How do you choose to install an app from the massive listing on the app store? You probably went with the top 3 app results that showed up!
21% of millennials open an app over 50 times every day. The benefits of building an app are enormous. Businesses recognize that – which is why there are over 6 million apps available in the store. Driving recognition towards your app is one of the major concerns of mobile app publishers today.
What is ASO? Why is it essential?
Ranking on the app store doesn’t happen by chance.
App Store Optimization is the process of optimizing mobile applications to rank higher in the search results. The higher you rank, the more visible you are to your potential customers.
- 70% of the users utilize search to find relevant applications
- 65% of all app downloads take place directly following the search.
The improved visibility drives more traffic to your app listing, leading to increased downloads.
Keep reading to learn about how to optimize your ASO in major app stores.
Understanding the basics of ASO –
If you are already familiar with the best SEO practices for the web, getting the hang of ASO wouldn’t be so hard. Although they aren’t one and the same. Let’s start by breaking down the basic factors of ASO –
- Know the Keywords
Regardless of where you go on the web, keywords are vital drivers that direct the audience towards your business. The ASO process is no different. It requires a crucial understanding of the keywords used actively by the target audience. It allows you to better understand the language of your audience and hone in on the ideal keywords.
Competitor analysis every week helps you gain more insights about the keywords that convert.
- App Name & Title
Now that we have established the importance of understanding the keywords, the next step is to find the ideal way to implement the same in your app listing.
The careful placement of keywords in your title should be completed with one goal in mind – to drive a sizable chunk of relevant traffic to your listing. As your app continues to gain visibility and gain more reach, the news regarding the application will spread among the target audience. The practice of altering names during this phase can be detrimental.
With the limited character count provided in app stores, keyword stuffing is not the way forward. Try to think of a name for the app that reflects your app’s purpose.
- App Description
While Google Play Store holds the space for both short and long descriptions while iOS doesn’t. Regardless, it is essential to use this space of 4000 characters to strategically include keywords and paint a whole picture of the app’s purpose, features, and relevant information about it.
- Visual Aids
The Screenshots and Preview Video options available is significant to retain the potential users who landed on your app listing. Using the right designs to attract user attention can be impactful in your conversion rate.
iOS, on one hand, provides detailed insights on the CTR of both the search result and the listing, while Google Play Store only shows when someone clicks your listing. Leverage this opportunity to captivate your audience – with both static images and videos. Apple App Store allows you to display up to 10, while Google Play Store sticks to 8 screenshots.
- Reviews & Ratings
A good word from the right people goes a long way!
Encourage people to leave ratings and reviews about the application, improving the credibility and search result position. You can achieve this by enabling users to rate and review from the application itself, gamify the process, or use marketing channels to improve the review rate.
- Download Count
The popular app stores have the current download count as one of the prominent factors to determine the ranking in the results. It all burns down to this ultimately.
How can you improve your app downloads?
Focus on marketing your app across platforms, improve the app awareness, recognition, and impression – through an optimized listing and strong social media presence.
ASO is a secret weapon that puts your mobile application on the map! By spending time on improving its visibility consistently, you will meaningfully impact the ranking of the application and witness overall success.
