Don’t Miss Out – A Complete Guide to Know Ins & Outs of App Store Optimization (ASO)

The app store is the top place places for users to find an app. Most of the app store discovery comes from app stores. And an additional 34% of downloads are the result of app store recommendations.

App Store is one of the most powerful channels that help you promote your mobile app in the marketplace. However, there are more than 1 million apps in the app stores. How can you possibly stand out in the ocean of countless alternatives? The answer is with app store optimization.

What is App Store Optimization (ASO)?

App store optimization is the process to ensure that the application appears in the top results for relevant keywords. It is a great way to improve app visibility that ultimately maximizes app conversion rates.  Moreover, using this approach, you can attract high-quality users to your iOS and Android app.

ASO = Traffic + Conversion

Top Two Factors That Affect App Store Optimization

1. On-Metadata Factors  

Anything on which app publishers have complete control is considered in the on-metadata group. The elements consist of App title, Subtitle (iOS only), short and long description, promo text (iOS only), Keyword field (iOS only), app icon, and URL/ Package (Android only).

It is crucial to take care of Meta Data as it helps you gain more exposure. Each element comes with a character limit, so instead of wasting the characters, you can use the space to include relevant keywords.

2. Off-Meta Data Factors  

The uncontrollable things that are concerning your app are included in the off-metadata factors group. These factors generally arise as a result of your optimization efforts. It consists of ratings, reviews, number of downloads, size of the app, and bugs.

Why ASO is Important for your Business?

Although there are paid methods to bring traffic to your app, however, it doesn’t guarantee whether they are high-quality users or not. According to recent statistics, 65% of downloads happen due to organic users who download your app and thus are the most valuable for your app.

The Top Three Reasons for Investing in App Store Optimization are: 

• App Stores are fast, secure and the largest discover channel for apps

“Over 65% of app downloads come from app store searches.” – (Source: Statista)

• Organic Downloads = Lower User Acquisition Costs

“30-day retention rate for organic installs that is 25% higher than non-organic installs.” – (Source: Statista)

• One time investment and long-term gains

“Even if there are 2 million apps is the app store, there are higher chances of getting featured.” – (Source: Statista)

Difference between ASO & SEO

Most people think ASO and SEO are similar. However, mobile and web are two different ecosystems, hence there are quite differences between ASO and SEO.

Differences	SEO	ASO
Search Intent	When searching on the web, people tend to look for answers when buying a product or service, thus, search queries are longer.	Search queries in the app stores are generally shorter than on the web. People intend to search by specific apps by their brand name that serves an exact need.
Keywords	To optimize keywords, you have different web pages and different search queries.	In app stores keyword optimization is limited to title, subtitle, Keyword field, or long description. It is crucial to use relevant keywords wise to increase visibility.
Backlinks Vs App Downloads	Search engines rely on the amount and quality of backlinks to determine the authority of a website.	App downloads rely on download velocity. More the downloads, higher ranking chances of the app.
Page Speed Vs Uninstall Rate	Search engines prioritize websites with fast page speeds in the search results.	App Stores rely on user metrics such as uninstall or retention rate to feed their algorithm.

 

Best App Store Optimization Strategies for 2021

Do you know, like search engines, mobile app stores have an intelligent algorithm to rank apps? Here are some top ASO strategies that can help you en-route:

1. User-Oriented Keyword Search  

Keywords are the main ingredient in the ASO strategy. The foremost step is to conduct in-depth research on your target market, users, and competitors. The goal is to define a keyword list that you can use while defining your app.

App Store Search Behaviour

If we dig deeper, one-third of searches (38%) were generic. The division between branded VS. generic varies from app to app. For instance, famous brands like Uber receive 80% of downloads from branded keywords, but less familiar apps receive almost 75% of downloads from generic keywords.

2. Choose the App Name Wisely  

Your utmost goal is that users remember your app for a long time. So, make sure you nail its creation with the right ‘app name’. Your app title should be descriptive, easy to remember, not more than 25 characters long, and can contain one or two keywords.

For example,

It is one of the perfect app names that are easy to remember, short, keyword-rich, and descriptive. The app has done a marvelous job that makes it easier to stand out in the crowded marketplace. Looking at this name, users can easily predict what the app is about and how it can help them.

3. Create Accurate App Descriptions  

The app description is a crucial part of the app’s Metadata. It helps users to find details about app features and functionalities. While writing the app descriptions, you need to consider a few points like it should be easily understandable, informative, include important keywords, and mention how it solves users’ queries.

The app description is your chance to put your app idea into words. Google Play Store and Apple App Store both have different rules and guidelines for writing app descriptions. For Google Play Store Optimization, you will have a short field of up to 80 characters and a long field of up to 4000 characters. To rank higher, you can add essential keywords up to 5 times. However, don’t waste your space by adding keywords when doing Apple App Store optimization.

How is App Store Optimization different for the Apple App Store & Google Play?

The Apple App Store and Google Play Store have the same objective – To help users find and download new apps. But both the app stores are different when it comes to the app page and search results.

Differences	Apple	Google
Banner Image	Image is displayed at the top of the page	There is no option to add
App Title	30 Characters – Displays next to the icon at the top of the page	50 Characters – Displays next to the icon at the top of the page
Short Description	30 characters – Shows underneath the app title	80 character underneath the screenshots on the app page
Long Description	4000 characters – The first three lines are underneath the screenshots. Users need to click on the ‘learn more’ button to view the complete description.	4000 characters – Not visible on the app page. Users need to click on the ‘arrow icon’ to read the long description.

 

Let’s take a look at the Impact of these Differences on the ASO

• App name is a robust ranking signal in both the store. Since a short description is not visible in the Google play store, the title plays a significant role in expressing your app details.
• The short descriptions vary in length and serve different purposes. In-App Store, it tells what your app does, but in the Google play store, it is written under screenshots for grabbing users’ attention.
• Long Description is a key ranking factor in Google Play Store. So, you can also avoid focusing on keywords when writing long descriptions for Apple App Store.

Summary  

To gain profits post launching your app in the market, you should focus on developing a powerful ASO strategy. You are competing with millions of other apps. Hire a top-notch Android or iOS development company that can help you achieve results in a shorter time. Moreover, they are backed with a stronger team who have expertise and knowledge of app store optimization tools to drive downloads in the short-term and long-term alike.