Index
Introduction
Page 2
App Page Features
Page 3
Google Play
Page 6
Apple App Store
Page 7
Tracking & Measuring Changes
Page8
Summary
Page 9
1. Introduction
App Store Optimization (ASO) is the process of optimizing mobile app listings with the aim to rank higher in an app store’s search results.
The higher your app ranks in an app store’s search results, the more visible it is to potential customers. That increased visibility tends to translate into more traffic to your app store page, where users will find and download your apps.
ASO is similar to on-site SEO. You need to carefully set up your app listings on each app store to improve your app’s search visibility and maximise your downloads.
2. App Page Features
Each app store has its own unique layout and guidelines for app listings. However, all the app stores have several key elements in common.
If you can improve the following areas, you will have significantly increased the likelihood of higher rankings and
increased downloads.
App Name/Title
App users tend to scan content,
therefore having a catchy app name is essential to grabbing users’ attention. Including your target keywords within the title will improve your chances of ranking for keyword related searches.
App Logo
Having an app logo that is instantly recognisable another key element of your app store presence. Ideally your logo should not only represent your brand but also include your brand logo and an icon that indicates what your app does. See this article for 20 examples of high quality, eye catching app logo designs.
App Screenshots
App Keywords
You can include a list of keywords associated with your app in the Apple app store. Enter keywords that related to your app that a user may be searching for.
There is a maximum of 100 characters so when inputting your keywords it is best to use single keywords separated by a comma.
To track your app store rankings and discover the most effective keywords, use app analytics software such as MobileDevHQ and App Annie.
App Description
The app description is your chance to really sell your app to potential users. Your app description should be clear and concise and include all the key benefits and unique features of your app.
Include bullet points and headings to make the information easy to digest.
opportunity to give users a glimpse into your app before they download it. Your screenshots should be high quality visuals that tell users the story of your app. Treat your app screenshots as a series of display ads selling users on the key
benefits of downloading your app. See the app screenshots on this app for some ideas on how to improve your
screenshots. You can even combine 2 or 3 screenshots together to create a really unique and eye catching visual.
App Reviews
Having a good app rating will greatly increase the number of people
downloading your app.
Research has shown that apps with a star rating of 3 stars or less are usually ignored
you can add push notifications to your app. This reminds users to leave a review once they have used the app several times.
There are existing app review plugins such as Appirater, which can help you easily increase the number and quality of your reviews. You can also pay for
reviews from sites such as Microworkers to help improve your app ratings.
Number of downloads
The number of downloads your app gets, and the download velocity are key
factors in determining your app store rankings. These factors are also key in determining which apps feature prominently on the coveted category and ‘what’s hot’ pages.
To increase the number of downloads you will need to perform app marketing. This can involve outreach to app
review/rating/listing sites to feature your app. You can also run an incentivised download campaign via an app promotion company such as Fiksu or Apsalar. These campaigns will boost your download velocity and help your app feature higher in the app stores.
These are the key elements of your app store listings which contribute to your app store rankings. By testing different
variations you will be able to increase your app store visibility and increase the number of conversions.
While these factors are essential across all major app stores, each app store has its own individual features that can
3. Google Play
You can’t add a list of keywords on Google Play. This means that you do not need to clutter your page by including them in your product
description. However, it is considered best practice to include your main target keyword 4 or 5 times within your product description.
You can add an app demo/preview video to your Google play listing. This is a great way to give users a taste of your app. Videos are also more engaging for users than just having screenshots. Your video will show as the first screenshot when displayed on a phone.
External links to your app page can help improve your app store rankings. Similar to SEO, backlinks can help your app listing show higher for your target keywords. Unlike Google search, the linking guidelines are much more relaxed for Google play. Due to the play stores high domain authority you can also get your app to show for searches on Google’s main search engine which helps drive traffic and downloads.
Google play listings can be updated at any point so it is a great platform to be continually testing to get maximum exposure and downloads for your app. Google plus shares (+1’s) also show in your Google Play listing. Generating a good amount of +1’s for your app can help increase its standing and acts as good social proof, along with reviews that users really like your app. You can increase plus 1’s for your app by
promoting it in relevant Google Plus communities and asking existing users to share and +1 your app.
4. Apple App Store
You have the option to add up to 100 characters worth of keywords in your iTunes app listing. Make full use of the character limit and include as many relevant keywords as possible using commas to separate each individual word with no spaces.
To update your iTunes page you need to coordinate your ASO with an app update. You can’t edit your page whenever you like so it is important to be making tweaks to your listing with each app update you release. Updating your app will also reset
review scores for the latest version with aggregate review scores only showing after you receive 20-30 reviews of the updated version.
iTunes lets you create separate
screenshots for iPhone and iPads. It is a good idea to create unique
screenshots for each device to maximise your downloads from the different Apple devices.
5. Tracking and Measuring
Changes
To get the most from your app listing pages you should be continuously testing different elements of your page e.g. title, keywords, description, screenshots etc. To ensure the changes are having a positive effect on your visibility and downloads set up app analytics. Flurry and Distimo offer good app analytics solutions that are easily
integrated into your app using their SDK tracking codes.
It is also important to track your app store rankings using MobileDevHQ or App Annie to measure how you’re ASO is impacting your app search rankings. Increasing your app store rankings and gaining more downloads will require several iterations of your app listing to see the biggest gains.
Remember to closely monitor your app analytics after you implement any changes.
6. Summary
By implementing ASO best practices and improving your app store listing you can increase the number of users finding your app via app search while also maximising the downloads from your existing traffic.
ASO is an on-going task and it will require constant testing and analysis to find the optimum listing.
Over time you can steadily increase your visibility and downloads by utilizing app store optimization.
