You know that just like Search Engine Optimization increases the ranking of articles on a webpage, the App Store Optimization (ASO) ranks apps in app stores. Currently app store optimization (ASO) plays a huge role in a user’s ability to find the application as well as their decision to download it. App developers strive to make an impact through various means to increase their ranking and rise to the top of the list within app stores to gain maximum traction and more downloads compared to their competitors and contemporaries. It is a race towards the top position and be more visible to the audience. Developers put in a lot of effort and work tirelessly to keep a hold on the higher positions and not slip any lower.
According to the latest statistics (June 2016), there are 2.2 million available mobile apps in Google Play Store and 2 million in Apple App Store. As we frequently mention, the mobile breaks fresh ground in its growth rate and being very competitive market as well. Users have more choices than ever to utilize apps that meet their specific needs. To stand out from the crowd, marketers must be present wherever smartphone users are looking to discover apps relevant to their interests.
So, if there are some logics to work at this point, then why not make use of them and make life a whole lot easier? 🙂 Here we have the latest tips and reminders for App Store Optimization that would help you gain attention and increase your ranking to a better position.
Start with Your Category Analysis
Choosing the right category for your app will influence your ranking for your special area. Google Play and Apple Store require you to select the best-describing category for your app. These stores rank apps under their relevant category besides overall ranking. Then, improve your rankings within the vertical category you are in. By monitoring which categories are competing better, you can position yourself in the category that users expect to find you.
Find The Most Proper Keywords
When you choose your keywords, pay attention to their relevancy and competitiveness. To provide their relevancy with your app, some keyword tools should be used like Sensor Tower, App Annie, App Tweak, and MobileDevHQ. Analyzing your competitors’ keywords can help you understand the most-used keywords, inspire you and help you avoid the potential traps. To make your keywords more competitive, abstain from high volume keywords. Moreover, don’t miss the power of long tail keywords to differentiate your keywords from others.
Besides these, putting relevant keywords into your app title and description is also essential to increase your app ranking, but you shouldn’t overdo it. Stay away from keyword spamming!
Optimizing Title
Your title should capture the attention of your audience, giving them a punch-line about what to expect from the app. Furthermore, App Store and Google Play algorithms rank the apps according to their titles and the keywords used in the titles. Optimizing your title for the customers and app stores is vital. Here, you can check some of the most used keywords in the titles to get insight.
Optimizing Description
- It must be a maximum of 4000 characters in both App Store & Google Play,
- Google Play has an 80-character short description area,
- Add evidence of success to your description,
- Pay attention to grammatical errors and typos,
- Don’t be too technical.
Remain Relevant with The Right Name
It should be catchy and encompassing, which involves the meaning of your whole app in as few words as possible. The name should be your brand in the app store and become instantly recognizable upon hearing it. Think “Candy Crush”. Make your app name memorable, unique and fitting for your app. Consider adding relevant keywords you find to rank higher in the app store’s searches.
Don’t Forget Optimizing Your Visual Contents: Icon, Screenshots and Video
When deciding to download an app, visual content like icon, screenshots or preview videos have considerable influence on users. In particular, beautiful and catchy icons can deeply impress the customers. You should choose high quality and well-designed screenshots that scream “Download me”. While considering the advancement of mobile devices, if you use low-quality screenshots, users easily notice the flaws, so quality is a really important factor to consider here. As we mentioned in our Infographic “The Ultimate ASO Checklist”:
Optimizing Screenshots and App Icon
- Ensure they are informative about your app,
- Each screenshot should show the specific benefit of the app,
- Use supplemental text,
- iOS App Store allows 5, while Google Play allows 8 screenshots,
- App icon must be eye-catching, well-designed and it should explain what the app is about.
Optimizing Preview Video
- Focus on the key features of your app and realistically show users your app’s experience,
- You can put 30 sec length video in the iOS App Store and 2 min length video in Google Play.
Follow the Reviews Regularly
Reviews from users who have already experienced your app serve as a mirror of apps, and the good points and shortcomings will be unmercifully reflected by the reviews. Although you cannot do it in the App Store, in Google Play, app owners can also interact with users thanks to the reviews. You should absolutely do this. It is not wrong to say reviews give us some impressions outputs about users’ perception of the app, and you can support good impressions or change bad impressions by interacting with users.
ASO is an important process for app developers to know how well their apps are doing in the app store and handle their success in every phase. It is a goal which everyone wants to achieve, and competition is tough. The forerunners realize they need to maintain their ranking and take measures to retain their position consciously; because, they know they will only profit if their apps are highly visible. Apps that are relegated further down have a lower chance of being downloaded as many times comparatively.
