Julie Tonna

Reviews might be impacting your rankings more than you think. Metadata (title, subtitle, description) gets all the focus in ASO, but there’s another lever that’s often overlooked: user reviews.While it’s unofficial & not something we talked about at Apple Search Ads, I’ve recently started noticing apps get indexed for keywords in reviews, even when those keywords aren’t in their metadata.+ with iOS 18.4 bringing AI-generated review summaries, Apple could start surfacing frequently mentioned terms even more.A good example? When Squid Game Season 2 dropped, Roblox’s organic ranking for “Squid Game” spiked in the US (data from MobileAction). Not because they had the keyword in their metadata. Because users kept mentioning it in reviews. So how to take advantage of this?- Encourage users to mention key features- Respond strategically, reinforcing important keywords- Monitor AI summaries (once live) to see which terms […]

Things move fast! Here's more on the iOS 14 updates. With iOS 18.4, the App Store announced some big changes, from app tags & natural language search to review summaries.But something else is changing on Apple Search Ads.Until now, optimising Search Tab was limited to bids and audience refinements. That’s changing. Custom Product Pages are now available for Search Tab ads!We'll be able to direct users to custom landing pages instead of the default ad.Great use case: re-engaging past users with tailored messaging, highlighting latest in-app events, features, offers & updates.The goals?- Higher Conversion Rate- Lower CPIs- Improved overall performance for this placementThe App Store is evolving, and this could reshape how we approach iOS growth strategies.

“What’s the secret to growing on iOS?”.It’s the question I get asked the most. My answer? There’s no one-size-fits-all strategy.Looking back at the game developers and UA teams I’ve worked with at Apple & ironSource, I noticed one thing:1. The most successful teams know their strengths. 2. Then they double down on them.Take Trailmix Games.With Love & Pies , they stood out in the competitive Merge category through strong storytelling, inclusive characters, and sweet visuals.And it worked: looking at their App Store reviews, 40% of players mentioned loving the game for these exact reasons.The next step? Leaning into it and making sure their UA campaigns + ASO strategy highlight what players love.That’s exactly why I built the DICE Framework - to help teams identify their strengths and use them to drive growth, focusing on 4 key UA pillars:- Data- Innovation- […]

Last week, I had the opportunity to moderate a panel at Gamesforum in Barcelona about the state of user acquisition for free-to-play games. We discussed many topics, including the ever-increasing costs of acquiring new users, the constantly evolving landscape, and the reality of AI in marketing. Panel at Gamesforum Barcelona, discussing Costs, AI & sustainable growth: the state of F2P UA. One topic that really stood out to me was how the role of the performance marketer is changing. Today, we are expected to cover many different areas, including creative optimizations, data analytics, long-term planning, and overall strategy. From AI reducing the time spent on repetitive tasks and giving us some time back, to the challenges marketers face in standing out in an extremely competitive landscape with complex app store policies and ad network rules, we need to examine how […]

AI is everywhere. On our laptops, on our phones. Artificial Intelligence has become a part of daily life. From removing the background of a photo to generating lyrics for a new song or making an email more friendly, there are endless use cases, and even more apps to choose from. But the AI app space is changing, and fast. With the category growing so quickly, we’re seeing both exciting opportunities and major challenges, like rising competition in regional markets. This article looks at ChatGPT’s revenue boom, the competition bringing challenges in specific regions, and the advertising strategies these apps are using to keep up. Insights shared in this article come from the Sensor Tower report “ChatGPT Maintains US Lead; Share Weakens in Emerging Markets”, with graphs and additional insights & analysis sourced from Mobile Action. The Rise of ChatGPT No […]

User reviews = your ASA & ASO cheat sheet While prepping for PocketGamer.biz London, I dove into MobileAction App Intelligence insights and discovered something really interesting.I analyzed a variety of games: Exploring App Store pages, creative strategies, keywords, ratings, rankings... But one discovery really stood out while looking into Love & Pies by Trailmix Games.Out of the last 620 US reviews, a few keywords kept popping up, pointing to the 3 things players loved most about the game:- Story (59%)- Graphics (23%)- Inclusivity/characters (10%)This completely changed how I approach ASO, ASA keyword optimization, and especially Custom Product Pages (CPPs):- For returning users, spotlight updates to the story they’re already invested in.- For new users, highlight visuals and inclusivity to stand out from competitors.Reviews aren’t just feedback; Use them as a goldmine for your ASO, ASA, and UA strategies.

Here’s my little gift to you: Top free tools for ASO & ASA. Switchr – App Store looker | https://lnkd.in/ewMD_Dit Ad Repository – Competitor research | https://lnkd.in/eynfFNGz Scrnshts Club – Design inspo | https://scrnshts.club ASO CustomGPT – Strategy tool | https://lnkd.in/eNep5fbZ MobileAction Action – App Store insights | https://lnkd.in/eyX9n2nA Sensor Tower – Top charts WW | https://lnkd.in/eac3PCSk