Sustainably increasing your app's visibility without (high) advertising costs? Get started with App Store Optimization (ASO). One of the most important concepts in app marketing, and certainly a must if you have an app in the app stores. In this blog we discuss the basics and how you get started with ASO.
P.s: Not in the mood to read? Watch the video below!
1. Check Your App's ASO Score
First things first: How does your app score right now? Look up your app in our free ASO score tool. This way, within seconds you'll have an idea of where your app currently stands and what still needs to be improved. Here you'll find, among other things, the score of your current keywords, ranking factors and update cycle (this shows how regularly and consistently an app is updated).
2. Choosing the Right Keywords
Who is your target audience, how do they find apps and what do they search for? You need to answer these questions to be able to effectively reach potential users. Keyword research is the first step in this: discover which terms and phrases your target audience uses when searching for apps. Here you can use tools such as AppTweak or App Radar. This way you ensure that your content aligns with their search behavior. This makes your app more visible in search engines.
Tip: Make sure your app is found when people search for apps from your competitors. Therefore, add the names of your competitors as keywords in the keyword list on iOS. These keywords are not visible in your listing, but they do ensure that you rank on them.
3. Improve Your App Store Listing
Once you know which keywords score well and that you want to use, it's time to optimize the most important ranking factors with these keywords. Make sure you incorporate these into crucial parts of your app store listing, such as:
- The title: This is the most important factor for both Apple and Google. Choose a title that is not only catchy, but also contains the most important keywords.
- The subtitle (Apple) or short description (Google): This is often displayed directly in search results and is a good place for secondary keywords.
- The keyword list (Apple): Specific to the Apple App Store; here you can place extra keywords that are not visible to users.
- The long description (Google): This is especially important in the Google Play Store, because Google looks at this heavily when determining your rankings. Write a description that is informative, convincing and keyword-rich.
Google and Apple maintain different priorities in their algorithms. Google, for example, places more emphasis on the long description, while Apple uses a keyword list that you need to utilize smartly. It is therefore important to align your strategy with this.Read these blogs here for more practical tips per platform:
4. A Visually Appealing Listing
The last step is perfecting your app icon and previews. This has less influence on ranking, but plays an important role in conversion rate optimization (CRO). People are namely more attracted by the visuals they see when downloading an app. The goal of CRO is to effectively convert potential visitors of your app listing into active users of your app. The previews show at a glance what the app has to offer and highlight the Unique Selling Points (USPs).
Therefore, experiment with different previews and icons to discover the best match with your target audience.
Tip: Make sure that the purpose and added value of your app clearly come to the forefront in the first two previews. These are namely the first thing people see (without scrolling) and often determine the first impression.
The Basics Are in Place, and Now?
These are the basics to get started with App Store Optimization. Once your listing is optimized, you can start with, among other things, App Store Advertising. Questions or need help? Feel free to get in contact.
Did you know that the ranking factors differ per app store? Here you can read exactly which ranking factors play a role for the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.
