A Complete Guide to App Store Optimization (ASO)

What is App Store Optimization

Table Of Contents

There are about 2.6 million Android applications in the Google Play Store and over 2 million apps in the Apple App Store, with over 3 billion smartphone users globally. These are massive and mind-boggling figures, especially if you're a mobile app development company, trying to get your application recognized.

The question for today's marketing teams is not whether to invest in apps to interact with their audiences, but how to get users to find their applications in the first place. In a crowded field of rivals, how can you stand out? And perhaps more significantly, how do you get your app to rank high in an App Store search while still ensuring that it meets the intent of the searches?

The idea is to use effective Google Play and iOS App Store Optimization methods. You'll need an App Store Optimization plan to help your mobile app rank well in the App Stores and be seen by more prospective users and followers.

What Is App Store Optimization?

App Store Optimization (ASO), also known as App Store Marketing or Mobile App SEO, is a term used to describe the process of optimizing an app for the app store.

ASO is primarily concerned with increasing the visibility of your apps within a search engine for app stores such as Google Play or Apple App Store. Other objectives, such as visitors to your web app and downloads, can be assisted by increasing impressions.

Expert resource applications linked to enhancing the ranking of mobile applications (apps) directly within app stores are the subject of ASO (like iTunes, Google Play, and Windows Store).

The iPhone/iPad, Android, and Windows Phone are the most popular mobile phones for which apps are developed. The primary aim of ASO is usually app downloads, although secondary goals might include things like increased brand awareness, positive ratings, and reviews for the app, whether app reviews are being published more often and in greater numbers or not, involvement of the audience and diversification of marketing channels on a larger scale.

Are you trying to figure out how to justify an ASO investment? You should be aware that app store customers and app downloads are rapidly increasing!

According to Stats, the number of mobile app downloads globally has been increasing since 2016. In 2016, 140.68 billion dollars were spent, In 2018, the total was 192.45 billion dollars, in 2019, 204 billion dollars will be spent and in 2020, the total will be $218 billion.

What's The Difference Between SEO And ASO?

App Store SEO is another term for ASO. Both processes include keyword optimization, backlinking, and conversion optimization. The most significant distinction between App Store Optimization and Search Engine Optimization is the ranking variables. Additionally, ASO is used for mobile apps, whereas SEO is used for websites.

For a web browser, such as Google Search, there are over 200 SEO variables, and the number is constantly growing. Despite the fact that the number of ASO ranking variables has decreased, many people are still unsure which ones are most important. It is about time we put an end to it

Why Is App Store Optimization Important For App Development?

Both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store have over 5 million apps to choose from. Your app is almost certainly competing with a lot of other apps.

ASO's main goal is to increase downloads and the number of loyal users. The first step toward increasing downloads is to make your software easily discoverable by relevant consumers. But how are you going to accomplish it?

To learn how to boost organic growth, you must first understand how customers look for and discover apps.

How do People Discover and Install Mobile Apps?

People use app stores like Google Play Store and Apple App Store to look for certain apps. 70 % of smartphone users use search to discover new applications. In addition, 65 % of all downloads happen right after a search. Clearly, the most popular method of finding new apps is to search the app store.

App Store Optimization is critical to success because the majority of users discover new apps through app store searches.

Furthermore, the number of downloads is directly proportional to an app's search ranking position. If your app ranks higher in search results, users will find it more relevant. Because people rarely look through all of the search results, higher-ranking apps get more downloads. They mostly look at the first five or six. As a result, obtaining a top ranking is crucial to the success of an app.

Your secret weapon for app growth will be learning about ASO and investing time into it. It produces long-term, long-lasting results.

What are the Advantages of App Search Optimization

You're probably aware that the majority of users look for apps in the app store. So, if you want to sell your app on the App Store, you'll need to optimize it in order for it to show up when users search for a relevant app.

Here are some of the ways that App Store Optimization can help you:

1. Increase App's Visibility

If people can't find your app, they won't be able to download and use it. So, no matter how good your app is, if it's not easy to find, you won't be able to achieve the app success you deserve. Don't let all of your hard work go to waste; begin optimizing immediately.

2. Discovered By Relevant and High-Quality Users

It is not enough for your app to be discovered; it must be discovered by the right users – users who are actively looking for apps like yours. Because it matches your app to relevant keywords, App Store Optimization gets you in front of the right users. These are the keywords that people will type into Google to find your app.

3. Increase Number of Organic App Downloads

An effective ASO strategy will undoubtedly increase organic installs and provide long-term results. That's because people will always find your app if they search for keywords related to it. You can ensure that your efforts are successful by monitoring and updating them on a regular basis.

4. Reduce the Cost of Acquiring New Users

Instead of spending money on ads, focus on organic growth with ASO to lower your user acquisition costs. This not only saves you money but also ensures that your business grows steadily.

