Your App Store preview video auto-plays muted in search results before a single tap. Most indie iOS developers ship without one. Here is what you are leaving on the table and how to fix it in a weekend.
The developer name below your app title in search results is indexed by Apple and seen by every potential user. Here is how to use it strategically instead of wasting it on a generic company name.
Most indie iOS developers treat the hidden keyword field as an afterthought. Here is why it is actually your most flexible ASO tool and how to stop wasting it.
App store optimization benchmarks for indie iOS developers: what conversion rates, keyword rank velocity, and ratings volumes look like for small apps, and how to know if your numbers are on track.
The App Store keyword field is not 100 characters. It is 100 characters times every language you support. Most indie iOS developers stop at English and leave most of their ranking surface unfilled.
Most indie developers discover seasonal keywords after the spike has already passed. Here is how to identify the window early, test in time, and rotate out before the rankings erode.
The keyword field, subtitle, and title carry different ranking weight and different conversion risk. Here is how to tell when a keyword has earned a move to a more visible slot.
The Marteso MCP server connects your live App Store keyword data, rankings, and ASO methodology directly to your AI assistant, so you stop context-switching and start making better keyword bets faster.
We built a free ASO Score Checker that grades any iOS app on 11 factors from live App Store data. Here is exactly how the scoring works and what to do with your results.
Apple updated its App Store Review Guidelines at WWDC26 to remove existing apps that are stale, low-value, or fail to attract users. Here is what indie developers need to know and what to do right now.
Everything you need to know about the 100-character keyword field in App Store Connect: comma separation, no spaces, character counting rules, what to never put in it, and how to get maximum keyword coverage from your budget.
Keyword cannibalization in App Store Optimization happens when your title, subtitle, and keyword field compete with each other for the same terms. Here is how to detect it and the exact fix for indie iOS apps.
A side-by-side comparison of the ASO tools indie iOS developers actually consider in 2026: Marteso, AppFollow, AppTweak, Sensor Tower, Komori, and Appfigures. Pricing, feature coverage, and which tool fits which type of indie team.
App Store rankings drive impressions, not installs. Learn how to measure tap-through rate and product page conversion to find where downloads are actually being lost.
Every duplicated keyword between your iOS title, subtitle, and keyword field is a wasted character. Here's how Apple deduplicates your metadata and how to audit and fix it in one sitting.
A comprehensive app store optimization playbook for indie iOS developers: keyword research, screenshot strategy, ratings, localization, market intelligence, AI, and measuring results.
Not every keyword gap is an opportunity. Here is how to tell the difference and turn competitor blind spots into real rankings for your indie iOS app.
Testing a new keyword does not have to mean resetting everything you have built. Here is the exact sequence indie iOS developers should follow to run a clean ASO experiment and read the signal clearly at day 21.
Marteso auto-translates your App Store metadata to 20+ locales instantly. Add one language and your title, subtitle, and description are ready in every storefront. No translation agency needed.
A head-to-head comparison of Fastlane frameit and Marteso for iOS screenshot automation: setup time, localization support, AI copy, and what each tool is actually built for.
Apple quietly changed how Custom Product Pages work in July 2025. They now appear in organic search results, giving indie developers a 156% conversion lift on traffic they were already getting.
Comparing Komori, Appfigures, and Marteso for indie iOS ASO. Honest feature table, real pricing, and a clear recommendation for solo developers who need to act on their keyword data.
A realistic guide to how long app store optimization actually takes -- keyword ranking, screenshots, ratings, and localization each move on different timescales.
The app store subtitle gives you exactly 30 characters. Here's how to use every one of them for keyword indexing without turning your product page into a keyword dump — with concrete subtitle examples for fitness, to-do, calorie, meditation, and photo apps.
Before you touch your title, subtitle, or keyword field, there is one research step most indie developers skip: checking what your top competitors changed since your last update.
Screenshot automation for iOS apps: the tools, workflows, and tradeoffs developers use to regenerate App Store screenshots at scale without doing it manually every release.
Localization doesn't start with translation. It starts with reading your keyword data across storefronts, then testing the one market where Apple is already showing organic signal.
App Store keyword rankings fluctuate constantly. Most indie developers either ignore the movement or overreact. Here is how to tell the difference between noise and a real signal that warrants a metadata update.
Marteso is the Vercel for iOS apps: a GitHub-triggered screenshot pipeline that's 50% faster than Fastlane frameit. One UI test generates device-framed, localized screenshots for every App Store language.
Most App Store keyword advice assumes you already have download velocity. Here's a keyword strategy built for apps with fewer than 500 ratings that need to rank first and build authority second.
After a metadata update, total downloads are the wrong number to lead with. Read impressions, page view conversion, rank movement, and ratings velocity in the right order.
App Store Optimization looks different when you're a team of one. This complete guide covers what actually moves the needle for indie iOS developers, what to ignore, and how to build a system that compounds over time without a dedicated ASO hire.
A practical guide to App Store product page testing for indie developers: what to test first, how long to run it, and how to protect your keyword learning loop.
A practical App Store ratings strategy for indie developers: when to ask, how Apple rules work, and why ratings velocity affects ranking durability.
Since mid-2025, the App Store has been indexing visible screenshot text as a keyword ranking signal. Most indie developers are still writing captions like it's 2023. Here's what changed, what it costs you, and a 3-step plan to fix it.
The terms with the biggest search volume are not the ones driving downloads for small apps. Here's the data from Pi Digits showing exactly why specific keywords win.
App Store screenshots affect ASO because conversion affects whether rankings are worth keeping. Learn how indie developers should align screenshots with keyword intent.
Most indie iOS developers lose App Store rankings to the same five avoidable mistakes. Here's how to spot each one and fix it before it compounds into a year of lost impressions.
A practical iOS title and subtitle strategy for indie apps: choose one keyword bet, use each metadata field deliberately, and avoid wasting your strongest ASO surfaces.
A practical guide for indie developers on how to improve App Store ranking by building a keyword ladder: proof terms first, bridge terms second, broad keywords later.
Since the June 2025 App Store algorithm update, Apple has been indexing the visible text in your screenshot captions as a ranking signal. One app doubled its downloads without touching a single metadata field, here's what happened and how to act on it.
The US App Store doesn't just index your English metadata; it indexes keywords from up to 10 localizations simultaneously. Here's how to use that to multiply your keyword footprint without touching your primary listing.
The App Store algorithm has changed significantly over the past 18 months. Here's the keyword selection framework we recommend for indie iOS developers.
A step-by-step roadmap for new apps: what to focus on in weeks 1–2, 3–6, and 7–12 to build momentum in the rankings.
Icon tests can reveal how small visual changes affect store listing performance. Here's what to test first and how to read the data correctly.
Your 30-character title is the single most impactful ASO lever you have. Here's how to use every character strategically without keyword stuffing.
How to systematically analyze what your top competitors rank for, and identify the gaps you can fill in your next metadata update.