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How Your App Performance Impacts ASO

April 24th, 2025

How Your App Performance Impacts ASO
David Bell

by David Bell

CEO at Gummicube, Inc.

Your metadata has always played a vital role in app store optimization, but it’s only part of the equation. Google Play’s algorithm also weighs user experience heavily when it comes to how you rank for keywords; how people interact with your app after downloading it matters more than ever. Recent updates from Google make this even clearer, introducing stricter thresholds around user metrics that directly affect app visibility and keyword rankings. For app developers, app marketers, and ASO specialists, this signals a major shift in how apps are evaluated. In this week’s ASO News, we’re breaking down what these user metrics mean for your ASO strategy and how to stay ahead.

THE RISE OF USER-CENTRIC METRICS

Google Play has long prioritized app quality through various Android vitals, such as crash rates and the app’s ANR (Application Not Responding) rate. However, with the addition of new user experience metrics, Google is now placing even greater emphasis on how users perceive and interact with your app. This is part of a broader shift toward prioritizing apps that provide a better overall experience to users.

The new metrics that Google is focusing on include:

  • User Loss Rate: This metric refers to how many users uninstall your app over time. A high user loss rate suggests your app may not be offering a compelling enough experience to retain users.
  • Daily Active Users (DAU) to Monthly Active Users (MAU) Ratio: This ratio indicates how many users return to your app on a daily basis compared to monthly. A higher DAU/MAU ratio signals greater engagement and retention.
  • App Uninstalls: Apps with higher uninstall rates will struggle to maintain visibility as this reflects poorly on their user experience.

These metrics are crucial because they show Google how users interact with your app, highlighting both the positive and negative aspects of user engagement. The more Google can see that users find value in your app, the higher the likelihood it will be ranked favorably in the Play Store.

HOW THESE METRICS AFFECT APP VISIBILITY

Google Play’s algorithms now consider user metrics as a significant factor in determining an app’s ranking within search results and its eligibility for various features within the Play Store. If your app exceeds certain thresholds for negative metrics (such as a high uninstall rate or low DAU/MAU ratio) it will be penalized in rankings. Simply put, if your app fails to provide a positive user experience, Google will push it down the list in favor of apps that meet its quality criteria.

New Metrics Impact ASO Rankings

As these new user metrics are integrated into the Play Store’s ranking algorithm, apps that fail to meet the minimum thresholds will lose visibility. While traditional factors like keywords, metadata, and creative elements still play a major role, the algorithm now takes user experience into account more than ever before. Apps with a higher user loss rate or poor engagement will see their rankings drop, even if their metadata and keywords are optimized to perfection.

In a competitive app landscape, user experience has always been important, but these new metrics now make it a critical part of the ranking algorithm. With Google’s increasing focus on user satisfaction, developers must not only optimize for discoverability but also for quality engagement. This shift highlights the importance of balancing app performance and retention features with your ASO strategy.

Recent Reviews And Star Ratings Matter

Google’s star rating system has long been a crucial factor in an app’s visibility, and now, recent reviews are weighted more heavily than older ones. This means that your app’s current user experience, as reflected in recent reviews, plays an even larger role in how Google evaluates your app. Negative reviews from recent users could have a disproportionate impact on your app’s rankings, even if older reviews were more positive.

Google’s algorithm now places greater emphasis on the quality of user feedback in a given time frame. This can mean that if your app has a history of positive reviews, but more recent feedback is negative, it can impact your app’s ranking. As a result, developers must not only respond to user feedback but also work actively to improve their app’s performance and user experience.

GOOGLE’S QUALITY THRESHOLDS FOR PLAY STORE TREATMENTS

To qualify for certain features or prominent placements on Google Play, apps must meet specific user metric thresholds. These include:

  • User Loss Rate: Must be below 5%.
  • DAU/MAU Ratio: Must be greater than 8%.
  • Sufficient User Engagement: Apps need a certain number of users installing and engaging with the app to provide accurate data over a 30-day period.

These thresholds are important for ASO because they directly influence whether your app is eligible for “quality treatments” on the Play Store, such as higher visibility on the Play Store’s main pages, beta features, or special treatments like Inline Installs. Failing to meet these criteria

can limit your app’s exposure to potential users, negatively impacting downloads and overall success.

