intermediate16-24 credits2-3 minutes with AI8 steps

App Store Optimization (ASO) Research

Research app store rankings, competitor apps, reviews, and keyword strategies across Apple App Store and Google Play. Understand what drives downloads in your category and how to optimize your app listing.

When to use this workflow

•You are launching a new app and need to optimize the listing before release
•Your app's download rate has plateaued and you need to diagnose why
•A competitor app is outranking yours in store search results
•You want to understand what users love and hate about competitor apps before building yours

Prerequisites

•Your app name or a primary keyword for your app category
•Competitor app names (or the category to search)
•Whether you're focused on Apple App Store, Google Play, or both

Example prompt to get started

“Research the competitive landscape for meditation apps on both App Store and Google Play. Analyze what Headspace and Calm do well, what their users complain about, and find keyword opportunities.”

Paste this into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected AI assistant with DFY Hub SEO tools enabled.

Step-by-step workflow (8 steps, ~15 credits)

Search the Apple App Store for your category

Apple App Store Search2 credits

Search the App Store for your primary keyword to see which apps rank at the top.

What to look for

✓Top 5 apps and their title/subtitle keyword usage — these are your ASO benchmarks
✓Rating and review counts of top apps — the threshold you need to be competitive
✓Whether your app appears in results — if not, title/keyword optimization is priority #1

Search Google Play Store for comparison

Google Play Store Search2 credits

Run the same search on Google Play. Rankings differ between stores.

What to look for

✓Ranking differences vs App Store — some competitors are stronger on one platform
✓Install counts (shown on Play) — gives actual demand sizing not available on iOS
✓Description keyword patterns — Google Play indexes the full description for search ranking

Decision point

If your app is iOS-only, skip Google Play steps (2, 5). If Android-only, skip Apple steps (1, 4).

Analyze top competitor app on Apple

Apple App Store App Info2 credits

Get detailed information about the top-ranking competitor app.

What to look for

✓Update frequency — apps updated monthly or more often signal active development
✓Subtitle and keyword field usage — Apple gives 30 chars for subtitle and 100 chars for keywords
✓In-app purchase names — these are indexed by App Store search and can rank for keywords

Read competitor's Apple reviews

Apple App Store Reviews2 credits

Pull user reviews for the top competitor app.

What to look for

✓Common positive themes — features users love that you should match or exceed
✓Common complaints — pain points you can solve better in your app
✓Feature requests in reviews — unmet needs are your differentiation opportunity

Analyze top competitor on Google Play

Google Play Store App Info2 credits

Get the Google Play listing details for the same competitor.

What to look for

✓Description length and keyword density — Play indexes the full description (up to 4000 chars)
✓Install count ranges — gives you market size data not available on iOS
✓Developer response to reviews — active developers rank better and convert more

Read competitor's Google Play reviews

Google Play Store Reviews2 credits

Pull Google Play reviews for the competitor.

What to look for

✓Android-specific complaints (battery drain, device compatibility, performance on older devices)
✓Rating distribution — compare average rating between App Store and Play Store versions
✓Review recency — old reviews with unresolved issues indicate developer neglect

Research app-related search keywords

Google Organic Search Results2 credits

Search Google for your app category keyword. App Store results often appear in Google search.

What to look for

✓Whether app store listings appear directly in Google results
✓Review/comparison sites ranking ("best X apps 2026") — these are PR/outreach targets
✓Your app's web presence vs competitors — do you have an app landing page that ranks?

Check keyword search volume for app terms

Keyword Search Volume1 credit

Get web search volume for your app-related keywords.

What to look for

✓Monthly volume for "[category] app" keywords — high volume means large market
✓CPC for app keywords — high CPC indicates paid competitors and a lucrative market
✓Seasonal patterns — some app categories spike at specific times (fitness in January, tax in March)

Decision point

If web search volume for your app category is under 100/month, focus ASO efforts on in-store optimization.

Pro tips

App Store subtitle (iOS) and short description (Play) are the most important ASO fields after the title. Front-load them with your primary keyword.

Screenshots and preview videos have the biggest impact on conversion rate. Analyze what format top competitors use.

Respond to every 1-2 star review with a helpful response. This improves your rating over time and signals active development.

Continue with these workflows

Complete Competitor SEO Analysis

Full teardown of a competitor's SEO presence: organic traffic, keyword portfolio, backlink authority, and on-page optimization. Use this to understand exactly how a competitor is winning in search and where they're vulnerable.

26-31 creditsbeginner

Keyword Research and Validation

Expand seed keywords into a prioritized list with volume, difficulty, and SERP validation. This workflow takes a few starting ideas and turns them into a data-backed keyword strategy with clear priorities.

14-20 creditsbeginner

Brand Monitoring and Reputation Analysis

Track brand mentions, sentiment, reviews, and reputation across Google, Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Trustpilot. Understand how your brand is perceived online and identify reputation threats or PR opportunities.

20-29 creditsintermediate

Run this workflow now

Connect DFY Hub MCP to your AI assistant and paste the example prompt above. Your AI will execute each step automatically.

Get Started Free

Credit-based pricing. No monthly minimum.