Guide to App Store Analytics: Find the Data, Follow the Clues, Grow

Stop refreshing App Store Connect hoping for magical numbers. Your product page views are up, but installs are flat. Good tap-through rates on custom pages, but conversions are nonexistent.

We've been there. Behind every launch and creative test is one question: which app store metrics actually matter? And where do you find them?

We know what works, what fails, and what delivers over time. Getting it right starts with understanding that Apple and Google operate by completely different rules. Let's break that down.

#App Store Analytics vs Google Play Store: Key Differences

You know that moment when you're comparing iOS and Android campaign results and thinking, Wait, why does this feel like two completely different universes? You’re not wrong. Apple and Google serve up app store analytics in wildly different ways.

And if you can't read between the lines, you're flying blind.

With Apple, App Store Connect gives you a slick interface but limited visibility. You see impressions, page views, conversion rates, and downloads. But good luck figuring out where users came from or why they converted.

Custom product pages help somewhat. But tracking across territories or creative assets? Complete black box without external tools supporting your analytics strategy.

Google Play seems more transparent. You get keyword performance, category rankings, and more granular data.

The catch? It's inconsistent. Try matching Play Store keyword rankings with download spikes. The correlation is rarely linear - it's usually a mess.

Both platforms speak totally different “data dialects.” If you want to make the most of your app store analytics, understand Apple App Store statistics, or dig deeper into Apple App Store analytics specifically — you need to know what each store shows, hides, or skews. Let’s break down what to track, and how to turn that data into action.

#10 App Store Metrics to Track Your Mobile App's Success

An app launches with a solid product, some ASA budget, maybe even a few influencers in the mix… and then growth just plateaus. The team’s trying everything, but they’re flying blind because they’re not tracking what actually matters.

Once we start focusing on the right app store metrics — really dialing into app install analytics, search visibility, and the quality of app store traffic — that’s when things shift. Suddenly you can spot the leaks, double down on what’s working, and tie every win to real data.

Here are the metrics that, in my experience, separate the guessers from the growers. Let’s dig in.

Impressions

Ah, impressions. The first spark. They tell you how often your app appears in the App Store — search results, top charts, or even curated collections.

App impressions analytics in AppFollow dashboard. Test how it works 10 days free.

But here’s where most marketers trip: high impressions don’t guarantee anything if product page views aren’t keeping up.

We've worked on a wellness app that got thousands of impressions from a "New Apps We Love" feature — zero bump in installs. Why? The icon didn’t match the vibe users expected.

Watch your impression-to-view ratio. Under 10%? You're likely invisible in plain sight. This is where understanding app store traffic really begins.

Now, when someone does tap through…

Product Page Views

Image source.

That's where it gets real. Page views are like someone walking into your store after seeing your display window. The kicker - if views are high but installs are flat, your storefront isn't working.

We optimized a budgeting app with good copy but terrible screenshots (literal Excel charts). We switched to clean visuals with human benefits. Conversion jumped 22%. A decent view-to-downloads ratio starts at 30%, but with paid traffic? You should hit at least 45%.

Your visuals look good. Now what?

Conversion Rate (CVR)

Now we’re talking real performance. CVR is your single most honest metric — it shows whether your store listing actually converts viewers into users. It’s not just visuals or copy, though. Ratings, review sentiment, even your subtitle play into this.

We've seen a meditation app jump from 29% to 55% CVR just by front-loading “free guided sessions” in the subtitle.

Want a north star? Solid CVR lives in the 40–60% range. Under 30%? It’s time to tear your product page apart and rebuild it around user psychology, not design trends.

But are you even being found in the first place?

Keyword Rankings

If impressions are the spark, rankings are the oxygen. Where you rank for high-intent keywords determines whether anyone even sees your app. It’s not just about owning branded terms. You want to show up for what people actually search for.

Keyword rankings analytics in AppFollow dashboard. Test how it works 10 days free.

I once helped a journaling app crack the top 5 for “daily mood tracker” just by restructuring their title and subtitle combo. It led to a 3x increase in organic downloads. Set your sights on 10–15 keywords ranking in the top 10 — and monitor them weekly. Apple’s algorithm shifts fast.

Okay, so you’re ranking well — but how visible are you overall?

Search Visibility Score

This metric gives you a bird’s-eye view of your apple store app analytics landscape. It rolls your keyword rankings into one score that tells you: “How findable are we, really?” I like to think of it like SEO health for your app.

Search Visibility Score analytics in AppFollow dashboard. Test how it works 10 days free.

I had a case of a language app drop from 72 to 46 overnight — turns out a competitor launched with a nearly identical title. Visibility dropped, installs followed.

Keep your visibility score above 60 if you want to stay top-of-mind in your niche. If it’s trending down? Time to refresh your metadata.

And when users aren’t searching — but browsing instead?

Category Rankings

Your spot in the category charts is both ego boost and acquisition engine. It’s also wildly unstable.

Category Rankings analytics in AppFollow dashboard. Test how it works 10 days free.

A weather app client of mine hit #9 in Utilities after a big ASA push and an Apple feature — but dropped to #34 within a week. Still, that top-10 window brought a 27% spike in organic downloads.

