How to do ASO? (App Store Optimization Guide)

What is ASO? 

App Store Optimization or ASO is the procedure to improve your app visibility in the app stores and increase the conversion rate. App Store is the prime store for iOS and Google Play for Android. Apart from higher ranking in the App Store results, ASO is a process that pays attention to the click-through rate or CTR. It again means that you require convincing people to click on the app once they find it. This can be done by different optimization methods like optimizing the app title, app name, app screenshots, app icon, and app rating.

There is no doubt about the fact that when your app gets more visibility, it has an increased chance of downloads. When people click through the app from the listing page, you also need to ensure that they are downloading or making the purchase. This is a relevant part of ASO, which is also popular as conversion rate optimization or CRO.

What is the prime difference between SEO and ASO?

ASO is generally known as the App Store SEO. There are several similarities in both the processes like bank linking, keyboard optimization, and optimizing conversion. The prime difference between search engine optimization and App Store optimization is the major ranking factors. Apart from this, ASO is generally used for mobile apps, whereas on the other side, SEO is for online websites.

The SEO factors for any web browser or a search engine like Google will consist of more than 200 different aspects, and this list will keep expanding. When it comes to ASO ranking factors, it is much shorter. However, most people are still not sure which one plays an effective role. So here, we will find out the major differences to help you perform the best ASO for the app.

SEO or search engine optimization involves: 

• Search engines like Yahoo, Google search, and Bing.
• Its on-page requirements include optimizing title tag, making sure of keyword density, page loading time, bounce rate, H1, H2, and H3 tags.
• The page requirements include links, social signals, and anchor text.
• The prime goal of search engine optimization is to improve visitor traffic.

ASO or App Store optimization involves: 

• Search engines like the Google Play and Apple App Store
• Its on-page optimization includes the app name or the title, description of the app, proper keywords, checking uninstall rates, and usage metrics.
• Its off-page optimization includes bank linking, checking ratings and reviews, and measuring the download statistics.
• The prime goal of ASO is to increase the user downloads of the app.

Why is it crucial to make App Store optimization for app growth?

If you check the recent statistics, you will find over 5 million apps are present in both the Google play store and Apple App Store. This is likely to give you more than enough competition than you can think about.

So, the major agenda of App Store optimization is to improve the downloads and increase the number of loyal users. Its initial step is to improve the number of downloads. This is done by making your app easily discoverable when users search for it. But how to do it?

In order to know the way to Organic SEO in Dubai, you initially need to have an understanding of the way people are searching for all looking for apps.

How do consumers search and download mobile apps?

People who are looking for their relevant apps or either using Apple App Store or the Google play store. A huge 70% of the users make use of the search button on the App Store or Google store when they look for new apps. Moreover, 65% of the downloads happen from direct searches. So it is clear that the app store search is one of the prevalent methods of discovering and downloading new apps.

Moreover, the app search ranking position will have a direct correlation with its downloading numbers. When your app ranks higher in the search results, it will have more chances to download. The higher ranking has a huge association with more downloads since users do not prefer manual scrolling to check every result. They would mostly check the first five and would make a decision among the first five apps. So, if you’re not making App Store optimization properly, you are definitely missing out on the huge number of users for your games or mobile apps.

When you start learning more about App Store optimization and invest a little more time, you will get to know the secret weapon to improve app growth. This will have a long-term benefit and let you get a competitive edge in this huge competition.

What are the advantages of ASO?

Hopefully, now you have got an idea that App Store optimization can result in improving your position in the App Store searches. Since many factors of success lie in getting the best rank, it is always advisable to make the App Store optimization to acquire the best results. So if you want to know more about the advantages of ASO, keep reading the following.

• It helps to stand out in the App Store: You will not be able to find users downloading your app until they can find it. So irrespective of how great or old your app is, you cannot enjoy the success you deserve when it is not discoverable. So you need to start optimizing if you don’t want to let go of the hard work you put into creating a fantastic app.

• It helps to get discovered among the relevant users: Just to make your app discoverable is not the ultimate thing as you have to make sure that it is getting discovered among the right users. So you have to take the right steps for App Store optimization to get your apps visible among the right users. This can only be done by using relevant keywords to find your app.

• It is a sustainable method: Many use the best App store optimization strategy. It will not only boost your organic ranking and downloads but will also offer long-term results. If you keep making a regular effort and update your app with relevant information, you will be able to enjoy its benefits throughout.

