ASO Glossary
Install velocity
The rate of installs per unit time, the strongest ranking signal both stores use.
Install velocity is downloads per hour (or per day). Both Apple and Google weight recent install velocity heavily in their ranking algorithms — more than absolute install volume. This is why a coordinated burst (paid campaign, viral moment, editorial feature) can push you up rankings rapidly even if your total downloads are smaller than competitors. Velocity-driven ranking also decays fast: stop the burst, and ranks drop within 1-2 weeks back toward your steady-state baseline.