The takeaway? Treat it like a campaign bonus, not a KPI. If you’re regularly in the top 20 of your category, you’ve earned your place. Just don’t count on it as your growth engine.

But sometimes, Apple gives you an unexpected edge…

Ratings Volume

Let’s be honest — users judge an app by its stars. But the number of ratings matters just as much as the score. We've seen apps with a 4.8 average and 38 ratings get passed over for a 4.4 app with thousands of reviews. Social proof isn’t just a bonus — it’s a trust signal.

App Rating summary in AppFollow. Check how it works 10 days free.

To keep volume steady, trigger review prompts after high-value actions — like a successful booking or progress milestone.

The magic number? Over 500 reviews with 4.5+ rating starts converting much better, especially when tied back to your app store traffic insights.

But ratings only tell half the story…

Ratings Sentiment

It’s not just about stars — it’s about stories. What people say in your reviews tells you exactly where your app delights… and where it disappoints.

For example:

Semantic analysis in AppFollow. Test how it works 10 days free.

I worked with a productivity app that maintained a 4.6 average but had growing frustration around sync issues. The stars didn’t show the pain, but sentiment analysis did. If you want to retain users, analyze tone, frequency of complaints, and emerging patterns.

High ratings + positive sentiment = a winning combo. This is one of those apple store app analytics layers that really exposes hidden opportunities.

And finally… are you actually growing?

Download Estimates (Organic & Paid)

This one shows you the truth behind the chart. Are your efforts turning into traction? Are installs growing because of organic discovery, or are you riding a paid campaign wave?

Downloads analytics in AppFollow dashboard. Test how it works 10 days free.

My team helped a wellness brand analyze their month-over-month downloads — and found a 12% organic growth rate outside of ASA boosts. That insight allowed us to double down on ASO, not ad spend. A healthy app shows consistent growth across multiple channels.

And if you can tie install trends to product page changes or app store traffic shifts? You’re no longer guessing. You’re guiding.

#Where to track app analytics: In Play Store or analytics services

Tracking app store analytics inside the App Store or Play Store does give you the basics. Through App Store Connect app analytics, you’ll get numbers like impressions, product page views, conversion rates, and downloads. Totally fine if you just need a surface-level pulse or you're early in the game.

But let’s be real — once you start asking things like, “Why did our visibility drop last week?” or “Which keywords are actually bringing in quality users?”... things get murky. The default app store app analytics tools don’t show:

• Keyword history or movement
• Review sentiment or patterns
• Competitor performance
• Country-level visibility changes
• Or any kind of alert when things shift unexpectedly

That’s where a dedicated tool like AppFollow makes life so much easier. You get one dashboard for everything — keyword tracking, visibility score, ratings velocity, featured placements, and more. It’s built for people who want the full story, not just disconnected charts.

So, what should you use?

• If you’re just getting started or prefer to piece things together manually, App Store or Play Console is totally fine.
• If you’re juggling campaigns, markets, and ASO goals — and want your decisions backed by data — a full-on analytics service might be your new best friend.

Now, once you can see what’s really going on with your app, the next question is: how do you actually fix or grow the numbers you see?

Let’s dive into exactly how to improve your App Store metrics ????

#How to Improve Your App Store Metrics

let’s talk about something I know you’ve felt before: you’re staring at your App Store dashboard, iOS app stats looking kind of “meh.” Impressions are steady, your ASA campaigns are running, you’ve just updated metadata — and yet… installs are stuck. You’re not alone. This is where most app marketers hit the “okay-but-why-is-this-happening” wall.

The truth? Tracking only inside Apple Store app analytics (aka App Store Connect) gives you a surface-level snapshot. Helpful, sure — but if you want to scale, you need to dig deeper than impressions and conversion rates. Think apple app analytics across multiple layers: discoverability, user behavior, creative performance, and review sentiment.

Here’s how seasoned marketers improve their metrics — not randomly, but methodically, using app analytics iPhone data with real strategy.

1. Optimize your product page like it’s a landing page

Your App Store listing is the first impression. That means your title, subtitle, and first two screenshots carry the bulk of the weight. Run A/B tests using custom product pages. Localize both creatives and messaging — especially in high-growth markets. We saw a 28% lift in French CVR by switching from "get things done" to culturally aligned phrases about balance and routine. Use keyword data and apple app analytics to validate every change, not just guess.

2. Turn reviews into revenue drivers

Seriously — if you’re not monitoring sentiment in your reviews weekly, you’re missing half the story. A 4.5-star rating means nothing if your most recent feedback screams about bugs or broken features. Segment feedback by version, tag recurring complaints, and report back to product weekly. Use in-app prompts (smartly!) right after moments of user satisfaction. Apple now weighs recent reviews more heavily in average star ratings — so ratings velocity matters more than ever.

