---
title: How much to rely on ASO, and how it fits with Apple Ads and Meta
slug: aso-as-acquisition-channel
summary: Steve P. Young's view (2026) that ASO is a slice of the acquisition pie, not the whole — when it can carry an app, why to pair it with Apple Ads first, and how it validates a funnel before Meta.
domain: mobile-apps
tags: [aso, apple-ads, channel-strategy, user-acquisition]
related: [aso-ranking-factors, aso-low-volume-keyword-quantity-strategy, custom-product-pages-for-ads, app-marketing-budget-and-first-channel, app-growth-stages-organic-to-paid, apple-ads-as-first-paid-channel]
sources: [yt:ytAKZDh5eHU, yt:2jH64ziB7uM, yt:q3JuNLUKL1U, yt:cq6KhOH6GAw]
updated: 2026-10-23
---

# How much to rely on ASO, and how it fits with Apple Ads and Meta

## TL;DR
- ASO is getting much harder with vibe-coded app floods; treat it as **"a slice of the pie, not your entire pie"**.[^1][^2]
- ASO works best **on top of** an existing channel (Meta, TikTok, organic social): download volume lifts organic ranks.[^2][^3]
- Relying only on ASO? Also run ads — Steve starts with **Apple Ads under ~$10K MRR** because it's cheaper and only needs keywords.[^2]
- ASO/Apple Ads are **pull** channels (high intent) — Steve uses them to **validate the funnel** cheaply before scaling with push channels like Meta.[^4]
- Skip that step where search doesn't exist (e.g. a new social network) — go straight to Meta.[^5]
- Typical pure-organic ceiling in his examples: **$2–3K/month** (long-tail) up to six figures/year; seven figures usually needs paid.[^6][^7]

## Details
**Why search converts.** People searching "soundscapes" or "green noise" already want the thing; ranking #1–3 for such terms drives sales, which is why Steve calls ASO free, organic and "one of the best sources of traffic to get sales".[^8] Top-3 results take ~90% of clicks.[^9]

**Brand vs generic.** Clients making six figures to ~$500K mostly from App Store search also had branded search demand, not just generic keywords.[^6]

**One or two channels are enough.** Steve has seen apps reach up to $5M MRR on one or two channels; find "channel–market fit" early and focus.[^10]

**Funnel validation order (Oct 2026):** ASO + Apple Ads → confirm trial→paid and revenue → then Meta, expecting Meta users to convert worse (push vs pull). For Meta he wants at least **$3 LTV per install**.[^4][^5]

## Disagreements / caveats
- Steve sells ASO and Apple Ads services; his preference for starting there is also his business.
- Thresholds ($10K MRR, $3 LTV) are personal rules of thumb.

## See also
- [[aso-ranking-factors]]
- [[custom-product-pages-for-ads]]
- [[app-marketing-budget-and-first-channel]] — choosing the first channel for a new app
- [[app-growth-stages-organic-to-paid]] — when to add paid

[^1]: yt:ytAKZDh5eHU @ 00:00 — Steve P. Young
[^2]: yt:ytAKZDh5eHU @ 12:40 — Steve P. Young
[^3]: yt:ytAKZDh5eHU @ 01:33 — Steve P. Young
[^4]: yt:2jH64ziB7uM @ 05:48 — Steve P. Young
[^5]: yt:2jH64ziB7uM @ 06:37 — Steve P. Young
[^6]: yt:ytAKZDh5eHU @ 11:22 — Steve P. Young
[^7]: yt:cq6KhOH6GAw @ 16:56 — Steve P. Young
[^8]: yt:cq6KhOH6GAw @ 04:24 — Steve P. Young
[^9]: yt:q3JuNLUKL1U @ 04:34 — Steve P. Young
[^10]: yt:q3JuNLUKL1U @ 01:09 — Steve P. Young