Detailed App Store Optimization Guide 2015 - Part 1: Apple App Store

Original author: Jacky Chou
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Needless to say, organic, disinterested application downloads are extremely important. Direct application discovery on the App Store is one of the most important factors that accounts for 53% of downloads. Putting your application in the first place is not so easy, you have to compete with about one and a half million applications in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. In order for the application to get into the top 10 in the United States, you need approximately 100 thousand downloads. Given that the promotion in this region costs about $ 3.30 per load, the budget for it will be about $ 330,000.

How to compete with brands and developers whose advertising budgets are hundreds of thousands of US dollars?

The best option for you is the App Store Optimization. ASO allows you to make your application more visible, increase the number of downloads, increase audience loyalty and your income. Actually, ASO is a set of techniques for increasing the visibility of a mobile application in the application directory.

Let's highlight the highlights of ASO:

Keywords

  • Title;
  • Description;
  • Localization.

Appearance

  • Icons
  • Screenshots

External factors

  • Number of downloads
  • Ratings and reviews;
  • Track and optimize keywords.

Since different search directories are used in different application directories to generate results, this guide is divided into two parts:

  • Apple App Store Optimization (consider now)
  • Google Play App Store Optimization (second part of the guide, published later)

App Store Optimization: Apple


Apple’s application catalog uses a fairly simple application list compilation algorithm, based primarily on the number of downloads. But other factors are taken into account. We will focus on three components:

  • Keywords;
  • Appearance;
  • External factors.

The most important aspect of ASO: keywords


Perhaps this is the most important aspect of ASO. You need to understand the difference between targeted search queries and keywords. Searching for keywords in ASO, as well as in SEO, takes a lot of time. It’s better to start by searching for relevant and relevant search queries, which can be called low-competitive.

To get started, use the Google Keyword Planner and Google Trends to get an idea of ​​your keywords. Once you're comfortable, you can get started with SensorTower or AppAnnie . These tools will help you find the right keywords, track them and study your competitors.

Note: it is necessary to search for keywords with the maximum frequency of search queries and with minimal competition.

The App Store allows you to specify exactly 100 characters in the keywords section, here are a few recommendations:

  • Do not put spaces after commas, end users will not see this list, and the store engine works without spaces;
  • Repeating keywords doesn't make sense;
  • Do not write numerals, indicate a number (not “three”, but 3);
  • Try to use short keywords in various combinations;
  • Do not use the plural;
  • Do not use auxiliary words like “the”, “on”, “at” and their analogues in other languages;
  • Use all 100 characters.

Keywords in the name of the application have the highest weight among other search factors. The MobileDevHQ team presented this as a graph:


Source: kissmetrics.com Position

growth of 10.3% is very significant, so you should pay special attention to the name. In addition, here are some more tips:

  • The first 25 characters are the most important, they are displayed in the search results when scrolling;
  • Avoid special characters; they may not be indexed by Google;
  • Keywords that appear in an existing application can be marked as a copy;
  • Do not use category names in the name of the application. For example, you should not use “free puzzle games”, since both “free” and “games” are categories;
  • Remember to “cannibalize” keywords, do not use the same keywords throughout, as this is reminiscent of spam.

What about category, publisher and IAP (in-app purchase) names?

Keywords in these fields are not so important, but they should not be neglected. Users can use the publisher’s name when searching in combination with the app’s name or keywords, but matching them all is a bad idea. Category names like “free” and “games” are already used for free applications and games, so don’t repeat it.

What should be taken into account when describing the application?

App Store descriptions are not indexed by the search, but this is a good way to influence the user. An interesting description will give more program settings than a boring unsubscribe.

Wherein:

  • It would be nice to conduct A / B testing of different description options;
  • Keep in mind that the preview shows only the first three lines;
  • Include press releases and updates in the “What's New” section;
  • Indicate the main advantages and capabilities of your application: why is it worth downloading?



Do not forget about localization!

Localization of keywords for different regions can increase the number of application downloads by 767%. The need for localization is fairly obvious, but many companies neglect it. Localization not only increases the ranking in the search, but also improves the user experience of the application.



Brand Awareness: Choosing the Right Looks


The way the application looks, its icon and screenshots, does not affect the search results. But this is important for users, it is important for branding your application and demonstrating the main idea of ​​the program. This is a decisive factor that allows you to attract the attention of the user, convincing him to abandon further searches.

The application icon should not be like the others and at the same time show what the application is. The icon is the first thing that impresses. It’s a good idea to maintain a consistent icon design everywhere in the application and on your website.

In addition to the icon, the first two screenshots are very important, since they are displayed in the search results. Screenshots are not just beautiful pictures. Feel free to sign them, to tell what is depicted on them. Treat them like print ads, tell an interesting story.

Try to optimize all the factors on the application page, for this you can use the Splitmetrics service .



The hard part: external factors


The good news is that there are many more factors that can help promote your application. The bad news is: you cannot manage them directly. The so-called “external factors” of promotion can only be controlled through external tools.

Is there a direct link between the number of downloads and the ranking of the Apple App Store?

In short, yes, and this connection is very strong. The graph below shows the dependence of the ranking of the application on the number of downloads. Since only the store itself and the application developer know the exact number of downloads, this graph is based on the assumption that the number of user ratings correlates with the number of downloads. Please note how much higher the number of downloads in niches with high competition:



In order to get into the top 10 applications in the Apple App Store, the number of downloads over the past 72 hours must be very significant, and the last 24 hours are especially important. There are several ways to dramatically increase the popularity of your application: these are reviews and ratings, social media and events. But if you plan to settle in a highly competitive niche, it is best to use paid promotion tools.

Reviews and ratings


Why are they important? This is generally easy to explain. Users will not install a low-rated app with bad reviews. It is obvious. But placing a call to evaluate the program in the application itself is a rather dangerous trick. You need feedback, but not any, but only good ones. Therefore:

Do not interrupt the user in the most interesting place and do not be annoying.



Do not ask users to give feedback in the error message, because at the same time you yourself ask for a negative.

Ask users if they want to leave a review, and do not persuade them to do so.



Do not relax. Tracking and optimization - ongoing work


ASO does not end after completing the steps above. You just started, got the first results by publishing the application so that it is easy to find, but you need to move on. Follow the rating of the application for different keywords, use the whole arsenal of tools for this (Google Trends, Keywords, Sensor Tower, etc.) Try changing keywords, do not forget to check blacklists . research the behavior of competitors, adopt their successful techniques. This is an endless path of trial and error, but the result is worth the effort, and our leadership will facilitate this path.

Once again, we recall that the procedure for optimizing the application in the Apple and Google catalog is different, and quite significantly. The next post will be about optimizing the promotion of the application in the Google Play Store.


Translation prepared by the Appodeal project team .

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