What is App Store Optimization?
Some people call this process App Store SEO or ASO, however, the most used term is App Store Optimization. App Store Optimization is the process of optimizing the applications that enable it to appear superior and make an appearance in the lead among competing applications. During the search inside the application store and explore, it increases the number of visitors to the list and optimal conversion rate with the essential downloads.
It helps effectively lessens advertising and User Acquisition costs to reach high-quality users for Apple and Android devices. This is the main principle of any Mobile Expansion Strategy. In the beginning, you need to understand the requirements of the application stores, user database, target audience, and related potential keywords while the user searches for applications or discovers new ones.
Some factors affect app optimization for iOS & Android applications. Let us get to know them better:
Turning Metadata on
Metadata descriptions’ content with keyword optimization is the most significant KPI that should be placed on the product page at Google Play Console or App Store Connect. App stores analyze and rank keywords within metadata, which improves conversion rate optimization based on that classification so that users can easily reach their goals.
Among the things that we control are Application names/Application Titles, Descriptions, Short Descriptions, Subtitles, URLs/Packages, Promotional texts, Developer Names, Keyword Field Categories, and Media are all among the things that we control.
After you start to grasp measures to improve your on-metadata, you will get a considerable difference and evident improvement!
Beyond the Abilities of Metadata
This case, in many successful experiences, has been proven through SEO facts and has assured us that there are external factors who cannot be controlled but have a significant impact on improving the conversion rate. A few examples are Application sizes, ratings, engagements, comments, related links, Backlinks and … etc. Several basic factors have a bearing on the performance of these elements, for example, application size, installation speed, and UI & UX. They are connected as if they were a train, a connected line of railroad cars with a locomotive.
Unleash your imagination, and imagine the following
Metadata ⇒ application size ⇒ download speed ⇒ installation speed ⇒ UI ⇒ UX ⇒ service quality ⇒ Customer Satisfaction ⇒ Sharing ⇒ Rating ♥ Success
For example
Uber application works in the field of transportation, so he uses keywords that make the user who is looking for transportation able to reach the application by simply searching and linking them to the brand. The word “Uber” came from 12 times, app 4 times, and a driver 3 times, and so on. They showed a comparison between him and the traditional competitors that are taxi and bus services.
You can help the search algorithm to explore your app by describing specifically your app’s features and functionality.
Keyword and Research
To get the highest rate of visibility, you must choose your keywords carefully that help to improve the search engines at app stores. We always keep in mind the strategy varies between applications according to activity and target people, as it should be related to the user’s search and his country and the most keywords used in the search process.
Visibility & Conversion Optimization
Apple App Store
Keyword metrics in the Apple App Store require the total number of characters are shortened down to 160 characters, and they are not allowed to go higher, this is divided as:
100 characters for keywords, 30 characters for the application name, and 30 characters for the sub-title.
Google Play Store
Keyword metrics in the Google play store allow you to add up to 4000 characters for description, 30 characters for the title, and a short description of 80 characters.
KPIs Monitoring and Tracking
You should measure your mobile app performance deeply if you want to have cost-efficiency. Since the mobile application is a powerful business tool when working with integrated analytics tools, your app’s future growth and success need to build your application’s KPIs such as installation, return, and UX performance metrics (user behavior). Standardizing mobile application performance indicators assign your team an evident vision to improve the app’s performance. Studies and researches have shown that awaiting one second reduces the number of customers by about 7%.
App Store Optimization is an essential strategy for mobile iOS & Android businesses, and a great solution to maximize visibility, improve search rankings, increase the conversion rate, and drive more organic installs.
Ultimate ASO Applying/2019’s Latest Updates
Update your knowledge about the differences between app store optimization for the Apple store and Google play store.
Let us plunge deep into Google play ASO. Google Play ASO isn’t such a complicated process, it just needs to be organized by identifying the elements and specifications that the Google Play store is working with.
Google Play Store
Here are the most substantial elements and specifications that the Google Play Store is working with:
- Market Research and Keyword Optimization.
- Google Play Store optimization, and A/B testing.
- Tracking/Monitoring/Repeating the Process.
Marketing Research and Keyword Optimization
You should begin with market and keyword research in order to get search optimization.
The first step to do when finalizing an ASO strategy is to pair Market Research with Keyword Research and Optimization. It is extremely important to know your position on the market, who are the people you compete with and what are the plans that they use, to be able to outrank all competitors. However, it may be a little more difficult for the newer type of applications to fight through to the top for search rankings and items. The best strategy for keyboard optimization is to choose the correct terms and keywords.
It is very much recommended to use a middle or long sized tail keyword that is a set of a more specific search. Around 70% of search questions are long-tailed, meaning that the conversion on them is higher than usual since the higher the chance that whoever the user is, may find what he/she was looking for, because of this specific search.
Long-tailed keywords have a lesser volume of traffic and a lesser amount of competition, you should always try to target as many various sets of long-tailed keywords as much as possible and to try to cover a huge area of potential search questions linked to your product.
This will make you expand your outreach and maximize your vision in the search.
A/B for Google Play Store Optimization or Split Testing
There are basic steps made for implementing an A/B testing strategy for any mobile application, which we will introduce in the following paragraphs.
By using A/B testing you can determine the best version between two versions against each other in terms of clicks or installs during the experience, visits are divided into two versions and a comparison is made between A and B, after that, you can determine which version has the best performance based on the experience.
To find out how Google Play A/B testing works, follow the articles that will be published later and which will contain an extensive explanation about this topic.
Be more Focused Through Tracking and Monitoring
Follow-up intensively is the best practice for improving performance indicators through the Google Play console, as it gives you the ability to follow up daily, weekly, or monthly through a chart for each indicator.
