Decide what local expertise needs to cover
A provider’s location alone does not establish its experience with your audience. Ask for relevant store and language examples, the people responsible for the work and the local review process. If your business is based in the UAE but targets other markets, make those target markets explicit in the brief.
Questions for an ASO provider in the UAE
- Where, physically, does the team doing our keyword research and Arabic copy sit?
- Which Saudi and Egyptian apps have you ranked with organic changes only? Our installs come from Riyadh, not Dubai.
- Is the Arabic keyword field built from Arabic search behaviour, or translated from English?
- Who decides what our first screenshot claims to a Gulf user, and what is the hypothesis?
- Can we buy ASO without the regional media plan?
- When the contract ends, what does our team understand about the Gulf storefronts?
Open the printable question card for the UAE. Use it during the call and record the actual answers.
Compare the price against the work
Ask for a current scoped quote with the currency, taxes, stores, markets and outputs specified. Fees depend on the research, copy, design, translation, advertising and ongoing operations included. Separate those tasks before comparing proposals.
The ASO pricing guide explains total commitment, and the proposal checklist helps identify missing responsibilities.
When a local team may be useful
Look for a local team when language review, production coordination, relevant market knowledge or your procurement needs make that support valuable. Ask what is actually included and inspect a work sample for a comparable task.
When to compare a direct consultant
If you need a listing diagnosis, keyword decisions, a rewrite or training, a defined project with me may fit. We agree the target market and any native-language or production responsibilities before starting. The work is delivered directly, with any market-specific review assigned in the scope.
See how I work at ASO Agency, the ASO services, market and localization planning and agency-versus-consultant comparison.
Questions before choosing
Must the provider be based in the UAE?
That depends on the work. Relevant market experience, native review where needed, clear communication and named responsibilities matter more than a location label alone.
Can one scope cover several countries?
Yes, when the proposal names the markets, language work, approval process and maintenance responsibilities. Start with the markets your product can serve well.
What if I only need a second opinion?
Start with the listing and a specific question. You can request a review without deciding to replace your existing team.
Compare nearby markets
Read the editorial methodology for the distinction between public observations, opinion and private results.