Meeting these quality thresholds is crucial if developers want their app to stand out on Google Play. If you don’t meet these standards, your app’s ability to gain visibility will be significantly hampered. Therefore, it’s critical that developers focus not only on the technical side of app development but also on ensuring a quality, engaging user experience.

What App Developers Can Do to Optimize Metrics

WHAT DEVELOPERS CAN DO TO OPTIMIZE FOR THESE METRICS

To maintain high visibility in the Google Play Store, developers need to adapt their ASO strategies to focus more on user experience and engagement. Here are some strategies to help improve user metrics:

  1. Focus on App Retention: Invest in features that keep users engaged and returning to your app regularly. Personalization, regular updates, and seamless user experiences can help reduce the uninstall rate. Retention features, such as push notifications, in-app rewards, and personalized recommendations, can all improve long-term engagement.
  2. Improve Performance and Usability: Technical quality still matters, so ensure your app is free of crashes and ANRs. Make your app’s interface intuitive and user-friendly to enhance engagement. Simplify navigation, reduce load times, and ensure compatibility with a wide range of devices to improve usability.
  3. Gather and Act on App User Feedback: Since recent reviews are weighted more heavily, it’s crucial to keep track of user feedback and address any issues promptly. Encourage satisfied users to leave positive reviews to counterbalance any recent negative feedback. Providing an easy way for users to give feedback within the app can help you gather valuable insights and improve.
  4. Implement Engagement App Features: Increase DAU/MAU ratios by incorporating features that encourage frequent app use. Gamification, notifications, and personalized content can all help boost engagement. The more users return to your app regularly, the higher your DAU/MAU ratio will be, which can significantly improve your app’s visibility.
  5. Leverage ASO Tools: Use ASO tools like Gummicube's Splitcube to test different app elements (like screenshots and descriptions) to ensure you're optimizing for both user experience and visibility. Testing different creative assets and app descriptions can help identify what resonates best with your audience.

HOW THESE METRICS FIT INTO THE BROADER ASO STRATEGY

While user metrics are a powerful tool in Google Play’s ranking algorithm, they’re just one part of the broader ASO puzzle. Developers still need to focus on traditional optimization strategies like keyword research, high-quality metadata, and creative assets that stand out in the store. However, these new user metrics require a shift in focus toward the user experience and engagement factors that are critical for app success.

The challenge for developers now is to balance technical app quality with the need for user-centric features that increase retention and engagement. In short, ASO has evolved from focusing purely on discoverability to incorporating more complex factors related to app performance and user satisfaction.

Google’s updates mark a clear shift in how apps are evaluated, and now more than ever, developers must take a holistic approach to ASO that accounts for both discoverability and user satisfaction. The future of ASO will depend on developers being able to meet both traditional optimization factors and the new user-focused criteria introduced by Google.

CONCLUSION: NAVIGATING GOOGLE’S NEW USER METRICS FOR ASO SUCCESS

As Google Play introduces these new quality metrics, the impact on app visibility is clear. User engagement, retention, and overall experience are now just as important as traditional ASO elements like keyword optimization and creative assets. Apps that fail to meet these updated thresholds risk losing visibility, which can significantly affect downloads and user acquisition.

To stay competitive, developers must place an increased focus on improving the user experience, ensuring their apps meet the new user metric standards while continuing to refine traditional ASO strategies. A balanced approach that optimizes for both user satisfaction and discoverability is key to thriving in this evolving ASO landscape.

With these changes in mind, adapting your ASO strategy to prioritize user engagement and performance will help ensure that your app maintains strong visibility and a competitive edge in the Google Play Store.

LET'S CHAT!

Staying on top of Google Play’s latest updates can be challenging, but you don’t have to navigate these changes alone. Gummicbue’s ASO services specialize in data-driven ASO strategies that help apps succeed in a dynamic market. If you’re looking to improve your app’s visibility and user experience, we’d love to help you get there.

Reach out to us to discuss how Gummicbue’s team of experts can support your app’s growth and long-term success!

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