Late 1990s – Early 2000s
Carrier app stores
Carrier app stores emerge (Verizon Get It Now, AT&T mMode). Closed ecosystems with controlled discovery.
ASO Pioneers
Helping Shape an Industry from the Beginning
Long before App Store Optimization became an established part of mobile marketing, our founders were helping define the discipline and develop the technology behind it.
In 2010, Dave Bell and Anh met in San Jose, California, and the phrase "App Store Optimization" was spoken aloud. Gummicube was incorporated shortly afterward as one of the earliest companies focused exclusively on App Store Optimization.
The Origin of the Term
Why should developers carry nearly all product risk?
In 2010, after years working on mobile distribution with record labels and entertainment companies, Dave Bell and Anh met in San Jose, California. The initial conversation focused on launching a game publishing business, but quickly shifted to a deeper structural issue: why should developers carry nearly all product risk while opaque ad networks capture most of the upside?
The discussion turned toward discoverability, search behavior, and parallels between app marketplaces and early web search. Concepts borrowed from SEO began mapping naturally onto app store dynamics.
Market intelligenceCompetitive analyticsApp search optimizationCreative testing
At the time, no ASO category existed, no ASO tools existed, and no one marketed ASO as a discipline. Recognizing the opportunity, Gummicube was incorporated shortly afterward.
Read the Full History of ASO →Timeline
The History of ASO
Key milestones in the history of App Store Optimization.
2007 – 2008
iPhone and the App Store
Apple introduces the iPhone, then launches the App Store. Direct-to-consumer app distribution becomes global.
2009 – 2011
Discovery collapses
Mass app saturation. Developers struggle with discovery. Install manipulation and incentivized networks proliferate.
2010
ASO is coined
The term "App Store Optimization" (ASO) is coined. Early ASO experimentation begins.
Gummicube is founded
2012 – 2015
A structured discipline
Attribution platforms mature. Apple enforces stricter policies. ASO begins emerging as a structured discipline.
2016 – Present
A pillar of mobile growth
ASO tools, agencies, and frameworks expand globally. Creative optimization, localization, and CRO become core components, and ASO becomes a standard pillar of mobile growth strategy.
How ASO Works
Our ASO Guides
Firsthand explanations of how App Store Optimization works, from people who helped create the discipline.
History of ASO (App Store Optimization)
A firsthand account of the history of App Store Optimization (ASO), from early mobile app marketplaces through the creation of the term and the founding of Gummicube by Dave Bell and Anh Nguyen.
How ASO Works in Google Play
A firsthand explanation of how App Store Optimization (ASO) works in Google Play, where textual relevance across the whole listing plays a much larger role than in the Apple App Store.
How ASO Works in the Apple App Store
A firsthand explanation of how App Store Optimization (ASO) actually works in the Apple App Store, written by one of the earliest practitioners involved in creating the discipline.
Let's Connect
Need Help with App Store Visibility?
From discovery and conversion to complex app rejections, we advise companies on growth across the Apple App Store and Google Play.