App Store Ranking Factors 2025: What Really Matters for iOS Apps

Ranking your app higher on the App Store is a challenging task that requires focus on several factors. Those factors are app name, subtitle, downloads, metadata, app performance, and more. If you can manage all such factors, your app can rank higher on the App Store and in search results. To get the intended results, you need to first understand how the App Store algorithm works for an app to rank higher. Also, you need to know the app optimization mechanism to improve your app’s visibility and ranking in search results. 

If you are unable to address and manage all the factors and still want to increase the rating of your app, you should buy App Store reviews from authentic sources. For example, you can take advantage of Followers Rich, which is one of the trusted online platforms to buy positive App Store reviews for your app genuinely. This platform enables you to buy positive reviews for your app to increase ranking in search results and ratings on the App Store. 

Factors Affecting App Rating on App Store in 2025

If you are struggling to rank your app on the App Store in 2025, you need to learn the most effective App Store optimization (ASO) strategies to improve your app store rating and ranking. Several factors and technicalities can directly or indirectly affect the ranking and performance of your app on the App Store and search results. Let’s take a look at those factors as follows:

1. Keyword and Metadata 

• Keyword: Selecting the right keywords for your app is the first step you should take seriously. Therefore, you need to conduct extensive keyword research and evaluation to identify relevant keywords for your app. To discover the appropriate keywords, consider using App Radar, which provides optimal keywords for your app. Finding and optimizing the right keywords can help improve your app’s ranking in the App Store and Google search results. 
• Metadata: Your app rating is also affected by the metadata description that should be written correctly. Hence, you should write metadata for the app meaningfully and include relevant keywords to improve App Store ranking for your app. 

2. App Name and Subtitle

• App Name: Your app’s name also influences the users and helps in improving ranking on the App Store. Hence, you need to choose a unique name for the app and also choose relevant keywords for it. The combination of the right name and keyword will surely work in the iOS app ranking results. 
• Subtitles: Your app subtitle should be meaningful and resemble the name and purpose of the app. Your app’s subtitle should also include a relevant keyword that helps in improving App Store optimization and search results.  

3. Keyword Field and App Description

• Keyword Field: Selection of the right keyword field is also crucial for your app’s ranking. Once you select an adequate keyword field, you need to optimize it well using the right iOS ASO strategy that works to lift your app’s ranking in search results. Hence, the keyword field selection is also an important consideration for your app’s ranking in the search results. 
• App Description: A well-written app description with keywords can help improve the conversion rate and ranking of your app in the App Store. This is an indirect factor that can work for your app’s ranking. 

4. App Performance and Downloading Speed

• App Performance: Your overall app performance can also affect your app ranking on the App Store. App performance includes factors like the app downloading rate, speed, size, and user experience or reviews. Hence, you need to take care of all such factors that can build the overall performance of your app and help improve the iOS App Store ranking in 2025. You should track the daily performance of your app and consider the user experience that can affect your app’s rating. 

• Downloading Speed: A small-sized and faster downloading speed app can have a good performance on the App Store. Also, the users will prefer to download apps that occupy less space on the system and take less time to download. Hence, it will influence the app retention rate and increase the user’s interest in your app. As a result, users will give positive reviews about performance and download speed, which will further lift your app’s ranking on the App Store. 

5. User Reviews and Ratings

Your app’s rating on the App Store will also be affected by user reviews. Positive reviews by users will help lift the rating of your app in search results. The apps with a 4.5 or higher rating will get massive downloads and positive reviews from users. However, this result will be obtained from the organic reviews from users. Hence, the positive user reviews will have a dramatic effect on the rating of your app on the App Store. So, developers must optimize the app through the right iOS ASO strategy that helps them get positive reviews. Also, they should address negative reviews to increase the visibility and rating of the app.

6. Regular App Updates

With regular app updates, you can give intimation to the users and the App Store algorithm to address improvements in your app. Hence, it will motivate the existing and new users to acknowledge those changes that will give a good user experience and reviews for your app. Also, the regular updates on your app will improve the performance of the app and increase users’ interest in downloading updates of the app ahead.  

7. User Retention and Engagement

The App Store algorithm regularly monitors your app’s user retention and engagement. If your app has a high user retention rate, it means your app is performing well and users are getting good engagement with it. Hence, this will have a positive impact on your app, which will result in increasing its ranking on the App Store. 

Thus, the above are some significant App Store ranking factors, which can have a major impact on your app’s rating and performance on the App Store. 

How does the App Store ranking algorithm work?

It is significant to know how the App Store algorithm works to boost the ranking of your app. Your app will be tested by the App Store at two levels such as: 

Eligibility of the App 

In this level, the App Store algorithm will analyze the eligibility of your app first. For instance, your app metadata will be checked for correct title, name, description, and keyword implementation. All these details are essential for your app to rank higher in the search results. To meet the first level, you need to conduct extensive keyword research to find relevant keywords for your app to rank. Besides, you should also include other details in metadata like name, title, description, etc., adequately. All such things will be tested at the first level by the App Store algorithm to make your app eligible for ranking. 

App Relevancy 

In the second level, your app will be tested for its relevancy. You need to ensure that your app is reliable and relates to a specific search query. Hence, your app must be developed precisely to serve the particular purpose of the users. Also, you need to make the app searchable on specific keywords that should be included in the metadata. To find relevant keywords for your app, you can take the help of App Radar, which helps you find competitive keywords for your app to be searchable and rank higher by the App Store algorithm. 

Other factors and considerations

There are many other factors and considerations that you need to identify for ranking your app by the App Store algorithm.  

• An app with a faster download speed will get recommended by the App Store. 
• An app having massive download numbers will inspire other users to download the app. 
• With positive reviews and high ratings, your app depicts its reliability and effectiveness. 
• High CTR and conversion rates will also positively impact your app’s ranking on the App Store. 

Thus, above are a few factors that matter for ranking your app higher on the App Store. 

Conclusion

To improve your app’s rating and visibility on the App Store, you should apply the right iOS ASO strategy and optimize the app smartly to match the App Store algorithm. For this aim, you need to choose relevant keywords for the app optimization and also select the right name and subtitle for the app. Besides, you should also track the performance of the app and make regular updates to improve it. You also need to address the user reviews and resolve negative reviews to improve the app rating on the App Store. By following all such exercises, you can get optimum results for your app in search results.