In a nutshell, ASO is the process of improving the overall visibility of the mobile application / game in the store. It aims to obtain the largest organic traffic possible, but also to improve conversion at app page visit - download stage.
It gets crowded in the app stores. Only a well-thought-out app marketing strategy will allow us to break through.
ASO (App Store Optimization), an issue popular for several years mainly in the West, is gaining more and more recognition as a completely separate app promotion channel. In a nutshell, ASO is the process of improving the overall visibility of the mobile application / game in the store. It aims to obtain the largest organic traffic possible, but also to improve conversion at app page visit - download stage.
Every third inhabitant of the Earth has a smartphone
With over 2.7 billion smartphone users around the world, it is not surprising that the mobile application industry is booming. Subsequent surveys indicate that everyday internet use plays a significant role in consumers' lives. The use of smartphones, including the use of applications, continues to grow at a steady pace, with no signs of slowing down in the near future.
The blinds are therefore very fierce: in Google Play we will find 2.46 million applications, and in the Apple App Store 1.96 million. If the profile of our application is not optimized on an ongoing basis, it will not appear in many relevant search results, and therefore we can lose hundreds or even thousands of potential downloads.
Mobile users use their devices not only to browse the Internet. They also make purchases on phones and tablets. In 2018, global revenues from mobile applications amounted to over USD 365 billion. It is forecast that in 2023 this revenue will increase to USD 935 billion.
There is no success without installation.
We use telephones at work, at home, on the street, during meals and even driving a car. And what exactly does everyone do on the phone? Well, 90% of the time is spent on applications.
This is obviously an encouraging message for anyone who owns an application or plans to create it. However, to succeed in this space, at least two things must happen:
users must download our application
and must use it.
How make your app visible?
ASO is the basis here. Creating and implementing a professional ASO strategy can not only give us more installations, but also more valuable users and a higher retention factor. In a recent survey conducted by Google, 48% of users declare that they discover the application by browsing the app stores. Therefore, we are dealing with a topic that should not be underestimated.
Understanding ASO
ASO is often overlooked by application developers and marketers as soon as you have prepared the initial materials needed for publication. In the meantime, if the profile of our application is not optimized on an ongoing basis, it will not appear in many relevant search results, and we will lose hundreds or even thousands of potential downloads.
The main goal of optimization, in addition to achieving high positions in rankings, is to improve the clickthrough rate (CTR). Therefore, we should not only provide algorithms with sufficient information about our product (using appropriate keywords) to be able to display the largest number of queries, but also convince users to choose our application as soon as they find it.
We can do this by optimizing individual elements such as the name of the application, descriptions, graphic materials (logo, screenshots, video), taking care of the evaluation and proper operation of the application (relatively small size, small number of errors).
Such work requires constant commitment, many tests, ongoing analysis of the performance of individual factors.
A consistent ASO strategy results in the highest ROI among all possible user acquisition channels. Before starting the first paid campaign, the most important step should be to create a comprehensive app store optimization plan that will be defined based on the needs of our application. Its definition and proper implementation are the conditions for an effective app marketing campaign.
The application cannot be optimized for all keywords, features and demographic groups, which is why choosing the most effective ones is crucial. Thanks to professional optimization, the application indexes organically for hundreds of keywords actively searched by users. We also have an impact on how users perceive the application and it influences on the number of downloads. ASO affects the long-term growth of app downloads.
Where exactly should we start?
Although the available elements on Google Play and the Apple App Store will differ, we should focus primarily on the following elements:
Name: title and subtitle, URL
Let's make sure that the title properly reflects the application, is easy to understand, and at the same time strengthens its value . It's important to use keywords with the highest importance rate here.
If the title is attractive, people will remember it, which will give us a higher recognition rate. When choosing the right name, don't forget to consider the number of characters available (30 characters in the Apple App Store, 50 characters in Google Play).
Keywords, descriptions
Apple App Store allows us to clearly declare phrases that we particularly care about, providing a special field for this. If the algorithm judges them to match, they will be indexed. Placement of phrases in the title and subtitle is no less important.
Google Play does not use such a key phrase bank, so understanding the algorithm is particularly important. The title is indexed first and has the highest weight for phrase placement, followed by a short description. The algorithm scans the title, short and long description to detect keywords to be indexed in the application. What's more, it scans them from top to bottom and from right to left. The closer the phrase data in the description are to the beginning of the verse, the easier the algorithm can find and index them.
Graphic materials
The way the product is presented in the store will have a large impact on the value of the conversion rate (download). Optimization of these resources may be slightly more difficult to master, focused on a purely marketing side. Icon, screenshots, video - all this is to give an encouraging idea of how our product looks and how it is used. We are constantly testing each of these fields to improve key indicators associated with them (CTR, CRO, etc.). Google Play provides us with a built-in experiment tool.
Downloads
Increasing the number of downloads will increase the importance of ranking, because the position of the application directly correlates with the number of downloads. A good ASO strategy is a great way to increase the number of organic installations and ensure long-term results.
Rating and reviews
This is the basic area of fostering user confidence, as well as a ranking signal for the blinds. The volume, freshness and value of the assessment itself are important. You should prepare proper templates and incentives for regular reviews. We should also be involved in answering them.
Updates
The most effective applications in the stores are those that are constantly evolving (they reflect the opinions of users, take into account changes in technology, release additional functionalities). Both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store take into account the regularity of application updates when developing rankings.
To sum up
Let's not let our hard work on creating the application go unnoticed, let's start optimizing! Only through regular monitoring and improvement we can be sure that we are doing our best to succeed. Although creating ASO strategies can seem long and daunting, it will ultimately improve the visibility of our applications. Make sure you actively monitor trends in the event of a sudden change.
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