“Over 50% of installs come through search and go to one of the top three rankings on search. It is really critical that if you're going to launch a product you understand what relevant keywords for your product — what is your ability to rank on those keywords? If the first three results are hundred-million-dollar companies with massive budgets, that's probably a concern.”

ASO is over 50% of installs and the incumbent at position one is nearly impossible to displace in 2024

Falzon draws on data from Mosaic's portfolio to establish that App Store search is the single largest install channel for most apps, but positions 1-3 capture the vast majority of that traffic. The incumbent advantage in established categories is severe: apps like Lose It have held top rankings for a decade-plus. An app entering the calorie-counting category in 2024 cannot rely on ASO; it must identify an alternative acquisition lever (TikTok organic, SEO, paid) or find a keyword niche the incumbents have left uncontested.