ASO Audit: A 30-Point Review of an Existing Listing
Run a practical ASO audit: check positioning, keyword coverage, metadata limits, creative, reviews, localisation, and rank tracking, then prioritize fixes.
An **ASO audit** is a structured review of what your listing is doing and what it is missing. The output should be a short, ordered list of fixes, not a hundred-slide report.
This 30-point audit covers the areas that usually matter: positioning, keyword coverage, field hygiene, creative, trust, localisation, and measurement. Score each item quickly, then fix the two or three that are blocking everything else.
Key takeaways
- Audit the whole listing, not just the keyword field.
- Look for mismatch between the promise, the query, and the product.
- Field-limit and policy problems are cheap to fix and easy to miss.
- Creative and reviews usually explain a conversion gap better than another keyword.
- End with a prioritized shortlist, not a data dump.
A. Positioning and research
| # | Check | Pass condition |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | One-sentence promise | A stranger can repeat what the app does |
| 2 | Primary phrase chosen | It matches the job and has a winnable result set |
| 3 | Competitor set reviewed | Three to five relevant apps analyzed |
| 4 | Repeated phrases mined | Category roots extracted from titles and descriptions |
| 5 | Autocomplete validated | Phrases confirmed in the target store and country |
| 6 | Shortlist scored | Phrases sorted by relevance, demand signal, and difficulty |
| 7 | Skip list recorded | Rejected phrases have a reason |
B. Metadata
| # | Check | Pass condition |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Title phrase | Primary phrase appears naturally |
| 9 | Subtitle / short description | Second concept, not a repeat |
| 10 | iOS keyword field | No title repeats; no competitor names |
| 11 | Play description | Readable and naturally covers supporting phrases |
| 12 | Character limits | Every field fits with room for localisation |
| 13 | Banned or risky terms | No misleading claims or trademark issues |
| 14 | Consistency | Title, subtitle, screenshots, and description tell one story |
C. Creative
| # | Check | Pass condition |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | Icon legibility | Recognisable at thumbnail size |
| 16 | Category differentiation | Not confused with the top results |
| 17 | First screenshot | States the outcome in one glance |
| 18 | First three screenshots | Form one argument, not three features |
| 19 | Real UI | Shows the current product, not a mockup |
| 20 | Localised captions | Translated where the listing is localised |
| 21 | Preview video | Shows value in the first two seconds, if used |
D. Trust and conversion
| # | Check | Pass condition |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | Rating | Visible and credible |
| 23 | Review response | Recent negative reviews addressed |
| 24 | Review themes | Recurring complaints categorized |
| 25 | Pricing clarity | Free, trial, and subscription terms are clear |
| 26 | Onboarding | Value appears before an account wall where possible |
E. Localisation and measurement
| # | Check | Pass condition |
|---|---|---|
| 27 | Locale coverage | Only markets you can support |
| 28 | Native phrasing | Not a literal translation |
| 29 | Rank checks | Tracked by store, country, and date |
| 30 | Change log | Each listing change has a date and a reason |
The three fixes most audits find
- The title and subtitle repeat each other. The listing spends its two strongest fields on one concept.
- The first screenshot is a menu or a logo. It does not answer the query that brought the user there.
- The keyword field is full of title words. There is no room for a new concept, and the visible copy is doing all the work.
Turning the audit into a plan
Group the fixes by effort and impact. Field hygiene and title/subtitle changes are cheap and can ship in one release. Creative changes need design time. Localisation needs a native reviewer. Rank tracking needs a baseline before you change anything.
Then change one layer per cycle. If you fix the title, the first screenshot, and the icon in the same week, the next audit cannot tell you which one mattered. NewASO keeps the evidence in one project: competitor roots, scores, listing fields, locales, and rank checks. It does not grade your app; it gives you the trail to grade your own decisions.
For the pre-launch version, use the ASO checklist. For the research reset, read app keyword research.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I audit my ASO?
A full audit before a launch or major update, then a lighter quarterly review. Re-check immediately after a significant ranking or conversion change.
What is the first thing to fix in an ASO audit?
Usually the title/subtitle clarity and the first screenshot, because they affect both relevance and conversion. Fix field-limit or policy problems before submitting anything new.
Can I audit a competitor's ASO?
You can review their public listing, keyword choices, creative, and ratings. You cannot see their private conversion or install data, so treat conclusions as hypotheses.