App Store Optimization (ASO): The Ultimate Guide (2021)

What is App Store Optimization, and Its Mechanics?

App Store Optimization can be defined as a fairly common practice among modern mobile developers and publishers. By using this practice, you can increase the ranking and market visibility of your application, which in turn increases the number of installations or sales. 

When you reach the App Store leaderboards, you ensure that the app remains visible to users and that more and more potential customers appear because the mindset of users always says that when a product or service reaches the top, there must be a reason and it’s a good idea to see it for yourself. 

It is the approach that is used by most of the developers and publishers of modern times, and almost all popular applications use it to grab users’ attention.

Once the long and difficult development process is done, it is hoped to see the hard-earned results, but due to a large number of App Store applications, it is difficult to break out of the competition. 

That’s why it’s important to develop a nice marketing strategy if you want your application to succeed as it deserves, and that’s why it’s important to entrust advertising tasks to marketers with experience in both application search optimization (ASO) and search engine optimization (SEO). 

This is to make sure your app meets the requirements and terms of the App Store and still be able to use the marketing tips available.

There are a number of ways to make your app more visible in the market, such as keyword optimization, asset optimization (which includes an icon, screenshot, and preview design optimization), surveys, a / b tests, user comments, reviews on trusted sites, celebrity tweets, social networking, and more. 

You must remember that every scenario is different and needs to be treated carefully.

Some Important Insights on App Store Optimization

According to a report published by Forrester, “General App Store Browsing” ranked first among new app discovery methods, with 75% on iOS and 58% on Android. It states that users all over the world are using search functionality to get the app they need.

Even more exciting is the fact that over 8 million unique phrases are searched on Google Play every month, data released by Google last year. It is a key factor as it reveals the process of selection of an app from the search results by the users.

There are impressive testimonials from both large competitors and small developers who claim that optimizing the App Store is the best way to market an app on a low budget and get organic search results front seat.

One important piece of advice for app developers with this tool is to not expect your one-time efforts to optimize app features to bring success to your app. 

ASO requires continuous monitoring and analysis of each optimized function repeatedly when it requires improvisations.

The good thing about the market is that now app stores are worried about the same. It tells us about the expectations of the users. 

Both the major app stores, Google Play and the app store, have made the necessary changes to their app store search algorithms and are constantly working to improve them. 

These changes have made their search results more relevant and, at the same time, led developers to optimize their important application features.

App Store Optimization: Why it is Necessary?

Most people search for applications first and then install them. So, search plays an important role, and therefore you need to do ASO to increase the search ranking of your application. 

However, there are publishers in the market who do not invest in ASOs, although they are aware of the fact that there are thousands of applications in the market that are fighting for high rankings on search engine results pages. 

So, use this optimization tip to spend some of your valuable time each week and become successful in the App Store.

You should use keywords effectively in the title of your application but keep it user-friendly. Then it definitely keeps track of the quality of your apps and puts you higher in search results. 

Improve your App Store ratings, but stop begging for ratings. Like ratings, reviews play a very important role. 

So, make a very compelling application that can definitely make your users write a positive review. Your application has a high number of downloads, and if your keywords are in a competitive range, keep in mind that you’ll definitely need more downloads.

By tracking your position, the position of your competitors, and continuing to experiment with your keywords, all help you increase traffic and a better position in search results. 

Do the right marketing because it’s all about raising awareness, raising awareness and having a social media presence.

As per a survey by a marketing agency, it has been found that more than 50 percent of smartphone users search for apps in app stores. 

This means that search is the main source for app discovery, and optimizing your App Store search will help you solve that. 

The ultimate goal of app optimization is to let users discover, click, and download your app from app stores. 

It focuses on improving application visibility and conversion rate optimization, leading to more application downloads, less overhead, and higher revenue.

Ultimately, money is important everywhere, and the application biz is no exception. One of the important benefits of App Store optimization is that if you have a good strategy, your organic app downloads will increase over time, and it won’t cost you anything. 

Once you’ve implemented the right and advanced App Store optimization strategies for your app, it will start to improve in search results and increase your revenue while keeping costs low. 

If you’re a start-up, placing your entire marketing budget in paid ads can bring you a lot of new users, but it’s not a long-term solution. 

If downloads slow down, you’ll need to re-invest in in-app ads, which is not a profitable option at all. 

Checklist for an Effective App Store Optimization

1. Name your App that Matches its Purpose

The title of your application tells the customer almost immediately what your application is doing. 

This is an essential part of ASO; if a customer can’t tell what your app is doing by researching your headline, they’ll continue. 

You will receive 255 characters for the title of your application. Use the space provided to show the client what he or she is obviously doing. 

However, never do keyword stuffing because a vague app name won’t attract visitors. 

