How to Leverage App Store Optimization (ASO) to Grow Your Business

In any marketing strategy, you need to determine who your audience is. It is vital to understand what your users want and how you can deliver this when preparing your plan for app store optimization. Once you have a clear idea of this foundation in your app marketing efforts, you can implement the steps below.

This might seem like an obvious one, and you may already have a planned name for your app, but is it user-friendly?

One of the main areas to consider when naming an app is its relevancy to the app itself. If you take a look at any app store, you’ll notice a pattern to app names. In most cases, you’ll see the name of the app followed what it actually does. For example:

• VSCO: Photo & Video Editor
• Seven: 7-Minute Workout
• Udemy: 100,000+ Online Courses

This not only gives the user a short snappy name they’ll be able to remember, but it also describes exactly what they’ll get when they download it.

When choosing a name, it also has to fit within the character limits. At the moment, Apple App Store is 30 characters, and Google Play Store is 50 characters.

One of the most influential ranking factors in this space is keywords in the app name, so that’s why you’ll see the main keywords after the brand name in most examples.

Your app name should also be easy to read and unique.

Keywords are essential for app search optimization. Determining what keyword you want to use and be found for is the first step. This keyword is something that people will search for in the app store, so getting it right could make or break your reach level.

App store optimization tools can help you search relevant keywords and find a group of search terms that work with your message. While it’s essential to get this right when you set everything up, keywords can be a changing process and ultimately may need tweaking for future updates to ensure you’re still hitting the right audience.

When choosing keyword groups for your app, there are some common questions to ask to help you create a suitable list:

• What are the main features of your app?
• What are the synonyms that are associated with it?
• What category will your app be going in?
• What are similar apps called?
• What search terms are people currently using?

The app description is another example of metadata. This not only describes your app to users, but it also gives app stores the relevant information for its ranking algorithms. However, there are some differences in the way app stores recognize this field.

In the Apple Store, it is not indexed. However, that does not mean you should leave this section out. For the best user experience, writing a description will ensure your audience understands what the app delivers. It’s an ideal place to showcase the features and what value it will bring if downloaded.

Google Play apps are a little different as the description box is indexed. It is one of the places where Google looks for relevant keywords and search terms to rank your app accordingly. These elements should be utilized effectively and not just keyword-stuffed; as you know, Google is hot on lazy tactics to improve rankings.

Just write your description naturally. This way, it’ll satisfy Google’s algorithm and ensure readers understand it, which means they’re likely to revisit it.

When writing your description, make sure there is a clear structure. It’s also best not to just write a bulky paragraph as this is challenging to read, especially on mobile. Readers want snippets and takeaways from the content so they make a decision quickly. Use bullet points, emojis, or simply break it down into digestible chunks.

Currently, both apps stores have a 4000-character limit.

Another vital factor of app store optimization is the creative assets you produce.

One of the first things people see alongside the title is the icon. This feature is small but significant, and should convey the message of your brand and app.

For this element, remember that less is more, as anything too busy is not appealing to the eye. It’s also a great idea to create variations for the icon and do some A/B testing to see which is more effective.

Throughout the life of an app, you can also change up the icon to represent the updates and innovations of your brand. While these shouldn’t be too drastic, they can add a lift to your existing message. Look at the evolution of websites and apps such as Facebook or Twitter. You’ll see the subtle changes they’ve made to the logo over time without detracting from the original brand persona.

Another visual asset to create is screenshots and videos of how your app works. Although these features don’t contribute to ranking your app higher in the search results, they offer better conversation rates, which in turn, improve search rankings.

There’s no better way to show people what your app does than actually giving them an insight into what they’ll expect. You don’t have to give the entire game away, but displaying the functionality and features can boost conversion rates.

First impressions count, and many people are visual information consumers and will respond well to pictures and videos more so than words.

This feature also shows the orientation of how the user would use the app. If it’s horizontal, make sure your screenshots are delivered this way to avoid any confusion when the app is downloaded.

You can also make use of visual storytelling via app videos. In the App Store, these are called App previews, and in Google Play, Promo Videos.

When you have the wording and visual assets done, it’s now time to think about localization listings. Many people often believe that all apps are in English, but that’s not always the case.

For apps to appeal to the global market, you need to customize your app to the worldwide market. However, that doesn’t mean you need to create everything from scratch. All your existing metadata and creative assets can be translated into other languages. Several optimization tools can help in this area.

By delivering apps to a native audience, you can leverage trust and present it to a wider audience.

