Apps have become an utmost necessity to go through this digital era’s day. Hardly a day goes by without using an app, whether it is for communication, work purposes, or simply entertainment needs. That is why there are so many apps available today.
A study showed that “During 2022, there were more than 3.55 million apps available on Google Play, whereas Apple’s App Store had over 1.6 million available applications.”
That’s over 5 million apps on just two app stores alone! So, it is safe to say making an app stand out in this modern day and age is no easy task. More so, it has become an even bigger challenge to make the app visible to people so that they can download it. But as a wise man once said (shout-out to OG Dave Chappelle), “Modern problems require modern solutions.” So, this is where app store optimization (ASO) comes into play to solve this problem. ASO helps improve the app’s visibility on the app store. Once an app becomes visible and ranks high on top, people will automatically start downloading it. This blog will discuss all the key points of doing app store optimization as well as break down ASO in detail and in a bit better way. So, let’s dive in.
Getting To Know ASO
ASO stands for app store optimization. App store optimization is the process of improving the visibility of a mobile application in the app store search results. App store optimization is done to get an increase in downloads so that more people can use the app. By driving more traffic, the app can generate more revenue for the company or owner. And as we mentioned above, there are more than 5 million apps on Google Play and Apple App Store.
Therefore, making an app stand out has become as important as ever. This is where ASO steps in, as it helps the app get discovered by more users. However, if you have an app or are looking to develop a new app from app developers of a mobile app development company in USA, then you will probably need to do ASO for your app. So, to do that, you would need to have a good ASO strategy. A good ASO strategy will ensure that your app pops up in search results, making it easy for people to find your app.
How does App Store Optimization work?
App store optimization works a lot like search engine optimization (SEO). Both phenomena exist to make something visible on the search result. Getting both of them right can result in your intended website or, as in this case, an app ranking high on top of the search results.
The higher your app ranks, the more people are likely to view it. And in the app’s matter, getting it visible on the app store completes half part of the job, which, by the way, is the struggle bit. So that is what app store optimization does; it makes the difficult part of making the app visible on the app store quite easy. More so, it also helps the App Store algorithm recommend your app to users even if your app is different from the one they were looking for by searching queries.
However, it also depends on the user’s preferences, search history, and popularity. Also, app store optimization optimizes your app’s metadata and information such as Title, Description, Keyword, Icon, Screenshot, Rating, and review. It does that, along with identifying the most relevant keywords users search for. This helps your app get recognized by the app store. The store uses the app’s information and metadata to determine your app’s relevance for a search query. Also, do you remember the ASO tactics we mentioned earlier? The right ones are needed here to make ASO work. These ASO tactics include:
- Keyword optimization
- Search and paid ads
- Category rankings
- Top listed or apps featured on the App Store top charts
So, by using these ASO tactics and optimizing the information of the app, you can improve its visibility on the app store, which can result in a better conversion rate.
Benefits of App Store Optimization
This is the bit where you reap the fruits of your labor, as getting the right ASO strategies can result in a lot of benefits for you and your app. And if we begin to count the benefits that ASO offers, then there are far too many. However, we will take a look at the biggest ones as they are what counts the most.
Better visibility in search results and chart
It is no surprise that the first benefit of getting ASO is better visibility. We are not sure if you have figured it out by now, but the rule is a simple one: making your app available is a must. And the rule is to make your app visible on the app store so that way people get to download your app. People will only download your app once it shows up in their search results. So, the better the visibility is, the more people will download your app.
On the other hand, with little to no visibility, it will have one meaning and one meaning only; no one is downloading your app. People can’t download your app, let alone use it, if they can’t find it in the first place. So, having better visibility is a must, and better visibility is by far the best benefit that app store optimization offers. It, after all, gets users to download your app.
Get more organic app downloads
Another benefit that comes with using the right app store optimization strategy is that it increases your organic app downloads. With more people downloading and installing your app, you will get good results, both in revenue and app growth, for the long term. A good app store optimization will make sure that your app ranks high on top. This way, when people search for keywords similar to your app, your app will appear in the search results.
Relevant users discover your app
An underrated benefit of app store optimization that not a lot of people realize is that it recommends your apps to users that are relevant. And that is what you, as the app’s owner, need, and that is what counts the most, after all. So, getting a single user that is relevant is better than getting ten users that are not relevant.
It also helps you form an audience, as opposed to an app that has more downloads but no active users. So, the app store optimization will help you get relevant users by making your app appear on their search results and relevant keywords.
Conversion rate optimization to increase app revenue
App store optimization also includes optimizing conversion rates by adding multiple ways to monetize your apps. These include adding in-app purchase options, running in-app ads, or giving users the option to get premium and subscription plans. All of these will result in an increased revenue. However, In order to make that happen, you will need to run an app store marketing campaign. With ASO marketing, you can do app marketing and promote your app outside of the app store as well as inside it.
And with the app store optimization, your app will tick all the boxes. This way, it will get an increased conversion rate as the people who came to your app through the ads will actually click through and download it. Doing so will make the ads useful as they will generate more revenue with more users seeing them.
