Algorithm Differences Between App Store and Google Play

Getting discovered in app market is the main target for all app owners. The most cost effective way seems to be found by organic search in Google Play, App Store and other stores. You already heard a lot in both our blog and other sources that it is called ASO (App Store Optimization), optimizing your store listing page using keywords and optimizing other elements like graphic assets. You know if we could ever know the secret behind the algorithms, it would be a lot easier to decide on our efforts in ASO. Let’s try to get some insights in both stores.

As we all know Google is the best in search. They have great knowledge, patents, and information about World Wide Web. And now they are using their knowledge base and experience in Google Play search also. On the other hand, Apple does not have any search engine, but they developed their search engine back in 2000s to facilitate finding relevant songs, artist with the rise of ITunes. The competitive advantage of two companies makes them solve the search problem in different ways:

– Google is capable of analyzing large amount of text data in web sites, and links across the web pages.

– Apple work is simple in terms of song search where the variables are song name, artist name and album name.

Let’s now look at what do the main app stores give app owners as searchable assets:

– Title (Apple and Google)

– Description (Apple and Google)

– Keyword Spot (Apple Only)

– Reviews (Apple and Google)

You are right! Apple gives a lot importance in title of Apps. At the end of the day, they use similar algorithm in iTunes. Where Google gives app owners only 30 characters, and they seem like: we’ll take care of the rest.

Actually Google do the rest as they both look at what you are saying and also what people are saying about your app (reviews), simply all the text data they can find.  As we all know Apple is more curious about keywords in your title and also about your keyword area.

[Tweet “As we all know Apple is more curious about keywords in your title and also about your keyword area.”]

With this valuable information in hand, here are few important things while submitting your app.

1. Keep your title long in App Store, and use important keywords in it.
2. Fully load your keyword area in App Store, do not use any space just use commas between keywords.
3. Concentrate on description in Google Play. Carefully use keywords, since Google is old and wise enough to understand spamming.
4. Ask reviews from your users while they are happy using your app (after a successful transaction, when completed a level etc.). Hopefully they use some keywords while writing their reviews.
5. Earn valuable links to your Google Play page from social networks, blogs etc. You know Google is obsessed about Google+, so use it and hope for some special treatment in return.

And of course you are welcome to use other growth hacking techniques. We promise we don’t tell anyone. Sssshhh.