Most of the app developers recognize App Store Optimization as the foundation of mobile app promotion, but there is still a lot of disorientation when it comes to constructing ASO strategies and tactics.
It is thought that a similar App Store Optimization strategy can be employed for the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. It is also claimed that the optimization of keywords is the most critical part of an ASO plan.
It is possible that you have come across the fact that Apple Search Ads can have an impact on the position of your application. Some contend that you do not strictly require a specific ASO tool or app marketing provision in order to get the top-ranking keywords.
Does any of that sound familiar?
It is accurate to say that some of the myths involving app marketers, app developers, app publishers, and app owners are true while others are simply untrue yet continue to get shared by those same people.
What is App Store Optimization?
In other words, app store optimization is similar to SEO in terms of its purpose in the App Store and Google, respectively. It is basically a method of using several relevant app ranking methods to increase a program’s overall ranking in the search results.
The point is, there are two million applications on the Apple App Store, and not all of them can be found just by happenstance. The majority of people associated with mobile applications (such as app owners, publishers, marketers, and developers) are making use of numerous techniques for mobile app marketing in order to try and get a portion of the annual total of 300 billion downloads.
No matter how effective pre-launch and post-launch app promotion tactics may be, it’s indisputable that optimizing your app in the App Store is the most important.
How you strategize for App Store Optimization has a significant influence on how many people will find and ultimately download your applications.
To have a successful approach to optimizing the App Store, it is essential to have a thorough knowledge of the people likely to use your app. Besides understanding their habits while browsing the App Store, you should be aware of exactly what influences them to install the app organically and what leads to the successful acquisition of users. Then it is critical to gain a thorough comprehension of the App Store and its app ranking protocols.
How the App Store Algorithm Works
The position of apps on the App Store is determined based on two main algorithms- the app’s category and how it ranks for related keywords. The algorithm for categorizing apps is the most straightforward and is based, in part, on the total amount of downloads and revenue from the app.
Unfortunately, there is no clear relationship between the position of an app in a ranking list and the amount of downloads, or income, it generates. Our experience with App Store Optimization leads us to the definite conclusion that Apple employs varying metrics in different categories.
Maximizing the user experience requires allocating categories in order of importance and within them, organizing by country. Apps are sorted initially by their categories, and finally listed in order of their popularity in the designated nation.
The ranking of a specific app is determined by keyword ranking algorithms, which are based on how relevant the app is to predetermined keywords. It turns out that the top apps in the App Store require effective keyword optimization to stay near the top of the searches.
Sounds simple? Sadly, it’s not. It is not as uncomplicated as one might think to have significant keywords.
Do not be astonished, the App Store gives your app a positioning grade based on keywords that rearranges dynamically with every customer interaction. Just viewing a demonstration video for an application can have an impact on your total score.
Make no mistake about it, though. User interactions do not necessarily guarantee an improved score. Only beneficial interactions with apps, such as downloading and buying, will result in higher rankings. Interactions that are bad, in contrast with impressions without related app downloads, will cause your score to decrease steadily.
It is therefore wise to focus not only on the keywords for optimizing your application but also to pay attention to the app icon, app screenshot, and app preview video. They collectively enhance your mobile app’s positive engagement.
In conclusion, all the info you provide on your App Store page will have an impact on where it is placed in the rankings. Each keyword has its own unique rating, so it could be possible to obtain a high rank for one keyword but not the other.
How important is App Store optimization?
It cannot be stressed enough how critical ASO is. Why? Apart from the fact that applications are a significant source of income, people are actively seeking them out as well. According to Statista, four out of ten app users look through the app store in order to find new apps.
There are numerous approaches that people use to encounter new apps — like the press, websites, referrals from other people, etc. However, the most popular method of discovering apps is through searching.
As per the previous Google Play search and discovery manager Ankit Jain, one-eighth (12%) of the total active users each day are actively in search of applications. Around half of the daily active users look for applications on a regular basis at least once a week. Google Play handles six million distinct search terms over the course of 30 days.
We need to respond to ASO by getting better at it, and by getting rid of the following myths:
#1: Change your title often to adapt to high-ranking searches.
Truth: Pick a title and stick with it
It’s undeniable that the name of an app is the most consequential factor with regards to optimizing it for the app store. According to Jain, mentioned in the Inside Mobile Apps report, the title is the single most crucial piece of metadata.
Some ASOs (Application Service Providers) changed the name of the search results to accommodate the most popular searches. They would come up with multiple versions of the title over the course of the day, adjusting certain words, introducing additional words, and altering the name of the item. Doing so, however, does not help your ranking. In fact, it could hurt it. In previous article on ASO, Robi Ganguly states:
It can be counter-productive to frequently modify your job title to include various keywords. As your app becomes more popular, increasing in rankings and gaining more reviews, people are likely to talk about it and tell their friends about it. Altering the name can impede the ability for news of your application to circulate.
Once you pick a title, that’s it. You’re done. So you better make it good. Here are four tips for doing just that.
1. Make it short — 25 characters
A title that is succinct enough to be seen within one view. Lengthy titles will get cut off. You want to make sure you don’t shorten the most critical bit of lookup data in the application store.