2. Use Keywords Users are Searching For

When designing your strategy remember, you have only got 100 characters to use. Choosing the best keywords requires understanding your market, competitors, and famous search queries.

Each of these changes on a regular basis and the keywords you choose for your application will be left over all day. 

During the procedure, create genuine information from the App Store. 

3. Always Keep Evaluating the Customer’s Views

Audits and evaluations are critical to optimizing the App Store. If your application has the proper page optimization, we think that 30% or more of your search ranking depends on that factor alone.

4. Let People Know Everything About the App

Seeing a customer description is similar to seeing a customer visit your site. Now customers are interested and wondering if they should download your app. 

This is a crucial factor. Use the description of your application to explain what your application does.

5. Choose the Section Where Your App Belongs

Choosing both a primary and a secondary category for an app is a vast choice and essential for achieving your app. 

The correct classification will lead you ahead of qualified customers, while the wrong classification will fade for your application. 

Apart from this, there are some factors of Google play store that is necessary, such as,

1) App Title: 

It is usually the name of the app that you want users to know. Make sure it should be easy to pronounce and should not be lengthy. 

2) Short Description: 

A brief introduction of the app that acts as a meta description for the App/Google Play store apps. It gives an insight to the users about the app’s primary function. 

3) Long Description: 

It is a detailed but organized description of the app. It should consist of the features, functions, and any updates about the app. 

4) In-App Purchase: 

If you offer something to the users inside the app for a price, your app must declare the same.  

5) Rating and Reviews: 

A section where users interact with other users and the app’s developers/company and share their queries and reviews. Make sure to add a star rating system to measure the performance of the app. 

6) Updates: 

Your app should deliver regular updates to the users to maintain smooth performance. Make sure to indicate the same on the app store. 

7) Downloads and Engagement: 

This section reveals the number of downloads your app has along with the number of reviews. These numbers indicate the level of engagement that helps in attracting new customers.

How to Implement App Store Optimization Strategy?

To ensure “overall ranking,” it’s ideal for creating an app store listing that offers the best ranking in the App Store. 

Marking the most important ranking factors will help you compile an effective list of factors that will help in the process.

1. Keywords mentioned in the title and descriptions

When placing a keyword in the title, you need to convey the name and subject of your application correctly. 

Finding keywords for this is similar to finding the right set of keywords for your website. 

There are three important factors to take into account when building your keyword list, including high relevance, low competition, and a high number of searches. 

2. Use of a unique icon

When reading an endless list of apps, the icon of your app sounds first in their minds, so it’s important to make it attractive. 

The ideal size and colour schemes are some of the factors to consider when designing an icon. 

In addition, the specifications of the mobile platforms, the target audience, the configuration of similar applications in the market are some of the important elements that need to be considered before developing an icon. 

3. Record localization

When focusing on global marketing, keep in mind that “one-time” is not the right choice. To go beyond the English-speaking world, it is important to adapt your language and brand communication to your audience. 

By localizing your app, you can increase its deployment and conversion rates, thus generating more revenue. 

With these tips above and a fair understanding of application store ranking algorithms, you are on your way to a marketing strategy. 

Manage it well with professional support, and your investment will definitely pay off in the long run.

Benefits of Using App Store Optimization

A business mobile application with flawless functionality can be an effective marketing tool for a business. 

But then, many companies offer mobile apps, making it harder for newcomers to make their apps popular. 

App stores are flooded with apps, but few of them can succeed in attracting and engaging customers. 

ASO plays a crucial role for businesses. Here are reasons why companies should consider using such services:

1) Improving App Visibility: 

App Store Optimization techniques are important components of such services. With ASO techniques, ASO can improve application visibility in leading application stores such as Google Play and the App Store.

In addition, localization experts can provide multilingual services for localizing applications.

2) Advertising marketing and sales strategies: 

Such services include the collection and analysis of data related to the distribution of mobile applications. 

It allows companies to make better advertising decisions and improve sales strategies through applications.

3) Accelerate app downloads: 

Through effective social media marketing and positive app reviews, such services allow businesses to reach a huge audience. Using such techniques, companies can see an increase in application downloads.

Some Internet marketing companies also offer an installation price to ensure the success of your ASO campaign.

4) Specific target audience: 

Businesses can target a specific class of people based on a localized marketing application for mobile applications. 

ASO includes local or regional market research to make applications popular in a particular region. 

In addition, businesses can monetize an application that is popular in a particular area.

5) Increase retention: 

With effective content marketing, extensive media outlets, and other techniques, businesses can increase user retention for their applications. 

An increased retention rate will ultimately increase sales leads and thus conversion rates. In other words, companies can increase sales numbers by increasing the alert rate.