Efficient app store optimization (ASO) is the need of the hour for app publishers with the plethora of applications available in the app stores. After all, getting noticed amidst two million mobile applications is a daunting task which an app cannot achieve just by just “being” in the store.
As a mobile app publisher, it is imperative that you understand and apply various methods of app marketing.
Below are some ASO tips and tricks that will help your app garner maximum visibility in various app stores and boost user base.
The Concept : ASO and it’s Importance
App store optimization is the practice of optimizing an app in such a way that it ranks higher in an app store’s search rankings. Superior visibility in the app store amongst potential customers comes from higher rankings in the search results. The said visibility not only gets you more traffic on the app page but also some recognition and familiarity among the masses.
ASO is centered around the prime intention of driving more traffic to the app page to get people to download the app. It requires a thorough understanding of your target customers’ psyche. How do they search for apps? What are the keywords they type in? What makes them respond to the call for action? etc. This understanding is achieved from observing similar patterns in high selling apps.
Knowing what language your potential customer uses is of utmost importance because it helps you to zero in on the keywords: Both, the ones that your app requires and the ones that your peers are using to achieve higher visibility and downloads.
ASO vs SEO
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Many would say otherwise but ASO is not “SEO for app stores.” Though ASO techniques share some similarities with SEO, such as keywords optimization, the purpose of ASO is quite extensive as compared to SEO. It is not limited to getting more traffic on the page. In SEO, the scope ends as soon as a user visits the page by viewing it in the top search results owing to some strategically-placed keywords. But in ASO, the purpose is to get the user to download the app. Moreover, the target user in ASO isn’t just everybody but relevant users who will benefit from the app as they install it and use it continually. The purpose of ASO boils down to acquiring loyal users for the app. Converting a visitor to a user is what ASO is about.
The Power of Four
ASO is not dependant on a single factor. There are four prime metrics (amongst various others) which affect your app store optimization : Let’s break them down one by one.
Title: The better the title in terms of keywords with heavy search traffic, the better the chances of higher rankings.
Keywords: Usage of right keywords and strategic placement throughout the app page improves search rankings.
Total number of downloads: The more people use your app, the more ASO friendly it becomes.
Ratings and reviews: The number of happy users are as important as the total number of users for the app store search engines to give you preference.
Let us now understand various smart maneuvers that you, as an app developer/publisher, can make to achieve the highest ranking.
Researching Keywords
The best part about keyword optimization is that they can be modified easily so you can optimize them on a regular basis. The strenuous part is inserting “just” the right and relevant keywords used most often by your target audience. For that, you need some monitoring and understanding of the market. Moreover, you have to keep track of your peers’ keyword strategies too, to know where you stand. These keywords can be present anywhere in your app page: The title, tagline and app description. It is quite similar to SEO. There are a number of tools available in the market that help you with relevant and sought after keywords that lead potential customers to you.
Platform Differences
Two platforms, iOS and Google Play are quite prominent in the market. When you talk about ASO, both these platforms have different scope of work, with the foundation being the same: Get them to see you and install your app. Here are some things you can do differently in each app store.
Desktop Website Helps
By conventional wisdom, focusing your app marketing efforts on a desktop site may seem counterproductive, but it has shown some positive results for Android-related searches. There has been a rise in online search volume for “app” and related keywords, and you must leverage that.
Visitors to your webpage can be converted into app users when you have a call -to-action link to the App Store and Google Play Store, clearly visible on the site. This button is of utmost importance if the mobile app is the prime revenue source.
Even those businesses that offer a companion application can make use of this feature by having the call-to-action button along the lines of “text me the download link’. Users will receive an app download link when they enter their phone number. There are various mobile app distribution products available on the market.
Logos, Categories and Screenshots
People have short attention spans. If your logo differentiates itself by being eye-catching, your app is bound to have quite a good number of initial product views. Another advantage of this is that once your app is on their mobile phones, a catchy icon doesn’t let it get lost among various other apps your users has. In other words, it increases post download app engagement. Fun icons, bold colors and smooth fonts make an attention grabbing logo that makes your app stand out.
It has been observed that in Europe, 58 percent of Android users and 63 percent of iOS users discover new apps through general browsing. Discoverability while browsing is dependent on categorization and you must not miss this opportunity by not categorizing your app in multiple (but appropriate) categories.
If your app has updated versions, screenshots must be updated as well. Both Google Play and App Store provide you with an option to upload five to eight screenshots. Make use of that. Make sure the screenshots highlight the key interaction points. This practise is a must if you have a complex application.
Focus on the Don’ts as Well
People make mistakes. Its best if you learn from those of others and avoid them yourself. The most common ones to avoid are:
- Do not have words like “app’ or “category” in your app name or keywords.
- Avoid using keywords that have too much competition and may not be that relevant to your app.
- You only have 100 characters in Apple keywords. Make sure you don’t waste them by using spaces after commas.
- Ensure that your title words and keywords are distinct. Avoid doubling and do not let go of the opportunity to insert as many relevant searchable keywords as you can.
Final Words of Wisdom : Have patience with ASO, it will take some time
As we have been constantly highlighting throughout the article, regularly updating your keywords and screenshots and monitoring your performance against your peers is very important. It is not a one time job. In fact, the first time you do it, it is highly likely that you won’t get it right. Keep improving and updating.
As of today, ASO is not put much into practise by developers. Instead they pick some random keywords and make a description at the last moment. There is no research involved. And the result is that most apps are published and never heard of. They get lost in the myriad of clones inspired from Candy Crush and Angry Birds.
ASO is not simple and it evolves to deliver measurable results over time. All you have to do is invest a little time in understanding, monitoring and testing to achieve two to 10-fold growth (owing to ASO, some business have reported such impressive growth statistics) in app downloads.
Rick Brown is an application developer working with Mobiers Ltd, a leading mobile application development services provider. He provides concrete information on latest technologies like iOS, Android mobile apps development.
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