Actionist
A business you run with AI

Start an App Store Optimization business while you keep your day job

Indie developers have apps worth discovering and no idea how to make them rank. Actionist breaks the whole ASO service into a task plan and works through the keyword research, listing rewrites and ranking reports in the

Actionist does the keyword research, the writing and the tracking. You do one call and a few approvals.

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Your AI workforce
$700+per listing, you set it
$42,000a year at 5 listings a month
6phases Actionist runs
Actionist operatesActionist App Store
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Millions of indie apps sit buried in the App Store and Google Play, invisible because their titles, descriptions and keyword fields are not matched to how people actually search. Starting an app store optimization business to fix that used to mean years of ASO expertise, expensive tools and hours of manual competitor trawling. Actionist changes that. It is an AI agent that operates real apps the way a person does, so it can pull keyword data, audit a listing against competitors, draft a rewrite in the developer's voice, track ranking changes month on month and report back to the client, working through the plan in the background while you keep your job.

You do not need to be an ASO specialist, and you do not need to quit your job. You bring the client relationship and the final yes on every deliverable. Actionist does the data, the drafting and the follow-up, and only comes to you for the approvals that matter.

start an app store optimization businessASO service with AIapp store optimization agencymake money doing ASOstart a business while working full time
01

Your opportunity

The opportunity

Why this works

The App Store and Google Play list millions of apps. Most indie makers have a listing they wrote themselves on launch day and never touched again, while rivals who bothered to optimize their keywords rank above them for every relevant search.

An ASO service charges per listing optimized and a monthly retainer for ongoing tracking. Because Actionist does the research and the rewriting in the background, you can handle more clients than a solo freelancer ever could, without extra staff.

What matters to you
  • A vast, underserved market
    The App Store and Play Store each host millions of apps, and most indie developers have never done serious keyword optimization.
  • A clear, measurable result
    Better keywords and cleaner copy directly lift an app's search rank and conversion rate, so clients see a tangible outcome.
  • Recurring retainer income
    Keyword rankings shift every month as rivals update their listings. Ongoing tracking and tweaks become a predictable monthly fee.
  • Low cost to start
    No office, no team, no specialist tools to buy outright. Actionist provides the research and writing capabilities.
Your projection

Run your own numbers

Your projection

Set the numbers, see the picture

Price per listing
$700
listings a month
5
Per month
$3,500
Per year
$42,000

Illustrative, based on the numbers you enter. Plus optional monthly ranking retainer per app.

Getting started

What it actually takes to start

ASO used to require specialist tools, years of keyword data and hours of manual competitor trawling. Actionist does the data and the drafting, so the bar to start this service is lower than you might think.

What you don't need
  • Years of ASO experience
    Actionist handles the keyword research and analysis for you.
  • Paid tool subscriptions upfront
    Actionist accesses keyword and ranking data in the background.
  • A copywriting or marketing background
  • An office or team
    Everything runs from your laptop.
  • To quit your day job
    Actionist works the plan while you are at work.
What you bring
  • Curiosity about apps and what makes them
    Enough interest to spot a good keyword angle on a call.
  • A few evenings a week for calls and approvals
    Most of the work runs without you.
  • A laptop and Actionist
    That is the whole setup.

If you can describe the kind of app you want to help, Actionist can do the keyword research, write the listing and track the results.

02

How Actionist works

How it works

How Actionist builds the business

You do not run the day to day of this service, Actionist does. Here is how it works on any business idea, applied to ASO: you sign a client, the agent plans every task, then works through the research and writing and brings you the few moves that need a human.

  1. 01

    You set up the service and your offer

    You decide the app types you will target, set your per-listing price and retainer rate, and define what each package includes. That is the only strategic thinking you do at the start. Everything after this, Actionist plans and runs.

    A clear offer Actionist can plan and price against.
  2. 02

    Actionist finds indie app makers to pitch

    Actionist searches the App Store and Play Store for apps in your chosen niche that rank poorly for obvious keywords, builds a prospect list with contact details, and drafts a short pitch showing the specific listing gap and what fixing it could do for their downloads.

