Plenty of brands have great apps—but if they’re not easy to find in the app store, they may as well not exist. For your app to be successful, it needs to rank for relevant searches in the mobile world’s leading app stores: the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.
Tailoring your business’s app details to make it more searchable is known as app store optimization, and it can have a big impact on your total number of organic app downloads. Here’s an in-depth look at the two major app stores and how to craft an app store optimization strategy that helps users discover your mobile app.
What is app store optimization?
App store optimization (ASO) means optimizing your app’s visibility and search ranking in app stores like the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and Samsung Galaxy Store. App store optimization plays an important role in an app’s success because greater visibility leads to more app downloads. More downloads means more user activity and more in-app purchases. If you run an ecommerce store with its own mobile app, this can mean a higher volume of sales and a potential boost to your revenue.
People work to optimize their app store listing by conducting keyword research. They carefully choose their app title, app description, app screenshots, and app icon—all of which are displayed in search results. Positive reviews reliably lure prospective customers, so business owners also work hard to boost their app ratings.
App store optimization is a lot like the search engine optimization (SEO) techniques business owners use to stand out in Google search listings. Like SEO, ASO can be cost-effective over the long run, since organic discovery can lower user acquisition costs.
Apple App Store vs. Google Play
The Apple App Store and the Google Play Store are the leading marketplaces for mobile apps. Built into iOS and Android devices, respectively, they are the platforms where users find apps, install them, and make in-app purchases to unlock premium tiers.
Both app stores host a similar array of offerings (most app developers code for both platforms) and share similar ASO principles. However, there are key differences in their algorithms and ranking factors. Here are the elements you should pay special attention to on each platform:
Apple App Store
- Keyword optimization. Apple’s App Store uses a keyword field where you can directly add keywords—these are the words for which you want your app to rank. These keywords can boost your app store visibility in the app category of your choice.
- App title and subtitle. Apple lets you input your official app name followed by a descriptive subtitle. These elements are crucial for visibility and should include relevant app keywords.
- Visual assets. Include high-quality app screenshots and videos that demonstrate what your app is capable of doing. Visuals are essential for attracting users to your app store page and improving conversion rates.
- App store reviews and ratings. Positive app reviews and a high rating can significantly boost your app’s visibility. They provide social proof and signal that your app is well-regarded and worth a look.
- App description. Experts say Apple’s App Store does not use descriptions as a direct ranking factor. Nonetheless, a well-written description is a smart app store marketing tactic and can help users understand what your app is about.
Google Play
- Keyword optimization. Google uses a more complex search algorithm than other app stores. It considers keyword density in the app’s title, description, and other metadata. Choose keywords that align with popular search terms but are also relevant to your app’s features.
- App title. A strong, keyword-rich title is crucial for initial visibility. Ideally, your app’s title gives users a hint of what functions it may perform.
- App description. An app’s product description is a significant ranking factor in the Google Play Store. This field offers another opportunity to incorporate keywords that help your app appear in relevant searches.
- Visual assets. Use videos and screenshots as app previews to demonstrate the main features of your app. While Google cannot evaluate the content of your app preview, it can assess the image resolution and the total number of visuals, which may boost your ranking in the search algorithm.
- Backlinks. Backlinks to your app’s Google Play page can positively impact your app’s ranking. They lead potential customers from standard webpages to your product’s app store page. Link to your app store from your ecommerce website and core marketing channels, including social media and email.
- Local optimization. The Google Play Console provides opportunities for app store optimization for specific regions and languages, which can be beneficial for international mobile apps.
How to perform app store optimization
- Optimize your app title with the right keywords
- Add visual assets
- Leverage ASO tools
- Collect app store reviews and ratings
- Localize the app store listing
- Monitor app store analytics
- Commit to continuous optimization
App store automation is a long-term endeavor. It involves using tools and techniques to attract the attention of app store search engines and convert your exposure into app downloads. Here are effective tactics to make app store optimization work for you:
Optimize your app title with the right keywords
Use tools like App Store Connect or Google Play Console’s app store optimization tool to discover relevant keywords with high search volume and low competition. These keyword ideas can inform your app’s name, description, and visual elements. They also help your product show up when users search for other apps with similar names.
Before you list your application, search the marketplaces for existing app names to ensure you’re not overlapping with an existing product. Incorporate relevant keywords into your app’s title and description. For the Apple App Store, the title plays a crucial role in how your app ranks, while for Google Play, the description holds more weight.
Add visual assets
Create high-quality app icons and screenshots. Design visually appealing app icons and screenshots that highlight your app’s unique features and benefits. Compress images to reduce load times and improve app performance.
Run A/B test experiments with different visual assets to determine which ones perform best. For instance, you could try leading with different photos to discover which brings in more traffic.
Leverage ASO tools
Use tools like Sensor Tower or MobileAction to track your app’s performance, monitor keyword rankings, and identify app store optimization opportunities. Use automation tools to schedule tasks like keyword research, A/B testing, and social media promotion.
Collect app store reviews and ratings
Consider offering incentives or rewards to encourage users to leave reviews. Use sentiment analysis tools like Yogi or AlphaSense to analyze the tenor of reviews and identify areas for improvement. Respond promptly and professionally to both positive and negative reviews. The tone of your responses will send a public message about how you operate.
Localize the app store listing
Localize your app’s listing for different regions and languages to improve discoverability. This will include translating your app’s title, description, and keywords into the language of whatever region you’re looking to penetrate.
Monitor app store analytics
Monitor key metrics like downloads, active users, in-app events, and revenue to measure the impact of your ASO efforts. Use analytics to identify trends and patterns in user behavior and adjust your ASO strategy accordingly.
Commit to continuous optimization
Watch for app store updates—keep up with the latest changes to app store algorithms and adjust your strategy accordingly. Monitor your competitors to keep an eye on their ASO strategies and identify opportunities to improve your own. Continuously test different ASO techniques and iterate on what works best to win over new users.
App store optimization FAQ
How do I optimize my app on the App Store?
Use keyword research to optimize your app title and description, upload high-quality visual assets, and solicit app store reviews. This applies whether you’re aiming to optimize new apps or existing apps.
Is app store optimization free?
Yes, you can optimize your app details without paying money to Google, Apple, or a third party. However, you can enlist a third-party service to handle app store optimization in exchange for a fee.
When optimizing your app, what should you focus on?
When optimizing your app, focus on creating an accurate description of your app’s functionality while incorporating relevant keywords that will help you show up in user searches. Also, focus on including screenshots and videos that demonstrate use cases for your app. This can help convert potential customers who may have discovered your app through search.
