App Store Optimization (ASO) for Cross-Platform Apps: Strategies that Convert

Julia Müller

Jun 23, 2025 • 9 min read

In the competitive mobile app landscape, building a great cross-platform application is only half the battle. Without effective App Store Optimization (ASO), even the most polished Flutter or React Native apps can languish in obscurity. While cross-platform frameworks have streamlined development across iOS and Android, ASO strategies must be tailored to each platform's unique ecosystem to maximize visibility and conversions. This article explores platform-specific ASO tactics that will help your cross-platform app succeed in both the App Store and Google Play.

Understanding Platform Differences in ASO

Cross-platform development allows shared code, but effective ASO requires platform-specific approaches. The App Store and Google Play use fundamentally different algorithms, metadata structures, and ranking factors.

App Store vs. Google Play: Algorithm Fundamentals

Apple's App Store algorithm prioritizes different factors than Google Play:

App Store: Heavily weights exact keyword matches in the app title, subtitle, and keyword field. Apple's algorithm also gives significant weight to app quality signals like crash rates and uninstalls.
Google Play: Functions more like a traditional search engine, analyzing your entire app listing for relevant keywords. It places greater emphasis on app description content and integrates with Google's broader search knowledge.

For cross-platform app developers, these differences mean you can't simply copy your ASO strategy between platforms. A one-size-fits-all approach dramatically reduces effectiveness on at least one platform.

Metadata Structure Variations

The available metadata fields differ significantly between platforms:

App Store	Google Play
App Name (30 characters)	App Title (30 characters)
Subtitle (30 characters)	Short Description (80 characters)
Keywords Field (100 characters)	Long Description (4,000 characters)
Description (4,000 characters)	No separate keywords field

These structural differences directly impact your keyword strategy. For cross-platform apps, you must adapt your messaging to fit each platform's constraints while maintaining brand consistency.

Keyword Optimization: Platform-Specific Strategies

Effective keyword research and implementation is perhaps the most critical difference between App Store and Google Play optimization.

App Store Keyword Strategy

For iOS apps, focus on:

Concentrated keyword placement: Include your most valuable keywords in the app name and subtitle, as these carry the greatest weight.
Keyword field optimization: This hidden field is exclusive to iOS and should contain comma-separated keywords (without spaces) that couldn't fit in your visible metadata.
Avoid keyword repetition: Apple's algorithm doesn't reward repeating keywords across fields, so use each valuable keyword only once.

Example for a cross-platform fitness app:

App name: "FitSync: Workout & Meal Planner"
Subtitle: "Custom fitness routines & nutrition"
Keywords: fitness,exercise,diet,health,training,gym,tracker,weight,loss,muscle,nutrition

Google Play Keyword Strategy

For Android apps, adopt a different approach:

Semantic richness: Google analyzes your entire listing to understand context, so use natural language with relevant keyword variations.
Description optimization: Since there's no separate keywords field, your description must contain all your target keywords, ideally in the first few paragraphs.
Keyword density: Use primary keywords 3-5 times throughout your description, but ensure the text reads naturally to human users.

Example for the same cross-platform fitness app on Google Play:

App title: "FitSync: Workout & Meal Planner"
Short description: "Create personalized fitness routines and nutrition plans for effective weight management."
Long description: Begin with keyword-rich paragraphs that naturally incorporate terms like "fitness tracking," "customized workout plans," "nutrition management," etc.

Visual Asset Optimization for Conversion

While keywords drive discovery, visual assets drive conversion. Both platforms allow screenshots, videos, and feature graphics, but how these assets influence conversion varies.

App Store Screenshots and Preview Videos

For iOS optimization:

First impression focus: Your first two screenshots appear in search results, making them critical for conversion.
App Preview videos: Limited to 30 seconds, autoplays without sound in search.
Device-specific screenshots: Consider creating separate screenshots for iPhone and iPad users to showcase platform-specific UI.

For Flutter and React Native apps, highlight your best platform-specific UI elements in these first two screenshots, even if most of your UI is identical across platforms.

Google Play Screenshots and Feature Graphics

For Android optimization:

Feature Graphic emphasis: This wide banner appears prominently on your Play Store listing and in various promotional placements.
Video placement: Your promo video replaces the feature graphic when available.
Screenshot flexibility: Google Play allows up to 8 screenshots for each device type.

Cross-platform apps should showcase any Material Design elements or Android-specific integrations in Android screenshots, while maintaining consistent branding with iOS assets.

Technical ASO Factors for Cross-Platform Apps

Cross-platform frameworks present unique technical considerations that impact ASO:

App Size Optimization

Both stores factor app size into their algorithms, with smaller apps generally receiving preference:

Flutter apps: Tend to have larger base sizes due to the embedded Flutter engine. Optimize by using app thinning, removing unused resources, and compressing assets.
React Native apps: Can reduce size by implementing code splitting, using Hermes engine on Android, and applying ProGuard/R8 optimizations.