3. Deepen your keyword strategy beyond vanity terms

Tracking “habit tracker” is nice — but ranking #3 for “free daily habit planner” will bring more qualified users. Use KEI (keyword effectiveness index) to focus on winnable terms. Map keyword ranking changes against ASA and metadata updates to uncover what’s actually moving the needle. Many teams overlook this because Apple Store app analytics doesn’t surface it natively — you need a tool that connects rankings, traffic, and iOS app stats together.

4. Segment CVR like a pro

Global conversion rate is fine. But real growth comes from breaking down CVR by country, by source, and by product page variant. For example, if your US traffic converts at 58% but Japan is lagging at 31%, that’s not a product issue — it’s creative localization. Track these trends monthly and annotate any changes to correlate shifts with ASA or metadata updates.

5. Don’t just track numbers — watch for patterns

Visibility scores, review sentiment swings, ranking volatility — none of these mean much in isolation. But over time? They paint your growth story. Compare your apple app analytics against competitors, category trends, and territory-specific performance. One of our clients saw a consistent 3-week post-update ranking dip, and only noticed after we started trend-flagging visibility score changes over quarters.

6. Use alerts and reports like an extra team member

Set up automated notifications for sudden CVR drops, review spikes, or keyword ranking loss. One client caught a metadata indexing error the same day it happened — just because their alert flagged a -12 drop in their top keyword overnight. These small insights can save thousands in lost installs.

Look, growth doesn’t come from working harder. It comes from reading the signals your app analytics iPhone data is giving you — and turning them into repeatable wins. When your product page is aligned with your messaging, your reviews reflect a great experience, and your visibility is driven by smart keyword choices?

That’s when your App Store metrics finally start working for you. And that’s when the installs (and revenue) follow.

#Top 3 Best Practices for App Store Analytics

You know those golden nuggets of wisdom that only come from living inside dashboards, launch calendars, and way too many post-release review audits? Yeah, these are those. I asked my teammates (who preferred to remain anonymous just this once) to share their favorite not-so-obvious, expert-level lifehacks from the trenches of iPhone app analytics. Stuff you won’t find in docs or tutorials, but you will want in your process.

Here’s what they said:

"If your top keyword ranking suddenly drops, don’t freak out right away — check if Apple quietly reclassified your app. We've seen AppStore analytics go sideways just because the category changed from ‘Productivity’ to ‘Lifestyle’ after a metadata tweak. Rankings tanked overnight. Now I always annotate big changes inside our iOS app analytics tool to track what’s algorithmic vs. what we can actually control."

"Here’s one you won’t see in any official docs: preview your screenshots in dark mode. The App Store shows them on a dark background by default. I once caught a client’s main screenshot text blending into the background — CVR dropped 12% before we fixed it. Now every creative asset gets tested in light and dark mode. It’s the small things that make a big difference in app analytics iPhone results."

"Keep a close eye on sudden drops in your average star rating — even a 0.1 dip matters. We saw a 4.6 rating slip to 4.3 after a buggy update, and the install numbers didn’t reflect the damage right away. But the reviews? Brutal. Now I track review sentiment weekly, broken down by country and version, using our app analytics iPhone dashboard. Ratings always follow sentiment — so if the tone shifts, you’ve got a narrow window to course-correct before it shows up in your numbers."

#Level Up Your Mobile App Analytics with AppFollow

If you're serious about growth on the App Store, it’s time to move beyond surface-level stats. App Store Connect gives you the basics — but AppFollow helps you unlock the full story. Whether you're tracking visibility dips, review sentiment, or custom page performance, it turns scattered data into focused action.

Think of it as the best analytics for iOS app teams that want answers — not just numbers. With AppFollow, reading performance isn't a guessing game. It's built for marketers who need to know what happened, why it happened, and what to do next.

Here’s what you’ll get:

• Real-time and historical keyword rankings with visibility insights
• Smart tools to monitor and respond to reviews with sentiment analysis
• Competitor tracking across keywords, rankings, and categories
• Historical category performance trends at a glance
• Insights that actually help you read Apple analytics data clearly
• Easy tracking of custom product pages, CVR, and ASA performance
• Flexible alerts, filters, and dashboards for true team collaboration

Whether you're refining ASO or scaling globally, AppFollow simplifies iPhone app analytics and makes optimization repeatable.

Test AppFollow free for 10 days — and finally see what your App Store data is really telling you.

FAQs

What is App Store Analytics?

It’s how you track your app’s performance on the App Store — things like impressions, product page views, installs, and conversion rates. You’ll find this data in App Store Connect analytics, and it’s a core part of understanding your iOS App Store analytics setup.

What can iPhone analytics tell you?

If we’re talking iPhone app analytics through App Store Connect, you’ll see how users discover your app, where your traffic comes from, and how well your app page converts. If you're in iPhone settings, that’s more technical stuff — not super helpful for marketers.

What is the use of App Store Analytics?

App Store statistics help you understand what’s working in your app listing — like visibility, tap-throughs, and installs. It’s key for making smart, data-backed marketing decisions with iOS app analytics.

How to see Play Store Analytics?

Just log into Google Play Console. It’s the Android version of App Store Connect analytics and shows installs, reviews, retention, and traffic sources. For a full view across stores, it’s helpful to use a third-party analytics tool too.