A significant part of how well an app ranks is down to what people say about it. Both Apple Store and Google Play look at comments and reviews, and of course, the better they are, the greater your chances of ranking higher in search results.

Reviews aren’t just crucial for algorithms; users read them, too. Research suggests that at least one review is read before an app is downloaded. Plus, users want to see that you reply and take on board feedback to improve the experience.

The most challenging aspect of this feature is getting feedback in the first place. Some people will naturally rate an app if they love it. However, sometimes people need some encouragement. So, why not ask them directly? This in-app feature is helpful to direct users to leave reviews, although there are limitations within the app stores in terms of how much you can ask.

Above are the steps to take to create a listing suited you’re your audience. However, to help boost your app in stores, check out a few extra tips to consider throughout the process.

App stores generally have a range of keywords they automatically apply. This means you don’t have to include them in your metadata. However, this is something that is often missed when thinking about the title and description.

The category name of the app is one of these keywords.

For example, if your app appears in the ‘Free Game’ section, the app store already gives you ‘free’ and ‘game’ as keywords so you can use these few extras words for other vital synonyms.

Most apps will have a niche, but a lot of apps do not utilize them effectively. Suppose you take a look at the world of fitness, for example. In that case, there are thousands of applications that potentially offer the same type of thing. So how do you break through this noise?

The keyword ‘fitness’ is a high-competition term, so trying to get to the top of these search results will be a long and challenging battle. If your app caters to fitness for a specific group of people, use that as a keyword first. Long-tail keywords are more likely to give you traction in a particular niche.

Examples could be ‘fitness for absolute beginners’ instead of using broad terms. When you start ranking for this term, you can tweak your tactics to move onto more competitive keywords and work your way up.

When you make an app available for download, it’s essential to think about how what downloading it entails. If it’s a hefty weight, then users will typically avoid downloading it onto their phone if they are not connected to WiFi. However, if this happens, they also may forget to come back and download it afterwards.

To ensure the conversion is not lost, make your download weight less than 100MB. This encourages people to download there and then and doesn’t affect their data usage too much.

Alongside all the above features of ASO implementation, on-going competitor analysis is crucial. Being reactive to changes in your niche also ensures you stay ahead of the curve. Apps are being created all the time, so monitoring what’s happening and where you need to target next is essential.

You may also want to test the waters and become the changemaker yourself. However, this is typically advised when you have a good stake in the overall rankings. People can be more reactive to brands they trust over new starters.

Apple has developed a feature called Spotlight Search. This means users can search for apps they already have on their phone. Sound a bit pointless? Surely, they know it’s already downloaded? However, by enabling this feature, you can encourage more app use and engagement as people may not have used it in a while.

Although many app users love free apps, if they like a resource, they’re more likely to pay to unlock some features. By developing in-app features at affordable costs, you can give users something exclusive without making it all about the money.

The main app stores have paid advertising options that can help improve your visibility. While many people will opt to focus on organic reach, the beauty of Apple Search Ads and Google Ads for apps is that they have a connection to organic ranking algorithms. These algorithms take into account and determine relevance from organic and paid click-through-rates.

Although this might seem like the answer to getting your app out there, it’s also important to remember that you benefit from having a good organic reach first. Paid campaigns will help boost this reach, but if it’s not there to begin with, there is no foundation for it to work with.

Another plus with paid campaigns is relevancy. It is a more important aspect of the algorithm, rather than how much you’re spending. In basic terms, if your app is not relevant to the keyword you’re targeting on a paid campaign, it will often not be served as an advert on the app store. If you have a low click-through rate, it also may be retracted from the search altogether.

Another critical factor in optimizing a paid advert is to ensure your creative assets are appealing. Low click-through rates can sometimes be attributed to visuals that don’t stimulate the user; this, in turn, will lower your chances of being found in paid and organic search.

A significant part of app management is providing relevant updates when they’re needed. If your app becomes glitchy and deters from the user experience, you’ll start to get negative reviews and fewer downloads.

As we explored in a previous section, feedback and reviews are vital ranking factors that tell the app store what people think of your app. To improve the user experience, using the feedback and developing updates to tackle common issues will keep everything consistent and working correctly. If you don’t keep on top of updates, you’ll typically notice a similar trend in how people react to your application.

Once you’ve got everything set up and running, tracking your app’s progress and performance is the next step.

Just like any other digital marketing strategy, keeping tabs on how well it’s doing is vital.

The data collected on your app can help determine the next steps to take and explore what’s working and what’s not within your niche.

One of the best ways to measure performance and actively monitor progression is by using app store optimization tools. There is a range of companies that provide this service and they have several features that build a picture of the app’s strengths and weaknesses.

