ASO vs SEO: What Carries Over, What Does Not, and Where to Start
ASO vs SEO for app teams: how app store search differs from web search, which habits carry over, and what to fix first. Honest about what is known and what is inferred.
**ASO vs SEO** is a question people ask when they already know search engine optimisation and want to apply it to an app. The short answer: both are about matching what people type with the pages they can be found on, but the surfaces, the signals, and the outcomes are different enough that web habits transfer only partly.
This guide explains the overlap, the gaps, and the order to work in. It is written for a developer or small team that ships apps and already has a website, or wants one.
Key takeaways
- ASO optimises an app's store page for search inside Google Play and the App Store; SEO optimises web pages for search engines.
- Keyword intent, clear titles, and relevant copy carry over. Backlinks and crawlable text play a smaller role in the store.
- App store search has no full-page crawl the way a website does. The title, subtitle or short description, and the keyword field or description do the indexing work.
- Conversion and retention matter more in the store than they usually do for a blog, because the store reads installs and engagement as quality evidence.
- Start with the store listing you already control, then use the website as a supporting channel, not a replacement.
What both disciplines share
Both ASO and SEO start with the same question: what words does a person type when they have a problem, and which of my pages answers that problem best? Keyword research, intent matching, and clear titles are the common core.
If you already write a good web page for a query, you know how to think about the search results card, the title tag, and the first paragraph. Those instincts help in the store too. A title that says what the product does will outperform a clever phrase in both places.
Where the two diverge
| Question | Web SEO | App store ASO |
|---|---|---|
| Where is text read? | Full pages, headings, body copy, metadata | Title, subtitle or short description, keyword field or description, in-store copy |
| What drives trust? | Links, content depth, page quality | Ratings, reviews, installs, retention, and the listing's visual proof |
| What is the result page? | Ten blue links and features | Icons, names, ratings, and ads in a store grid |
| What is the conversion? | A click, a signup, a purchase | An install, then activation and retention |
| How do you measure? | Search Console, analytics | Store Console impressions and conversion, plus rank checks |
Two differences matter most. First, the store page is short and structured, so every character in the title and subtitle is expensive. Second, an install is not the end of the funnel. A store that sees many installs and few opens can read that as a weak match, so product quality shapes ASO more than it shapes most web SEO.
Keyword research is the bridge
The most useful habit to transfer is keyword research. Web SEO tools estimate demand from web search. ASO has to work from store autocomplete and store results, because store search behaves differently. A phrase that is popular on the web may have a very different competitive field inside the App Store or Google Play.
- Collect the phrases people type into store search, using autocomplete as a starting point.
- Check the competitors who already rank for each phrase in the same store and country.
- Score the list for relevance, competition, and difficulty, and label every estimate with its confidence.
- Use the web only to test language and messaging, not to decide store fields.
What a website can and cannot do for an app
A website can host a landing page, a press kit, and help articles that link to the store. Those pages do not replace listing work. Google Play and the App Store index the listing you publish there. A site with many articles does not give the store extra indexing for your listing copy.
Where to start
Start with the store listing because that is where the install decision is made. Fix the title and subtitle or short description first, then the screenshots and icon, then the description. Once the listing is clear, a web page can support it with longer explanations, support answers, and a stable URL to link from campaigns.
Where NewASO fits
NewASO is a local-first desktop workspace for app store work. It handles store-side research: competitor keywords, store autocomplete expansion, heuristic scoring with confidence labels, Play and App Store field validation, and on-demand rank checks by market. It does not run web SEO audits or manage a website. For the store-side workflow, read how to do ASO. For the listing itself, read app store SEO.
Frequently asked questions
Is ASO the same as SEO?
No. They share keyword research and intent matching, but the surfaces, the signals, and the measurements differ. ASO works inside app stores, where the listing fields, ratings, and installs drive results.
Do backlinks help app store rankings?
Google and Apple do not publish a full ranking formula. Links are not a documented store ranking input in the way they are for web search, so do not build a store strategy around them. Focus on listing relevance and product quality.
Should I use my website keywords for the app store?
Use them as a starting point, then check them against store autocomplete and store results. Store search is its own market, and a web keyword with high demand can be very crowded in the store.