The screen only displays a portion of the app’s title, which is “Productivity Wizard.” It would be advantageous to them if they did not create such an extensive name. If I can’t view it on the search section of my application, then I am not as inclined to get it.
2. Make it creative
Why creative? Jain explains that searchers are either categorical or navigational. Someone who is aware of your app will be attempting to find it by navigating to it. The more imaginative the title is, the higher the chance it will stay in people’s memories, thus making it easier to find.
A navigational search is different from a categorical query, for example searching for “Angry Birds” or “Evernote” compared to “bird game” or “note-taking app.”
3. Make it unique
Unique is similar to creative, but with a twist. Generating something inventive will be noticeable to the consumer. You don’t want your application to be buried in a sea of copycat apps like Flappy Pig, Flappy Wings, Flappy Fall, Flappy Hero, Flappy Monster, Flappy Nyan, etc., which goes on forever. Applications that jump on the bandwagon are rarely as successful as the industry leading organization they were modeled after.
A navigational query for a “flappy” app yields 2,193 outcomes. Without a distinct label, you are likely to go unnoticed.
4. Use a keyword, but don’t keyword stuff
Using too many keywords in SEO and ASO is a major no-no. Apple states that utilizing redundant or unrelated keywords in the application title, or in the descriptions or advertisement of it, can lead to a frustrating experience for the user and may lead to the app being put on hold.
You have to be aware that you only have a limited amount of 25 characters. A succinct header plus a brief keyword is all you have space for.
#2: Keywords aren’t that important
Truth: Keywords are important.
Based on the legend, keywords would be beneficial for Search Engine Optimization, while rankings are pertinent for App Store Optimization. ASO differs so drastically from SEO that many optimizers forgo caring about keywords when creating titles and writing descriptions.
It is undeniable that keywords are quite significant. Include keywords in both your title and your description to increase the importance of your content. Again, to reference my point above, don’t stuff it. But use keywords.
#3: It’s all about the ratings
Truth: Ratings are important, but not the end all.
It is an undeniable fact that ratings hold significance. It appears that app companies rely heavily on users to rate their apps, since the amount of prompts and requests provide evidence that ratings are of great significance in app store optimization.
Ratings play a prominent role in influencing a person’s decision to tap or download an app.
It is a fact that appraisals of apps are necessary, but not as decisive in influencing an app’s rankings as many people think.
Inside Mobile Apps undertook a survey to reveal the actual influence of ratings. To begin, they took a random selection of straightforward search results having 1 to 25 results, medium search conditions with 26 to 100 results, and intensified search conditions with over 100 results to see how each app measured up according to the ratings.
#4: You Can Use the Same ASO Strategy on Google Play and App Store
Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store are both marketplaces for mobile applications. Also, the most renowned applications on the App Store are just as conspicuous on the Google Play Store – consequently, they must be utilizing nearly the same app cataloguing calculations, right?
To shoot down this fallacy, try running a casual inquiry on the two most popular search engines- Google and Bing. They both traverse the Internet rapidly to produce responses in a fraction of a second. However, it is evident that the search engine results are never the same. Different ranking and varying sequence.
It is just as true for the App Store and Google Play Store. They all work with their own methods which give importance to different elements. Google Play Store looks at virtually all written words to arrange the keywords, while the App Store supplies particular keyword slots, furthermore taking into account each app’s overall financial gain.
Therefore, ASO is an effective promotional technique on both the Google Play Store and the App Store, but the techniques used for each platform show varying levels of success. It would be harmful to apply knowledge of the Google Play Store to the Apple App Store. Even the app descriptions should be formatted differently.
#5: You Don’t Need a Marketing Agency or ASO Tool
For some developers, apps appear to be relatively minor projects that don’t require the involvement of a marketing agency. In the end, how hard can it be to customize a couple of App Store key phrases, come up with a distinctive name for your app, and produce eye-catching screenshots of your product?
Fair enough. I have to concede that all of those appear to be reasonable explanations. But the issue with App Store Optimization is that while getting to know the fundamentals is fairly straightforward, it is a completely different challenge to put those into practice.
It is essential to have a thorough knowledge of the App Store as a whole. You cannot understand that in just a few months.
Even if you are willing to take up the challenge, you might not have enough free time to gain all the knowledge.
It may appear easy to generate and send an app to the App Store initially, yet by the end, the amount of tech assistance required is considerable.
You can be certain that your app users will report any issues soon after they begin leaving feedback through your App Review. As a result, you will be inundated with the entire debugging and re-testing process, which can become even more taxing with each operating system update.
Hiring a reputable marketing firm allows you to take a breather. Let the specialists take care of App Store Optimization while you manage and keep the app running.
Conclusion
A key factor in achieving success with app store marketing is to avoid the misconceptions related to ASO. It is not necessary for you to concoct the following of Flappy Bird or a business which is worth a billion dollars like Instagram. No matter what, if you use enough effort and skill, you can construct an app that will be widely discovered, receive a lot of downloads, and make you successful.