    A qualified prospect list ready for your approval.
  3. 03

    It onboards the client and audits the listing

    Once a developer signs on, Actionist sends them an intake form to capture the app's story, target users and existing keywords. It then audits the current listing against the top competitors and builds a brief of the gaps to address, ready for your strategy call.

    A full audit brief and intake summary before the strategy call.
  4. 04

    It researches keywords and rewrites the listing

    Actionist uses keyword data and competitor analysis to find the best search terms for the app, then rewrites the title, subtitle, keyword field and full description in the developer's voice. It drafts everything and queues it for your approval.

    A complete listing rewrite ready for your review.
  5. 05

    You approve, and Actionist delivers to the client

    You read through the keyword strategy and the rewritten listing, make any edits, and approve. Actionist then sends the deliverable to the developer with a short briefing note explaining the keyword choices. Nothing goes to a client without your sign-off.

    The developer receives the optimized listing with full context.
  6. 06

    It tracks rankings and reports monthly

    On retainer clients, Actionist checks keyword rankings each month, compares them to the baseline and drafts a short progress report for your review. If rankings shift or a rival updates their listing, it flags the change over Telegram and recommends an adjustment.

    Monthly ranking data and a report ready to send.
Your agent team

Actionist is your whole team

You are one person. Actionist is the whole team. Here is every role it plays to research, write and track ASO work for your clients, and the one part of each that stays with you.

~47 hrs/week of work by hand, run by your agents instead

Plan the service

scopes the work and keeps the pipeline moving

Before any client work starts, your assistant breaks the whole service into stages, tasks and subtasks so you see every project in one place.

If you did this by hand
Decide which ASO packages to offerSet prices and turnaround timesBuild a pipeline tracker from scratchPrioritise which clients to focus onRe-plan as the client list grows
~5 hrs/ week
planning, tracking and keeping all client projects moving forward.≈ 3 days a month you do not have, handled for you.
What your agent does
One planevery stage and task in one view
Always currentupdated as work moves
  • Map every task
    Breaks each client project into stages, from intake to delivery to monthly tracking.
  • Set the order
    Sequences the work so each task starts as soon as the one before it is done.
  • Keep the pipeline live
    Updates the board and flags anything at risk of falling behind.
Your part

You set the package scope and the prices. That is the only planning input you give.

Apps your agent could useSee full Actionist App Store →
03

Your task plan

The task centre

Every task it takes, and who does it

This is the plan Actionist builds to run the ASO service: every stage, task and subtask. The work is split across your agents, from finding app makers to delivering the listing rewrite to reporting results. Only one task and a handful of approvals are left to you.

25 tasks·77 subtasks
Actionist 20You 1Approval 4Actionist handles ~80%
Done
Executive Agent
Choose the app categories you will serve
Done
Set your per-listing price and monthly retainer rate
Done
Write a one-line offer you can use in a pitch
Done
Done
Operations Agent
Create a prospects sheet with app and contact columns
Done
Create a client and project board
Done
Add status columns and keyword baseline fields
Done
Done
Operations Agent
Done
Developer Agent
Done
Operations Agent

An example plan Actionist builds for this business. Yours adapts to your niche, your prices and your pace.

Under the hood

What one automation looks like

Trigger·You mark a client listing as ready in your tracker after the strategy call.
read
Step 1
SEMrush
Pull keyword ranking data for the app's current title and description
write
Step 2
Google Sheets
Update the keyword shortlist with the research findings
write
Step 3
OpenAI
Draft a rewritten title, subtitle, keyword field and full description
Confirmation
Step 4
Human
You review the rewrite and approve it for delivery to the client
write
Step 5
Gmail
Send the client the optimized listing with a short briefing note
Saved per run
~2 hrs
Runs / week
~4×
A complete, approved listing delivered in one step, without manual research or writing.
04

The payoff

Your week

All it asks of you

Here is what a week actually looks like once it is running. Your agents handle the research, the writing and the tracking every day. You step in for a handful of moments, the ones worth your judgement, and the rest of your week stays yours.