5. Boost Revenue and Conversion Rates

You can make money off your app in a number of ways. In-app ads, in-app purchases, and subscription models are all examples of this. As a result, many of you may decide to run advertisements in order to attract more users and thus generate more revenue.

Your ad spend will be wasted if your app store listing page isn't converting, or convincing users to actually download your app. Remember that optimization of the App Store includes optimization of the conversion rate, which helps people to click and download the app.

You can get users from all over the world to discover your app by making it available in other languages through an App Store Optimization process called localization. ASO can assist you in making your app a global success.

Tips About App Store Optimization

What is the Process of App Store Optimization?

You should first decide where to publish your app or mobile game once it has been developed and you have a basic understanding of app marketing. Among developers, the App Store for iOS and Google Play for Android are the most popular options. If you decide to develop your app for both operating systems, you may end up publishing it on both.

Let's dig a little deeper into the two major app stores.

History of Mobile Apps

The app industry has exploded as a result of the widespread use of mobile phones. As a result, there are now 2.2 million apps available on the Apple App Store, up from 800 in 2008. In March 2018, the number of apps available on Google Play surpassed 3.6 million. It is obvious that there is fierce competition in the market. Therefore, when it comes to App Store Optimization, you must be quick and agile if you want to grow your mobile business.

Trends in Mobile Apps in 2020

Apps with a high crash rate and infrequent app updates are regarded as low quality, and their rankings suffer as a result. App stores should remove apps that are buggy, low-quality, or scammy. Google and Apple are becoming more selective about which apps and games they publish in their app stores as more people create them.

Apps that are frequently updated and used by a larger number of people are rewarded and appear higher in search results in the app store.

Differences Between the App Store and Google Play

The publishing aspect is one of the major differences between the App Store and Google Play.

Apple and Google have both implemented an app review process to ensure that the apps in their stores are of high quality. Apple's review process, however, tends to take longer than Google's. When releasing a new app or update, you should always allow for a three-day buffer. Your app will be available on the App Store and Google Play within 24 hours of approval.

Keywords are important for ASO in both stores, but they are evaluated differently. Google Play's indexing process is similar to that of Google Search. This means that when Google indexes keywords for your app, it takes into account all textual elements. In order to rank for keywords, you should repeat them 3-5 times across.

The Apple App Store, on the other hand, has a dedicated field for your keywords. It may even get them from your competitors and category name in some cases. Unlike Google Play, you should not repeat keywords across any fields in an iOS app.

It's time to get down to business now that you've decided where you want to publish your app. Simply follow these steps to start improving your mobile growth with App Store Optimization:

1. Create a Clear Strategy for App Store Optimization

Do your homework and learn as much as you can about your target market. It's critical to understand your users so that you can apply what you've learned to your app's data. When they're looking for apps that are similar to yours, what keywords do they use? What language are they conversing in? You can proceed to the next step once you have this information.

2. Choose the Appropriate Name for Your App

The name of your app is the first thing a user sees. therefore, it's critical to choose your app's name carefully. Make sure your App Title is relevant to your app, simple to read, and unique. People will remember the title if it is appealing, giving your app a higher recognition value. Don't forget to think about the character count when choosing a name.

In the Google Play Store, you have 50 characters and in the Apple App Store, you have 30 characters. Furthermore, the keywords in the app name have the highest ranking weight. Following the brand name, you can put your main keywords here.

3. Learn to Establish Keyword Research

The goal is to determine the keyword set with which you want your app to be discovered. Remember, a keyword is a word or phrase that people type into the App Store or Google Play to find apps.

Consider the following questions when conducting keyword research:

  • What are your app's or game's key features?
  • What are the synonyms for these characteristics?
  • What are the names of similar apps?
  • What is the category of your app?
  • What are the most commonly used terms in this category?

Don't overthink your keyword set in the beginning because finding the right keywords is an ongoing process. Many App Store Optimization Tools can assist you in identifying your first set of keywords.

4. Write a Description For Your App

Another important part of your app's metadata is the App Description. It tells users what your app is about and gives them a quick rundown of its key features. The App Description is important not only for users but also for the ranking algorithm of app stores. It's particularly critical for Google Play.

One of the primary areas where Google looks for keywords to rank your app for is the description. This does not imply that you can simply stuff all of your keywords into the description and hope for the best. Make an effort to naturally incorporate your keywords into sentences. This makes your description appealing to readers as well as relevant to the algorithm.

Keywords from your iOS app description will not be indexed by Apple. This doesn’t mean you should disregard this metadata field. You can still use it as an opportunity to demonstrate the app's benefits and value.

Your description should be informative, easy to comprehend, and well-structured. You can use emojis and bullet points to be more creative. Just keep in mind that the description in both stores is limited to 4000 characters.