You should follow the installation/uninstallation process and what the ratio between organic installs and paid installs, the general master performance chart, and classification of keywords used in the application with updating and performance of UI. Never quit to try out the graphic elements and continue testing A/B until you have the best-converting combination element of your listing on Google Play Store.
You should review the user’s status and never neglect their comments, and you should always engage with them in their responses. Make a good impact by your answers, and care about the opinions expressed in their comments about your application to be convincing to the new user so that you can change the mental image of the application. Review the interests of users, and don’t leave the range for a negative feeling.
What is the Listing Element of Google Play Store?
First of all, you should know that a good product is a key to success.
There isn’t any better than the organic downloads that help you get the confidence of your users. Optimizing the Google Play store listing helps improve the organic conversion rate, as it is one of the most important steps for improvement that you should take now without delay.
If you are interested to know more about the elements of Google play store listing read the next:
Product (Application) Details
It consists of three components, application Title, Short Description, and Full Description.
The Title of the Application
The name of your application on the Google store must reflect the activity of your commercial application, which helps in improving search engines to show your application. You can also choose a local name for each language, but don’t translate the title since this is preferable. It should not exceed 50 characters, according to the specifications of the Google Play Store, and you should keep in mind Title is one of the most important ASO factors.
Uploading Screenshots and Video
When adding screenshots of important application screens to the users and supporting them with a video showcase the way to use the application with its features, it will help your application significantly attract the largest number of users on Google Play. Check the graphic assets after uploading and review how they look at store listing.
You can use the video links as well uploaded to YouTube by adding the video link. But do not try to avoid adding the YouTube channel link, as it will only work through the video link. You can also localize your metadata at Google Play Store for any country or language, this, of course, is very useful for spreading and expanding the scope of your application depending on the availability of your services.
Short Description
The short description should mention the best features of the application in an attractive technique, which makes the user interested in the services provided by the app, and it is understood that the short description field in Google Play does not exceed 80 characters. The more you include a stronger description, the more user interest, and conversion rate will increase. So that the short description always includes the most important keywords. Note that Google Play Allows you to add emoji within the short description, which makes it more attractive.
We would like to inform you that when some users browse your application’s page, they will review the short description if it’s strong enough they will tap on the read more button to review the full description.
Google Description
Google Play gives you 4,000 characters for your description. The metadata should be very useful to the user to understand the application and its downloading. Google is always interested in the first five lines in the description and the last five lines. Plus, you should avoid using keywords unlawfully and in a context other than sentences, as it is a violation of Google Play policy.
Application Icon
The application icon plays a very significant part in optimizing the conversion rate, as it is the first thing that the user will see during the search process of service. It must draw the user to displaying the application page on the Google Play store, since it is the essential determinant of the user’s decision. Therefore, it must be carefully designed with high quality to gain a good impression and click-through increases.
The Name of the Developer
The Google Play Store archives the recorded history of the developer, and this is very useful in the classification of search engines if the indicators of the programmer are positive.
App Store Optimization Processes for Apple App Store
The number of apps available in the Apple App Store as of the 3rd quarter of 2019 is at least 1.8M applications. But do all dwell on the top? The Apple Store divides the available apps into categories, yet all will not be at the top of the search. But the applications who can reach the top with certainty are those that have a strong strategy according to the criteria and measures of success. ASO is one of the most important factors that help applications climb to the top.
No difference between the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store in ASO procedures, there are many things are common with them with some minor differences. But they follow the same techniques Like keywords, A/B testing, app name, developer name, metadata, with the difference in the methodology of the algorithm and the direction of the competition.
You must have a unified strategy of the Apple Store and the Google Play Store in terms of marketing content, name, keywords, metadata, application screenshots, and never exceed the conditions of either.
Apple Store VS. Google Play and ASO in Strategic differences.
There are some differences between Google Play and Apple Store, which of course will be reflected in the business strategy according to their specifications.
Pertinent Fields
Apple Store
Rank:
- App ID
- Title
- Subtitle
Doesn’t Rank:
- Description
- Promo text
- Release note
Google Play
Rank:
- Keywords
- Bundle
- Title
- Short Description
- Long Description
Doesn’t Rank:
- What’s New
The name of the Application
The app name is an important ranking indicator for all app stores. Therefore, the application name must reflect its activity to improve visibility during the search.
The number of characters is the most obvious difference between the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. As we mentioned previously, Google Play allows you to add 50 characters for the name of the application, while the Apple App Store only allows 30 characters.
Subtitle VS. Short Description
The app description appears in different search results for both Google Play Store and Apple Store. Apple Store’s subtitle appears below the application title in the search results. While the Google play store does not appear in the search results but appears in a Short Description on the application page.
Google Play Store is limited to 80 characters for the short description, while the Apple Store is limited to 30 characters
iOS Keywords
Following the classic SEO, you can add 100 invisible characters to classifies the application and determines its rank in the search engine for the Apple App Store.
Application Screenshots
You have to show the main features of the application through screenshots that contribute to improving the application conversion rate. You can upload up to 10 shots on Apple, while Google Play only gives you 8 shots.
Promotional Videos
The promotional video on the Apple App Store is very effective in conversion rate optimization because it will appear next to the first two screenshots. They also allow you to add 3 promotional videos in general that appear on the inside page of the application. But the video must be about the application and how to use it. Apple is very strict about accepting a promotional video.
Backlinks
Backlinks determine the size of your ranking, as the Apple store and Google play store work to count the backlinks to evaluate applications. But each of them follows different algorithms.