You
A couple of hours

across the whole week, on your own time

5 touchpoints · about 85 min all week

Your agents
Every day

researching keywords, rewriting listings, tracking rankings and keeping clients updated in

7 jobs running in the background

Your team
Your full team runs in the background, every day.
  • Approve this week's outreach batch10 min
    mon · A quick read and yes before the agent sends.
  • Take one strategy call with a new client30 min
    wed · The brief is ready; you show up and talk through the app.
  • Approve a listing rewrite20 min
    thu · Read through the draft, make any edits, and approve.
  • Approve the monthly ranking report10 min
    fri · Skim the summary and approve it for the client.
  • Skim the weekly pipeline review15 min
    sun · What shipped, what is next.
Your team, every day
  • TA
    Technical Agent
    Researches keywords and audits competitor listings for every client in the queue
  • DA
    Developer Agent
    Writes and revises listing copy using the approved keyword brief
  • SA
    Sales Agent
    Finds new indie app prospects and drafts the outreach
  • RA
    Reception Agent
    Books strategy calls and onboarding sessions into your calendar
  • SA
    Support Agent
    Answers client questions and sends project stage updates
  • CA
    CRM Agent
    Drafts monthly ranking reports and keeps retainer clients engaged
  • OA
    Operations Agent
    Sends intake forms, chases briefs and prepares invoices on delivery
The payoff

What you walk away with

  • No specialist tools
    Actionist does the keyword research
    You do not need a paid ASO platform subscription. Actionist pulls the data and turns it into a brief you can act on.
  • Around your job
    Run it while employed
    Actionist works the research and writing in the background. You check in on evenings and weekends.
  • Monthly
    Recurring ranking retainer
    Tracking and monthly updates become a predictable retainer the agent handles each month.
Before and after

Doing it alone vs with Actionist

On your own
~36h / week
every job below lands on you
With Actionist
minutes to review
it runs all 10 in the background
  • 1Keyword research
    6h/wk
    Hours with expensive tools

    You trawl through ASO platforms manually, try different search terms and try to interpret the data yourself.

    ActionistOff your plate
    A keyword brief, ready to use

    Actionist pulls the keyword data and turns it into a ranked brief showing exactly which terms to use and where to place them.

  • 2Competitor analysis
    4h/wk
    Scrolling the App Store by hand

    You download rival apps, read their listings one by one and try to spot what is making them rank above your client.

    ActionistOff your plate
    A structured competitor breakdown

    Actionist audits the top five rival listings and notes every keyword gap and structural advantage they have over the client.

  • 3Listing copywriting
    5h/wk
    Writing every listing from scratch

    You face a blank page for each client, trying to weave keywords into copy that still sounds like a real person wrote it.

    ActionistOff your plate
    A complete draft, ready to approve

    Actionist drafts the title, subtitle, keyword field and description using the brief, for your quick review and send.

  • 4Client intake and briefing
    2.5h/wk
    Back-and-forth to gather the brief

    You email the client several times, waiting for answers about their app and audience before you can start any research.

    ActionistOff your plate
    A complete intake before the call

    Actionist sends the questionnaire, chases missing answers and saves everything to the client file automatically.

  • 5Finding new clients
    4.5h/wk
    Manual prospecting and cold pitches

    You browse the App Store looking for weak listings, then write a fresh pitch for every developer you spot.

    ActionistOff your plate
    A qualified list with drafted outreach

    Actionist finds apps with obvious listing gaps and drafts a short, targeted pitch for each developer, for your approval.

  • 1Monthly ranking checks
    3.5h/wk
    Logging in to check rankings yourself

    You manually check each client's keyword positions each month and try to remember what they were last time.

    ActionistOff your plate
    A ranking snapshot every month

    Actionist checks every client's keyword positions each month and compares them to the baseline from day one.