5. A/B testing Helps in Finding the Best App Icon

Now that you know the basics of which text elements increase app visibility, it's time to focus on the other elements: the visuals or creative assets.

Your app icon is what draws the most attention and can be one of the primary reasons people click on a search result. As a result, it is regarded as yet another critical component of App Store Optimization.

Consider what your app is about and how you can convey that visually when designing your app icon. If your app or game is intended to be fun, your icon should reflect that. Keep in mind that less is more, so avoid including too many elements or text in the icon.

A/B testing is a wonderful way to see what works best for your audience. The goal is to create more icon variations and see which one receives the most clicks. For example, you might want to see what colors or characters your users prefer. Once you have this information, you can make changes to your icon.

6. Prepare Screenshots and Videos for Your App

You must persuade users to download your app once they have arrived at its page. While screenshots and videos may not have a direct impact on your app's ranking, they do play a significant role in conversion rate optimization, which is a component of App Store Optimization.

You can use screenshots and videos to demonstrate the functionality of your app or mobile game. Use them to highlight the most prominent features of your app. In fact, about half of all download decisions are based on first impressions. As a result, you must pay close attention to the visuals you create.

You can choose between portrait and landscape layouts when taking screenshots. You can choose whether you want a vertical or horizontal screenshot as a result. Your screenshots should always be oriented in the same way that users would use your app.

Many games, for example, are played horizontally, so their screenshots are horizontal as well. Screenshots that are well-designed give users a sneak peek at your app while also telling a compelling visual story. Your app videos use visual storytelling as well. In the App Store, these are known as App Previews, and in the Play Store, they are known as Promo Videos.

7. Localization and App Listing

Now that you've finished creating your app listing and visuals, it's time to move on to the next step. You probably did it all for the English language, assuming that everyone searches for apps in English.

This isn't entirely correct. You must adapt your app or game to appeal to the target geo-market if you want to take it global. Localization is the term for this process. This does not imply that you must begin from scratch.

You can translate your existing metadata, keywords, or screenshots into other languages using your existing metadata, keywords, or screenshots. All of the best app developers in Dubai and around the world agree that localization is the key to reaching the audience.

You can improve your app store search visibility and expand your app's reach by localizing it. In other words, you make your app available to users who conduct searches in their native language. More downloads and revenue can be obtained by presenting your app to a larger audience.

Users are more likely to download an app that is available in their native language because they perceive it to be more trustworthy.

8. App Reviews and Ratings

User feedback is an important part of App Store Optimization. The comments and reviews that users leave about your app are taken into account by both stores.

The higher your app ranks, the more relevant it is to the stores, and the higher your rating is. Furthermore, before downloading an app, 80% of mobile users read at least one review. As a result, responding to reviews is critical. Developers who care about user feedback and take user feature requests into account appeal to potential users.

If a user enjoys an app, they are more likely to leave a review. You can, however, encourage them to do so right within the app. If you have a game, you should ask for a review after the user completes a level. However, if you push it too far, you may be penalized. For example, on iOS, you can request a review up to three times per year.

Tips and Tricks for App Store Optimization

1. Find out Available Keywords

There are some keywords that the app stores provide automatically, so you don't have to include them. Consider them free keywords. Many people are unaware that your app's category name is one of them. If your app is in the "Free Game" category, the keywords "free" and "game" are already included. So make sure to save that extra space for important keywords.

2. Find a Niche for App

Rather than using keywords with a lot of search volume, try using keywords that are more than one word long (mid- or long-tail keywords). This is due to the fact that high search volume or popular keywords are more difficult to rank for at first.

If you have a fitness app, start by searching for "fitness for college students" rather than "fitness." Once you achieve a high ranking for that, you can begin to work your way to the top.

ASO (app store optimization) continues to outperform current growth trends. The importance and value of apps in the marketing mix have been cemented as a key marketing tactic over the last few years. It is one of the main considerations of all the best app developers, android and Ios app development companies. The first challenge now is to get apps discovered by users in the major app stores in an organic way. Hopefully, you now have actionable steps to refresh, refine, and better position your apps in order to generate better results.

Conclusion

This is it for today’s blog. I hope you liked it and you’ve learned a few things about app store optimization. If you have any queries or need any guidance, you can always reach out to me, and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

If you want to develop an app for your business or want to optimize it for app stores, get in touch with expert app developers at Prism Digital, The Best Mobile App development company in Dubai. We will make sure all your concerns are addressed and you are duly assisted to reach your potential goals. See you on the other site. Goodbye.

Lovetto Nazareth

About The Author: Lovetto Nazareth

Lovetto Nazareth is a digital marketing consultant and agency owner of Prism Digital. He has been in the advertising and digital marketing business for the last 2 decades and has managed thousands of campaigns and generated millions of dollars of new leads. He is an avid adventure sports enthusiast and a singer-songwriter. Follow him on social media on @Lovetto Nazareth