These tools offer everything from:

• Analysis
• Optimization techniques
• Conversion data
• Keyword tracking
• Monetization
• A/B testing techniques
• Competitor monitoring
• Plus many other valuable tools

They are also a helpful way to track multiple apps in one place to enable you to streamline your analysis.

If you’re considering a manual performance management approach, here we show a little more detail into the key areas to focus on.

There are several KPIs to think about when managing the performance and success of your app. However, there can be a lot of data to crunch, so here a few recommendations to get started:

Keywords rankings are always changing. Although most won’t fluctuate too much, there can be significant changes due to events or seasonal variations. For example, the pandemic saw millions of fitness app downloads throughout the months of lockdown. While fitness is a keyword that has been highly searched for years, the number of searches was unprecedented compared to other global events.

Tracking keyword changes will assist in developing a strategic plan for future growth. Starting with mid- or long-tail keywords can boost new apps in the app stores due to the low competition. However, as you move up the ranks, you can tailor your keyword targets to harness a broader reach.

Within the app stores, there is a section dedicated to ‘top apps’ or ‘recommended apps’. In reality, you’ll want to hit this feature a lot as it commands a prominent place on the homepage of the app stores.

You can track how many times you appear here and track your competitors too!

Another vital KPI is your reviews and ratings. This not only helps you understand how people use and rate your application, but it also shows the app store what they think of it, too. Maintaining a positive rating is obviously important. However, it’s also how you deal with the negative feedback that also helps your app.

Constructive or negative feedback can give you the tools to make changes. If you notice a pattern of similar issues, then fixing this is vital to improve user performance. Replying to comments and addressing current user problems will also improve customer satisfaction.

Reviews and ratings can be tracked for your app and competitors to give you invaluable insights into how they tackle this area.

As the app developer, you will be able to see how many times your app has been downloaded. You and the app store can only see this information, so you won’t be able to compare this to competitors.

The term organic install refers to apps that are downloaded without any direct push from an advertiser. Users will find the app themselves via search or word of mouth. This type of user is considered to be the highest quality and is the best metric for a higher return on investment (ROI) and lifetime value (LTV).

However, organic installs are the hardest to achieve due to the volume of competing apps in app stores — although it’s not impossible. By analyzing and reacting to this metric, you can push your app organically to attract the right attention.

To give you the best chance of performing well organically and through paid search, there are some areas to avoid for the best results:

Similar to traditional SEO keywords tactics, app stores do not like keyword stuffing. Character count is limited, so ensuring you optimize this section is vital. Using too many keywords in this area will also look unnatural, which can also affect user experience.

Some apps are just too similar to others in the app stores. Even if you offer something slightly different, but the message is still comparable, your app may not even be authorized by the app store for launch. This result will stifle your hard work and take you back to the drawing board. So, ensure it’s unique and has value to the user.

Although the process of managing and monitoring your app may involve tweaking keywords, it is typically best to avoid changing them too often. This can confuse people and doesn’t allow the algorithm time to index everything. Overall, try not to amend the title, description, and keywords too often unless you know it will benefit the results.

There are several main aspects to ensure you manage your app’s performance successfully, including:

Where you appear in search results is an important starting place. Analyzing your current visibility within an app store and how people find you is essential to improving your rankings. Manually exploring these keywords may take some time, so using a keyword tracker can help make the process quicker.

When you’ve carried out an analysis of your app’s performance, taking steps to optimize it can improve its position. This stage is also a testing and experiment aspect. Although keywords may work better, they could also hinder results, so by ensuring you optimize well and target effectively, you’ll benefit from the results.

Once you’ve optimized your app, it’s time to hit the publish button. Regularly updating your app can help you gain the best insight into what is working and what isn’t. Some experts suggest releasing updates every two weeks to gather these insights and make changes. This can be a hefty process, so using an ASO tool can help manage it.

App store optimization is not a quick process. Some apps seem to get all the luck, and others fail quickly. However, the key to not falling into the latter category is a consistent and methodical approach to ASO. Many developers focus on honing the app and delivering a fantastic product, only to rush elements such as the title, description, and visual assets. However, these are just as important if you want to gain high audience interaction and conversion rates.

Apps are being published every day, so ASO should remain a constant over the life of an app. Testing and experimenting with different elements can help to improve rankings and metrics, and ensuring app updates are available will improve its user experience.

App Store Optimization Aso involves investment in both time and effort to drive traffic consistently. By implementing these handy tips, you will be in the best position to actively grow your reach and boost your business prospects.