  • 2Monthly client reports
    3.5h/wk
    A report built from scratch each time

    You pull ranking data into a document, format it, write the context and spend an hour per client on the write-up alone.

    ActionistOff your plate
    A drafted report ready to approve

    Actionist builds the monthly ranking summary with changes, context and a recommendation, for your quick review.

  • 3Client follow-up
    2.5h/wk
    Chasing replies you forget to send

    You lose track of who has not responded, and warm prospects go cold while you are busy with existing clients.

    ActionistOff your plate
    Tracked, timely follow-ups

    Actionist watches for replies and queues the next nudge so no lead or retainer renewal is ever dropped.

  • 4Invoicing and payment
    2h/wk
    Invoices you forget to raise

    You invoice late, miss the retainer renewal date and end up chasing payments that should have been sent weeks ago.

    ActionistOff your plate
    Invoiced on delivery, chased if late

    Actionist prepares the invoice at the agreed price, and on your approval sends it and follows up on anything overdue.

  • 5Handling client revisions
    2.5h/wk
    Rewriting the listing again yourself

    The developer comes back with changes and you rework the whole listing from where you left it, rechecking every character count.

    ActionistOff your plate
    Revisions handled and redelivered

    Actionist takes the developer's feedback, makes the edits inside the character limits and queues it for your final check.

That is roughly 36 hours of work handed off every week, while you keep your day job
The tools

The apps Actionist operates

View Actionist App Store
05

Stay in control and start

Already run this business?

See how Actionist can automate your life. Enter your website for a free analysis and a personalised demo built from your own business.

Trust and control

You stay in control

This is your service and your clients. Actionist asks before it does anything that reaches a developer or takes money, and it keeps a record of every action so you can see exactly what happened.

You approve every client-facing move

Sending a pitch, delivering a listing or charging a client always waits for your yes.

Everything is logged

Each action the agent takes is recorded, so you can review the work and the reasoning behind it.

Your accounts, your data

Actionist works inside your own app logins. You keep ownership of every client relationship and deliverable.

Choose how hands-on it is

Pick approval modes per task, from asking every time to letting routine tracking tasks run on their own.

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FAQ

Questions about this idea

Do I need to be an ASO expert to run this business?
No. Actionist handles the keyword research, the competitor analysis and the listing rewrite. You bring the client relationship, take the strategy call to understand the app, and approve the deliverable before it goes out.
Can I really run this alongside a full-time job?
Yes, that is the point. Actionist works through the keyword research and writing in the background and only comes to you for a handful of quick approvals, so you can build this around your existing schedule.
What does Actionist actually do to find keywords for an app?
Actionist operates tools like SEMrush to pull search volume and competition data for terms relevant to the app's category, checks how top-ranking rival apps use those terms in their listings and builds a ranked keyword brief to guide the rewrite.
Does the listing rewrite go to the client without me seeing it?
No. Actionist drafts the listing and queues it for your review. You read through it, make any edits, and approve it before the agent sends it to the developer. Nothing client-facing goes out without your sign-off.
How does Actionist reach developers without coming across as spam?
Actionist researches apps with specific, visible listing gaps and drafts a short, relevant pitch for each one. You approve the batch before any email goes out from Gmail, so you stay in control of your outreach volume and tone.
What does the monthly retainer actually include?
Actionist checks the client's keyword rankings each month, compares them to the baseline from day one, notes any competitor listing changes and drafts a short progress report for your approval before it goes to the developer.
How do I get paid and how does invoicing work?
Actionist prepares the invoice at your agreed per-listing price and on your approval sends the developer a payment link through Stripe. For retainer clients it raises the invoice monthly and follows up on anything unpaid.
Is there a difference between optimizing for the App Store versus Google Play?
Yes. The Apple App Store and Google Play use different keyword fields and character limits. Actionist tracks both, adapts the rewrite to each platform's rules and flags when the two listings need different keyword strategies to perform well.
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