Sonar//Blog

App Store Optimization Insights

Data-driven research, practical guides, and strategies for ranking higher on the App Store and Google Play.

[ 62 articles ]·Page 3 of 4//
Mobile App Marketing: The Complete Playbook
·16 min

Mobile App Marketing: The Complete Playbook

3-phase app marketing playbook (pre-launch, launch week, post-launch) for $0-500/month. Organic search drives 50-70% of lifetime installs — start there.

app-marketinggrowth
How to Find Low-Competition App Store Keywords That Actually Rank
·11 min

How to Find Low-Competition App Store Keywords That Actually Rank

Step-by-step method to find app store keywords with under 40 difficulty, real search volume, and weak competition — using only free tools.

asokeyword-research
App Store Ranking Tracker: How to Track Keyword Rankings
·11 min

App Store Ranking Tracker: How to Track Keyword Rankings

Daily rank tracking catches algorithm changes and competitor moves early. Learn the 4 trend states (climbing, stable, declining, new) and what action each requires.

asorank-tracking
ASO vs SEO: What's the Difference (and Why You Need Both)
·11 min

ASO vs SEO: What's the Difference (and Why You Need Both)

ASO vs SEO compared across 16 dimensions — from 160-char iOS constraints to visual ranking factors. If you know SEO, here's exactly what transfers and what doesn't.

asoseo
ASO Keyword Research: The Complete Guide for 2026
·15 min

ASO Keyword Research: The Complete Guide for 2026

3 metrics that matter (search popularity, difficulty, opportunity), 6 keyword sources, and the SP 35-55 sweet spot that yields 2,300-7,600 daily impressions for indie apps.

asokeyword-research
The Indie Developer's Guide to App Store Optimization
·8 min

The Indie Developer's Guide to App Store Optimization

65-70% of app installs come from search. Target keywords with SP 35-55 and difficulty under 35 — the sweet spot where indie apps can rank without a marketing budget.

asoindie-developer
App Store Keywords: How to Find and Choose the Right Ones
·12 min

App Store Keywords: How to Find and Choose the Right Ones

4-step keyword process: brainstorm, expand via autocomplete, check competition, and prioritize. Includes real examples — 'meditation timer' (diff 12) vs 'meditation' (diff 80+).

keyword-researchaso
iOS App Store vs Google Play: How ASO Differs Between Platforms
·7 min

iOS App Store vs Google Play: How ASO Differs Between Platforms

iOS gives you 160 indexed characters. Google Play gives you 4,110. iOS weights download velocity, Android weights install count. Here's what to optimize differently.

asoapp-store
Spy on Competitors' App Store Keywords (and Find Gaps)
·11 min

Spy on Competitors' App Store Keywords (and Find Gaps)

3-step competitor keyword analysis: choose competitors, extract their keyword footprint, and sort gaps into quick wins, stretch goals, and monitor-only buckets.

asocompetitor-analysis
A Practical Guide to App Store Metadata Optimization
·8 min

A Practical Guide to App Store Metadata Optimization

iOS: 30-char title + 30-char subtitle + 100-char keyword field. Android: 30-char title + 80-char short + 4,000-char long description. Field-by-field optimization for both.

asometadata
App Store Rank Tracker: How to Track Your App's Rankings
·12 min

App Store Rank Tracker: How to Track Your App's Rankings

How app store rank trackers work, the 4 trend categories that drive action, and companion metrics (velocity, competitor movement) that tell the full story.

rank-trackingaso
App Store Keyword Difficulty: What It Measures and How to Use It
·11 min

App Store Keyword Difficulty: What It Measures and How to Use It

Keyword difficulty 0-100 explained: what the score measures, why geometric mean beats simple averages, and the indie sweet spot (SP 35-55, difficulty 15-35).

asokeyword-research
The Real Search Volume Behind App Store Keywords
·11 min

The Real Search Volume Behind App Store Keywords

SP 35 = ~2,300 impressions/day. SP 60 = ~10,000. SP 100 = ~200K+. The formula (254.4 × e^0.0615×SP) and full reference table for every score.

asokeyword-research
Sensor Tower Pricing: Plans, Cost & Alternatives
·13 min

Sensor Tower Pricing: Plans, Cost & Alternatives

Sensor Tower pricing starts at ~$500/month — the median buyer pays $74K/year. Full cost breakdown by tier, hidden fees, and alternatives from $19/mo.

sensor-toweraso-tools
Agentic ASO: Why AI Agents Are the Future of App Store Optimization
·9 min

Agentic ASO: Why AI Agents Are the Future of App Store Optimization

4 real AI agent workflows that automate keyword research, rank monitoring, and competitor intel — and why dashboard-only ASO tools are already obsolete.

asoai-agents
ASO API: CLI Workflows for Developers Who Ship
·7 min

ASO API: CLI Workflows for Developers Who Ship

3 copy-paste CLI workflows for weekly keyword research, competitor monitoring, and launch optimization — using 9 stateless API endpoints. No dashboard needed.

asoapi
How Apple Search Ads Popularity Score Actually Works
·10 min

How Apple Search Ads Popularity Score Actually Works

What Apple's Search Popularity score (5-100) actually measures, the formula to estimate daily impressions from it, and how to use it for keyword research.

asoapple-search-ads
How to Write the Perfect Google Play Short Description
·8 min

How to Write the Perfect Google Play Short Description

You have exactly 80 characters — Google Play's 2nd most important ranking field. 7 before/after examples showing how to fit 2-3 keywords into a readable sentence.

google-playaso