This Dev Made $5K MRR Look Easy (Copy This ASO-First Strategy)

1) Search the US App Store (on a phone; the web doesn't show long-tail suggestions) for a topic you understand and can build for, e.g. 'calories'. 2) Note autosuggest long-tail terms; ignore new apps' names that appear there briefly. 3) Check whether other apps already own the keyword in title/subtitle, or whether it's a brand term. 4) If US popularity is low (e.g. 5) but Apple suggests it, assume it's searched elsewhere: find the top-ranking app for it and see where it gets its ratings/installs. 5) Deep research with Claude connected to Astro via MCP (his own skill): popularity and difficulty per country, related keywords, competitors per country; ASOMobile shows whether anyone bids on the keyword in Apple Search Ads. Many related keywords with demand is a good sign. Then build, with country-specific titles/subtitles mixing native and English keywords. Example: 'kanji' has popularity 7 in the US but 73 in Japan; 21 of 22 Japanese-learning keywords score better outside the US.

One campaign across all countries with low bids. Researched keywords go in broad match; ambiguous ones in exact match so spend isn't wasted (e.g. 'food scanner' exact so it doesn't match 'PDF scanner'). Broad match surfaces new keywords nobody bids on. Measure results, keep the winners, pause the rest. As an indie, start worldwide in low-CPI countries before the US; 10-20 days of ex-US spend costs what one US day does.

After discovery, shift focus from keyword to country: for each winning country, research related keywords in that store. Campaigns move through tiers: test (low bid) -> mid (bid raised a little when data is good) -> flagship Tier 1 campaigns kept running until performance drops. The country-focused tiering was set up this month with App Masters. Current focus countries: Indonesia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Japan.

Before launch, localize the store listing for the ~12 top locales that the US store indexes (e.g. Mexico, Saudi Arabia/Arabic, Vietnam, Chinese) plus countries where keyword research expects demand (e.g. Japan). Add more languages as Apple Search Ads reveals new countries. Every store language is also added inside the app to keep both aligned. Translation done manually or with AI; screenshots localized with Appscreens.

Default subscription price $5-7 depending on how needed the app is (up to $7 for problem solvers). For apps facing heavy competition, set localized lower prices per store; affordable because ex-US CPI is low and API costs allow it.

Ran small test campaigns on TikTok and Facebook ads out of curiosity; now spends only on Apple Search Ads.

App is built in Flutter, so after focusing on iOS he also publishes to Google Play with no ads or promotion.

Previously entered long-tail phrases in the App Store Connect keyword field; switched last month to comma-separated single words so Apple indexes more keyword combinations. Main keywords (4-6) belong in title and subtitle.

For a newly launched app: max-conversion Apple Ads campaign in every country except the US, CPA goal ~$2, ~$100/day budget (spent quickly). Broad, exact and automated ad groups. Read spend and impressions per country to see where the main keyword has search volume (no ASO tool covers it) and decide which localizations to do; checked RevenueCat for sales by country.

Timberman-style game promoted a free bonus via AppAdvice (Indie App Santa is an alternative). On first open the app gives 2,000 free coins, then asks 'Want to double that by watching a video?'. Monetizes users immediately, and the coins pull them into the game, giving them something to lose.

App ranks #1 for a single keyword with search popularity in the 40s in a low-competition, 'painkiller' category where users are willing to pay.