Editorial curation refers to human selection and promotion of apps by store editors on official app marketplaces. It's a high-visibility placement mechanism distinct from algorithmic ranking, offering substantial traffic and credibility gains to selected apps.
What It Is
Editorial curation is the manual selection and featured placement of apps by editorial teams at Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Apps chosen for editorial features appear on curated collections, "Editor's Choice" badges, or homepage takeovers—placements driven by human judgment rather than algorithmic scoring.
Why It Matters for ASO
Editorial features represent one of the highest-impact discovery mechanisms available:
- Traffic velocity: Featured apps often see 5-50x download spikes during placement periods
- Credibility signal: Editor endorsement builds user trust and can improve organic discovery rankings
- No paid placement: Unlike wiki:apple-search-ads, editorial features are earned placements
- Sustained visibility: Collections and categories remain discoverable long after initial promotion
Editorial selection often influences algorithmic rankings because increased downloads and positive ratings feed back into ranking factors.
Key Things to Know
- Selection criteria: Editors evaluate app quality, design, originality, cultural relevance, and user experience—not keyword optimization
- Timing matters: New releases and app updates receive higher editorial consideration windows
- Regional variation: Editorial teams in each territory (US, UK, Japan, etc.) make independent curation decisions
- No direct submission: Apps cannot be "submitted" for editorial review; teams discover candidates through usage monitoring and publisher outreach
- Badges and collections: "Editor's Choice" badges on iOS and Android, category collections, and themed compilations are primary editorial vehicles
- Seasonal focus: Holiday seasons, back-to-school, and cultural moments drive curated collection themes
While ASO practitioners cannot directly control editorial selection, optimizing metadata clarity, maintaining app quality, and communicating meaningful updates to press contacts increases visibility to editorial teams.
Related Concepts
Editorial curation intersects with ranking factors because featured status influences download velocity and ratings—both algorithmic signals.