Google Play Store and Apple App Store have over 5 million apps, but the only handful of these apps mainly shows on search results and Home pages. So, if you want to make sure that your App shows on the search results, then you will have to optimize your apps in a way that they should pass the ranking criteria of these platforms, and this whole process is called the ASO App Store Optimization. If you are wondering, what is ASO App Store Optimization? And how it works, then you are in the right place. In this comprehensive guide, we will tell you everything you need to know about the ASO App Store Optimization. Let’s dive right into it.
What is ASO App Store Optimization?
ASO or App Store Optimization is a process of optimizing the different factors to ensure that when users search for specific terms, our App should show up. As App Stores already have millions of apps, it’s important that your apps should be App Store Optimized so that they get better ranking on App Stores and show up to potential users.
What is the difference between ASO and SEO?
If you are a tech-savvy person, you have probably heard the term SEO (Search Engine Optimization) as well. When it comes to SEO and ASO, both processes share many similarities, but there are some key differences as well.
In SEO, we optimize our websites in a way that they rank on Google and other search engines. When it comes to Google, the company has more than 200 factors that it considers when ranking any website, and many of these factors are unknown, which makes the SEO a very complex process.
However, in ASO, the things are comparatively less complex. There are some well-known factors such as App Title and Description, which you can fulfil, and there are great chances that your App will rank.
How do users find and download Apps?
In this section, we will discuss how do users find and download apps, which will help you understand the importance of App Store optimization.
According to one estimate, 70% of mobile users find new apps using the search feature. The second highest way is word of mouth, where they hear a good thing from friends or social media, and they download the App. The percentage of these people is around 15%.
Similarly, around 12% of the mobile users find their apps through a web search, and only 10% find the news apps using Top Chart. These numbers clearly show that search is the best way to get new users, and your app can only show up in the search results if it’s optimized for the App Store.
Why should you care about ASO App Store Optimization?
Just to give you a perspective, there are over 3.6 million apps available on Google Play Store, and Apple App Store has over 2.7 million apps. Now just imagine the competition your App would face out there. So, it’s important that your App is App Store Optimized as it will have better chances of getting featured on the home page and search results.
What are the Benefits of App Store Optimization?
First, we discussed what is ASO App Store Optimization and why you should care about it. Now, let’s take a closer look at the benefits of App Store Optimization.
ASO Improves App Visibility
One of the major challenges new apps face is that they don’t get enough exposure, and it’s mainly due to the fact that many apps are not optimized for the App Store. So, when you optimize an App for the App Store, the chances of being discovered by the potential users get higher, and as a result, your App gets the exposure, which leads to the growth of your App.
Improves the Chances of getting discovered by potential users
Getting exposure is good, but being discovered by the right users is also important. When your App is optimized for App Store, the chances of being discovered on the right keywords improve the chances of getting new users. For example, let’s say that your App is about Finance. It’s important that your App should appear in search results when someone searches for “Finance Apps,” and the only way to achieve it is App Store Optimization.
Saves Capital
One way to get a lot of users is to put money on Ads, but this policy doesn’t work well in the long run. If you use the ASO strategy, your chances of growth will remain high in the long, and you will keep getting organic traffic without paying a single dime.
Increase Growth
One of the biggest advantages of ASO App Store Optimization is that it allows the App to grow rapidly. If your app is optimized for App Store and it gets featured on the home page or higher in search results, then chances of being installed by users get higher, and as a result, you get steady growth for a long period.
What are the Ranking Factors for Google Play Store?
Google Play Store is one of the biggest App Stores out there with more than 3 million apps. So, the platform uses a sophisticated algorithm to ensure that only the best apps appear on the home page and search results. The platform considers many factors (official guidelines), many of these factors are hidden, but the following are some major factors which influence the app rankings.
- Name of the App
- URL
- App Subtitle
- Keyword Field
- In-App Purchases
- Reviews by users
- Updates
- Downloads and Engagement by Users
- Hidden Factors
What are the Ranking Factors for Apple App Store?
Just like Google Play Store, Apple App Store also uses a very sophisticated algorithm to ensure that only quality apps get featured on search results and homepage (official guidelines). That’s why the App Store considers the following factors in evaluating the apps.
- Title of the App
- Short & Long Description
- In-App Purchases
- Reviews by the users
- Updates
- Download and Engagement by users
- Hidden Factors
How is App Store Optimization Done?
In the early sections, we discussed what is ASO App Store Optimization. In this section, we will briefly explain how you can do the App Store Optimization. App Store Optimization is a complex process, and it takes a lot of work and planning to successfully rank your App on the App Store. Here’s the quick outline of the process you can follow to complete the process.
- The first step is picking the title of the App. Make sure that the title is easy to remember, and if you can include your main keyword in it, then it is a plus. For Google Play Store, it should be 50 characters long, and for Apple Store, the title must be around 30 characters long.
- Now do the keyword research, and in this process, you will need to consider the synonyms and user intent as well to ensure that your App shows up in the results.
- Write the Description of your App and make sure that it’s readable and unique. Also, it should have the right keyword density as it will increase the chances of getting ranked on search results. The description should be around 4000 characters long.
- Now pick the right Icon of the App using the A/B Testing.
- Add the Screenshots & Videos of the App so that users could know what the App is all about. Also, highlight the various features and User Interface.
- Publish your App and track the progress. If the App is not getting a good response, then analyze and improvise. Keep improvising your strategy until your App gets ranked.
Conclusion
That’s all, folks. In this guide, you learned what is ASO App Store Optimization. We also outlined the process of App Store Optimization to give you an idea of how it works. If you have any questions, please let us know in the comment section below. Also, visit our website for more useful guides, because we have our secrets too, why don’t you have a look at 5 Tips To Increase The Downloads Of Your Mobile Game.