How Ecosia Gained +700% Visibility with One Bold ASO Move

App Store Optimization (ASO) isn’t magic. But when it’s done with intent, precision, and obsession, it can drive results that feel like magic.

Take Ecosia: a privacy-first browser app that plants trees when users search. For years, its store visibility was powered almost entirely by brand searches. But outside of that loyal user base?

Nothing.

That changed when REPLUG’s ASO team—led by Nikoloz Khatiashvili, REPLUG’s ASO Specialist—rebuilt the app’s keyword strategy from scratch, focusing on intent, not volume.

The result?

A massive increase in incremental installs, over 700% visibility growth, and a dominant new position in the US App Store.

Let’s break down how.

We’re REPLUG, a Berlin-based app marketing agency specializing in OEM marketing, paid user acquisition, ASO, tracking and analytics, and more.

Contact us today if you’re looking for expert solutions to promote your app and scale through mobile marketing.

The Starting Point: Brand-Only Visibility

When Ecosia came to REPLUG, it had zero optimization in place. The only source of store traffic was direct brand name searches like “ecosia.”

That meant:

• No keyword visibility for core browser terms
• No alignment with real user intent
• No presence in discovery-based installs

“Our main goal was to move Ecosia from a brand-dependent app into a true contender in the browser category.”
— Nikoloz Khatiashvili

So, we started ASO from zero.

The Strategy: Find Keywords Everyone Else Missed

We didn’t just copy competitors. We studied them and then looked where they weren’t.

REPLUG conducted a deep competitive analysis to uncover:

• High-intent keywords with low competition
• Long-tail phrases that reflected real user behavior
• Hidden keyword opportunities that most ASO teams overlook

We also requested storefront expansion (e.g., US, UK, Mexico) to enable broader localization opportunities and indexing.

The breakthrough?

“People weren’t searching for Ecosia by name. They were searching for browsers that solved specific problems. Our job was to connect the dots.”
— Nikoloz Khatiashvili

The Keywords That Changed Everything

By focusing on long-tail, intent-driven keywords, we began ranking for terms like:

• “path browser” (#2)
• “snowbunny” (#3)
• “duckduckgo privacy browser” (#2)
• “orion browser” (#9)
• “ornet browser” (#5)

These keywords weren’t part of any ASO templates. They were hand-picked based on real behavior and traffic potential, not guesswork.

“Most ASO teams stay in their comfort zone. We go ten layers deeper.”

The Results

US:

• Targeted keywords drove a major uplift in installs
• Keyword visibility increased by over 700%
• Ranked keywords increased significantly, with dozens of high-potential terms breaking into the Top 30

UK:

• Keyword-led installs grew more than 3x
• Total organic downloads climbed steadily with minimal metadata updates

“Before, Ecosia was invisible unless you searched for its name. Now it ranks for high-intent browser terms. That’s not just growth, that’s transformation.”

What We Learned

1. Intent beats volume. Big keywords don’t help if you can’t win them.
2. Creatives and metadata must reinforce each other. Rankings mean nothing if your store page doesn’t convert.
3. Long-tail wins compound. Small wins across 10+ keywords = big impact.

Why REPLUG’s ASO Approach Worked

Most agencies run the same playbook. We didn’t.

We:

• Opened new storefronts to expand reach
• Found keywords competitors missed
• Used deep analysis + cross-localization to boost visibility
• Focused on ranking AND conversion, not just indexation

“We found keywords that only 5 apps in the entire French App Store were ranking for. That alone drove major growth.”

Final Takeaway

We’re just starting, but these results prove that targeted keyword strategy = scalable organic growth.

If you’re not optimizing for intent, you’re leaving thousands of users on the table.

“You can’t win ASO by playing it safe. The best installs are buried beneath the obvious keywords.”
— Nikoloz Khatiashvili

Ecosia went from invisible to competitive in one of the toughest categories in the store. Not by luck. Not by templates.

By going deeper than anyone else.

Want keyword wins like this?

Let’s talk. REPLUG’s ASO team helps apps find hidden growth opportunities that other agencies miss. Contact us today.