Describe Your App Properly
One of the most important parts of app store optimization is describing your app in a proper manner. So, that is why you will need to have an informative app title along with a clear description that can help users know what your app is all about. You will need to do your best to highlight the features and functionality of your app. You will need to define what your app does and how best app features can benefit the user should they decide to download and use the app.
As we mentioned above, app store optimization helps you get a relevant audience. So, once you have it, you will then need to use precise language focused on your target audience. You can outline basic functions in a clear way and avoid cluttering up texts full of promotional content on top of one another. So, all in all, writing a fully optimized yet compelling title and description is a must and beneficial for your app.
Use App Keywords That Help Your App Rank
One of the main factors that determines the ranking of your app is keywords. That is why you will need to include keywords in the description so that your app appears in the results when people are looking for apps like yours. However, you must make sure that all the information and the keywords for your app read naturally.
Otherwise, stuffing keywords can result in a lot of issues. One of those issues could be getting your listing rejected. Therefore, you must stick by the rules and make the app description look natural with keywords included in it. As long as you do that, we think you will have a pretty high chance of getting your app ranked on top of search results related to your app.
App Store Optimization Strategy For Search Result
You will need to to carry out SEO practices for the app store optimization as the search result of both works more or less the same. So, by using SEO skills, you will need to apply them to the app stores, as it can result in numerous search marketing gains. More so, you will need to use the SEO practices of the following things and apply them for ASO, which are:
- App name and title optimization
- App URL optimization
- Add keywords in your app title
- Keyword research for app store optimization
- App rating and reviews generation and handling.
- Connect your app with other mobile apps by linking them together.
- Indexation of Apps in Google SERPS (search engine results pages).
- Optimize click-through rate (CTR).
More so, if you have a website, then you can add the app’s URL link to the app store on the website. The link will act as a referral to visit the app store and your app store page, which will drive more traffic. This way, you will get high traffic in the app downloads section.
See Different App Store List
The two main app stores are the Google Play Store for Android apps and the Apple App Store, and both of them have their own distinct format. Whether you have Android app development or an iOS app development, you must make sure your app ranks on top in both stores. For that, you will need to check listings on the App Store or Google Play to get a better idea of things to optimize your App Store listing.
Both stores have a different set-off data field. For instance, the apps in the Apple App Store focus more on titles, subtitles, keywords, and descriptions that highlight the app’s core functions. At the same time, app screenshots for app previews visually display the user experience, providing a glimpse of what to expect. As for the rating and reviews, they build credibility for the app, giving an idea of how the app sits with the users.
On the other hand, apps in app stores like the Google Play Store have a somewhat different approach to ranking an app. Google Play listing focuses a lot more on the visual side of things on the product page, such as screenshots and icons. However, having said that the title and enhanced text description do play an important role in making the app relevant to the user’s search. Video trailers can also showcase your mobile app. So, at the end of the day, both app stores present top charts, search results, and editorial features to spotlight trending apps. And this is why app store optimization helps land your app placement in the top listing.
Make Your App Trend on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store
Making an app trend or going viral is not an easy thing. However, traffic growth can lead an app to trend in major stores. But doing so requires optimizing for critical factors such as:
- Innovative and valuable app capability
- Building awareness through marketing
- Leverage influencer and word-of-mouth
- Promotional campaign and launch
- Positive rating and review
The more people land on your app page, the more it can make it to the top app charts. And that will accelerate organic downloads. So, all in all, ASO establishes the foundation for apps to trend by improving baseline visibility.
Product Page Optimization for More App Downloads
Your app product page is another ASO leverage point. This page acts as the directory listing for your mobile app. So, that is why you will need to make sure it ranks well in search engines. Doing so will allow you to drive relevant organic traffic to your app store link. You can use SEO best practices when optimizing these pages, which are:
- Descriptive page titles and meta descriptions
- Header tag structure focuses on key phrases
- Image alt text and filename optimization
- Quality backlink to the page from the relevant site
- Schema markup for rich search appearance
All of these will improve your app’s visibility on the app store, which will lead to higher app store conversion and app downloads.
Choose a Sleek Mobile App Icon for iOS App Store and Google Play.
The app icon is one of the most important things you want to work on. That is why you must get the app icon right when making your app go live on the app store. The app icon is present everywhere. The user will see the app icon from the search result to the product page, download notifications, and eventually their phone’s menu.
So, that is why we suggest you hire a professional designer from a creative app development agency who can design the app icon for you. The designer will make sure that the app’s icon looks professional and visually appealing while keeping in mind the end user’s taste for aesthetics. More so, the designer will design a clean and sleek app icon that can represent your brand in the best way while standing out in the app stores.
Final Thought
App store optimization is a must do thing for those who want to get more revenue from their app and get more downloads. By following all the mentioned ASO strategies, you can build lasting organic visibility over the long term. More so, you can unlock your app’s full rankings potential and help it grow in the future. So, it is safe to say that ASO brings a ton of benefits to the owner in the form of more revenue, more downloads, more users, and overall app popularity.
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