A 2024 Google Play study revealed that each 10MB increase in app size correlates with a 2.5% decrease in install conversion, making size optimization particularly impactful for ASO.

Performance Metrics

Modern store algorithms incorporate performance data in rankings:

Crash rates: Both platforms penalize apps with frequent crashes. Cross-platform apps must be thoroughly tested on all target devices to identify framework-specific issues.
ANR (Application Not Responding): Android specifically penalizes apps with high ANR rates. React Native and Flutter apps must optimize JavaScript/Dart bridges to minimize these events.
Launch time: Apps that launch quickly receive preferential treatment. Cross-platform apps should implement splash screens and optimize initialization processes.

According to recent App Store Connect data, apps with crash rates below 1% receive up to 30% better search placement compared to similar apps with higher crash rates.

Ratings and Reviews Management

User feedback carries significant weight in both stores' algorithms, but the impact and management approaches differ slightly.

App Store Ratings Strategy

For iOS apps:

Ratings reset option: Apple allows developers to reset ratings with new versions. For major updates to cross-platform apps, consider using this option if previous ratings were problematic.
In-app review prompts: The SKStoreReviewController allows three requests per year. Time these carefully to capture satisfied users.

Google Play Ratings Strategy

For Android apps:

Cumulative ratings: Google Play doesn't offer a reset option, making your rating history permanent.
Review response impact: Google's algorithm factors in developer responses to reviews, making active review management more important on Android.

For cross-platform apps, implement a shared review prompt strategy that uses native APIs on each platform while following the same triggering logic in your shared codebase.

Localization Considerations

Proper localization dramatically expands your potential audience and improves conversion rates in international markets.

Localization Depth by Platform

App Store: Requires complete localization of all metadata for each target locale.
Google Play: Allows partial localization, but fully localized listings perform significantly better.

Cross-platform frameworks like Flutter and React Native offer excellent internationalization tools. Extend this commitment to localization beyond your app's UI to your store listings:

Keyword localization: Don't simply translate keywords; research native-language search terms for each market.
Cultural adaptation: Modify screenshots and descriptions to resonate with local audiences.
Regional feature highlighting: Emphasize different features based on regional preferences and needs.

Companies that properly localize their app store presence see an average of 128% more downloads in target markets compared to apps with English-only listings.

A/B Testing and Experimentation

Both stores offer A/B testing tools that are particularly valuable for cross-platform apps trying to optimize conversion across different ecosystems.

App Store A/B Testing via Product Page Optimization

Apple's Product Page Optimization allows testing:

App icons
Screenshots
App previews

For Flutter and React Native apps, test whether highlighting platform-specific features or emphasizing cross-platform consistency drives better conversion.

Google Play A/B Testing

Google's Store Listing Experiments offer more comprehensive testing options:

Short and long descriptions
App icons
Feature graphics
Screenshots
Videos

The methodical approach for cross-platform apps:

Establish baselines: Test current listings to understand conversion rates on each platform.
Test platform-specific messaging: Experiment with highlighting iOS-specific benefits on App Store and Android-specific benefits on Google Play.
Refine visual hierarchy: Test different screenshot sequences to determine which features drive conversion on each platform.
Iterate continuously: Successful ASO requires ongoing testing and refinement.

Monitoring ASO Performance

Effective ASO requires ongoing monitoring and adjustment. Different metrics matter for each store:

App Store Connect Analytics Focus

For iOS apps, prioritize:

Impression-to-conversion rate
Keyword ranking positions
Source type attribution

Google Play Console Analytics Focus

For Android apps, watch:

Store listing acquisition reports
Search term performance
Store performance by country

Cross-platform app developers should establish a consolidated dashboard that compares performance across both ecosystems, highlighting disparities that may indicate optimization opportunities.

Conclusion: Platform-Specific Excellence in ASO

While cross-platform development frameworks like Flutter, React Native, and .NET MAUI allow sharing code across platforms, ASO requires platform-specific excellence. The most successful cross-platform apps recognize and embrace the unique characteristics of each store's algorithm and user base.

Implement these key strategies for cross-platform ASO success:

Develop platform-specific keyword strategies that leverage each store's unique algorithm
Create visual assets that honor platform design conventions while maintaining brand consistency
Optimize technical performance factors specific to each platform
Manage ratings and reviews according to platform-specific best practices
Localize thoroughly for international markets
Test and iterate continuously using each platform's native tools

By avoiding the trap of one-size-fits-all ASO and embracing platform-specific optimization, your cross-platform app can achieve maximum visibility and conversion on both the App Store and Google Play. The most successful apps aren't just cross-platform in their code—they're cross-platform in their marketing strategy too.