How Visible Are You? The Step-by-Step App Store Visibility Audit That Drives Real Organic Growth

Visibility = Opportunity

Most app teams obsess over execution: keywords, screenshots, icons. But without visibility, even your best ASO efforts fall flat. Great creatives won't move the needle if users can't find your app or the algorithm doesn't prioritize you.

That's why visibility audits are critical. They pinpoint exactly where your traffic is coming from and what's holding back your organic growth.

What Should You Analyze in a Store Visibility Audit?

Start by clearly mapping how users discover your app today:

Traffic Channel Breakdown

Understand exactly how your users find you:

• Search: Keyword-driven installs
• Browse: Top charts, similar apps, featured placements
• Explore (Google Play only): Editorial recommendations, collections
• Paid Ads (ASA, Google Ads): Track separately for clarity

Pro tip: Leverage App Store Connect and Google Play Console to visualize these breakdowns accurately.

First-Time Downloads Analysis

Identify your growth dynamics clearly:

• Are branded searches dominating your new downloads?
• Are you capturing genuine "new" users or mainly retargeted visitors?
• What's your organic share by key markets?

These insights highlight whether you're genuinely growing or hitting a plateau.

Search Term Performance & Keyword Categorization

Don't just collect keywords, categorize them strategically:

Step 1: Keyword Segmentation

• Branded: Your app name, variations, common misspellings
• Generic: High-intent, broad terms (e.g., "habit tracker")
• Competitor: Phrases like "[Other App] alternative"

Use reliable tools (MobileAction, AppTweak, AppRadar) or native consoles for accuracy.

Step 2: Keyword Relevance Categorization

Prioritize each keyword by impact:

• North Star: Core strategic keywords crucial for brand visibility
• Extremely Relevant: Directly linked to your core features
• Somewhat Relevant: Related terms with moderate intent
• Low Relevance: Low-intent terms tracked for broader market trends

Regularly monitor rankings, impression share, and conversion rates for each keyword group.

Metadata Health Check: Indexed Where It Matters?

Your visibility hinges heavily on correct indexing:

App Store:

• Indexed: Title, subtitle, keyword list (100 characters)
• Not Indexed: Description, promotional text, reviews

Google Play:

• Indexed: Title, short description, full description, reviews
• Not Indexed: Tags (used for explore traffic)
• Important: Keyword density matters; semantic indexing counts

Audit your live metadata carefully:

• Are you strategically targeting generic keywords in your title?
• Is your keyword list fully utilized?
• Avoid keyword duplication across fields.

Pro tip: Use keyword density tools to optimize your Play Store descriptions.

Maximizing Browse & Explore Traffic

Search isn’t the only lever. Browse and Explore placements can drive meaningful organic growth if you know what to optimize.

App Store Visibility Boosters:

• Regular feature placements across Today, Apps, and Games tabs
• Top-chart visibility in relevant categories
• Strategic category selection (can impact both ranking and relevance)
• High-impact creatives: App Preview videos and visually aligned screenshots improve CTR
• Strong technical performance (ANR & crash rates matter for Apple too!)

Google Play Visibility Boosters:

• Effective tag usage to influence personalized recommendations
• Optimized feature graphics and promo videos for maximum CTR
• Strategic category selection and strong ratings
• Healthy ANR and crash rates to stay eligible for Explore placements

Increase Your Chances of Getting Featured (Both Stores)

• Keep average ratings high (4.5+) with timely and well-placed review prompts
• Actively run In-App Events (App Store) and LiveOps (Google Play)
• Maintain visual and tonal consistency across all store assets

Visibility Audit: Quick-Check Checklist

Run through this checklist regularly for sustained visibility:

• Channel breakdown (Search, Browse, Explore, Ads)
• First-time download source analysis
• Keyword rank and relevance audit
• Metadata indexing review
• Tag performance (Google Play)
• Browse & Explore optimization
• Technical performance (Crash rates, ANRs)

Want to Find Your Hidden Visibility Gaps?

Your organic growth starts with clarity. At OtherWayAround, we've developed a repeatable, high-impact visibility audit process that identifies exactly where your app is invisible and outlines the next steps.

Ready to stop guessing and start growing?

Schedule your Visibility Audit Session to quickly and effectively uncover and address your visibility gaps.