N] [YYYY]"
  executive_summary: ""                   # two to four sentence narrative
  downloads_trend:
    quarter_total: 0
    prior_quarter: 0
    yoy_delta_pct: 0.0
    monthly_breakdown: []
  conversion_rate_trend:
    ios_q_minus_1: 0.0
    ios_q: 0.0
    android_q_minus_1: 0.0
    android_q: 0.0
  ratings_trend:
    ios_q_minus_1: 0.0
    ios_q: 0.0
    android_q_minus_1: 0.0
    android_q: 0.0
  test_outcomes: []                       # list of {test_name, winner_shipped, lift_pct}
  keyword_strategy_update:
    keywords_added: 0
    keywords_retired: 0
    ranking_distribution: ""
  web_marketing_page:
    organic_sessions_qoq_delta_pct: 0.0
    schema_audit: ""
    universal_links_status: ""
    assetlinks_status: ""
    core_web_vitals: ""
  goals_next_quarter: []

End of Framework Document

Companion documents:

framework-contentfirst.md. Substrate-first doctrine the marketing page must follow.
framework-technicalseo.md. Foundational technical SEO.
framework-schema.md. @id graph pattern; MobileApplication integration.
framework-mobileseo.md. Mobile-first patterns.
framework-uxseo.md. UX foundations.
framework-localseo.md. Local SEO when the app serves a SAB.
framework-keywordresearch.md. Sibling keyword research methodology.
framework-imageseo.md. Image optimization for hero and gallery.
framework-videoseo.md. Video patterns; preview videos have in-store and on-page lives.
framework-internallinking.md. Internal linking to and from the marketing page.
framework-trustsignals.md. Ratings and reviews as first-class trust signals.
framework-eeat.md. E-E-A-T on the marketing page.
framework-aicitations.md. AI citation of the marketing page.
framework-aioverviews.md. Marketing page in AI Overviews.
framework-voicesearch.md. Siri and Google Assistant app routing.
framework-cross-stack-implementation.md. Section 8 across React, Next.js, Astro, Hugo, etc.
framework-react.md. Pure CSR SPA notes.
framework-tailwind.md. Tailwind concerns.
SEO-Search-Appearance.md. Multi-feature search appearance.
SERP-Optimization.md. SERP optimization patterns.

Phase 2 siblings (frameworks covering previously uncovered surfaces): video, voice, visual search, app stores (this framework), the broader AI surface set.

From the ThatDevPro Engine Optimization framework library. Studio: ThatDevPro (SDVOSB veteran-owned web + AI engineering). Sister property: ThatDeveloperGuy. Source: https://www.thatdevpro.com/insights/framework-aso/.