• It improves conversion rate: There is a range of ways to monetize apps. It includes in-app purchases, in-app ads, and different other subscription models. However, if the App Store listing is not converting, it means that users are not convinced to actually download the app. This means that all your ad spend will go to waste. You Must know that ASO also involves conversion rate optimization, which improves the download and click-through ratio.

• It helps to reach a global audience: When your app gets discoverable in different other languages by the localization process, you will be able to get users from different parts of the world. ASO is a great way to make your app discoverable on the global platform.

How does the ASO work?

Once you have developed the app and noted down the basics of marketing, you have to decide where you want to publish your game or app. Most of the developers will choose Apple App Store or Google play store. You have the opportunity to publish on either or both of them if you wish to.

So let us have a look at the details of the two major app stores.

Apple App Store Vs Google play store

Both of the stores have a similar purpose of providing a platform to the users looking for games or apps to download. However, this does not necessarily mean that they would work similarly. So in this guide, we will take you through the key differences, its history, and algorithm in different stores.

Mobile app history: The huge number of rising in mobile phone users has resulted in creating a boom in the app industry. Due to this, the Apple App Store witnessed a huge rise in the app numbers from 800 in 2008 to 4,500,000 in 2021. Similarly, when it comes to the Google Play Store, has reached a huge 2.8 million in the year 2021. The competition is very clear as the market is very strong in the current scenario.

So if you are willing to improve your business, you need to be agile and fast when it comes to ASO. 

The 2022 mobile app trend: 

The apps with a huge crash rate and do not get frequent updates are generally considered low in quality. Hence, it generally gets a lower ranking. Scams on low-quality apps are also removed from the app stores. Apart from this, the 2022 app marketing trends are moving in the direction of offering users a transparent privacy policy. With more games and apps getting developed, both Apple and Google stores are becoming picky when it comes to publishing apps on their stores.

The prime differences between Google Play and App Store

There are many differences, but the publishing aspect is one of the major differences between Google Play and the Apple App Store.

Both the stores have implemented a thorough approval process to make sure that they only offer high-quality apps in the store. Apple’s review process is a bit more lengthy than the Google play store. You must keep three days as a buffer time before you want to launch the new app or make an update.

Even when keywords play an essential role in App Store optimization for both the stores, they are majorly different from each other. The indexing process of the play store is similar to that of Google search. It means that all the textual elements will be considered while indexing your app. You also have to repeat the same keywords 3 to 5 times in different fields in order to rank them for those keywords.

When it comes to the Apple App Store, you are provided with some specific fields for keywords. You must not repeat the keywords across different fields for the iOS apps. 

Following are some of the major ranking factors of both the Apple App Store and Google play store.

Google Play store ranking factors: 

• In-app purchases
• App title
• Short and long description
• Ratings and reviews
• Download and engagement
• Updates on app
• Other hidden factors 

Apple App Store ranking factors:

• App name and subtitle
• App URL
• Keyboard fields
• Ratings and reviews
• In-app purchases
• Download and engagement
• Updates on app
• Other hidden factors 

Some tricks and tips for App Store optimization

Find out the free keywords 

There are many keywords that the App Store will automatically provide you. This means that you must not include them. Think of them as free keywords. There are many who don’t know that the app category is one of them. In case your app is in the “free game” category, you will find the keywords like “game” and “free.” You must know that some of the most popular keywords like “free,” “best,” “New,” “top,” and CTAs like “download now” have been forbidden from the Google play store. So you have to make sure that you are using other keywords and that you’re not violating the rules.

Find out the app niche

Rather than using keywords with high search volume, you must try including keywords with more than one word or long-tail keywords. The only reason why it is advisable as it has a huge search volume, and it makes it easier to rank for beginners.

Track your app performance

One of the best ways to improve the ranking is by understanding how it is working. So you have to make sure that you are religiously tracking the app performance. You have to keep an eye on the analytics, and it will give you a detailed insight into the performance. You will be able to understand the number of downloads, revenue, strengths, and weaknesses of your app. It will also give you the opportunity to create a robust App Store strategy based on your performance.

Bottom Line

So, by now, you definitely have got a whole idea about a comprehensive ASO guide for Google and Apple. I can make sure that if you perform the steps religiously, you will be able to acquire the best results. However, if you are not able to find out the best App Store optimization strategy based on your app, Digital Habibi is here to offer you the best App Store optimization services.

You can get in touch with me to create custom App Store optimization strategies and make them effective for your app growth. I will make sure that I use the strategies based on your industry and use the latest tools and techniques to acquire success.

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