App Store Optimisation

Article topics

1. What is app store optimisation?
2. Why is app store optimisation important?
3. How to get started with app store optimisation

You’ve built and launched a fantastic new mobile app for your eCommerce store. But when you check your stats, you realise that nobody is downloading it.

The good news is that there are things you can do to help people discover your app.

In this article we’ll explain what app store optimisation is, the benefits of using it, and share expert tips to help you climb the rankings.

What is app store optimisation?

App store optimisation (ASO) is the process of improving the visibility of your app in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

You want to make your app more prominent not only to the people who are most likely to download it but also to those who are most likely to become active users.

(There are other app stores available, but as Google Play and App Store control the majority of the market, we’ll be focusing on these two stores in this article.)

When people search their app store of choice, they will do so in two ways:

a) By using a brand name, like ‘Vinted’, ‘ASOS’ or ‘Etsy’ to find the app they need. In this situation, you’re likely to appear at the top of the search results by default

b) By carrying out an unbranded search, like ‘clothing app’ or ‘clothing marketplace’. In this situation, by using ASO, you have a good chance of ranking high in the search results

ASO is a similar concept to search engine optimisation, but rather than dealing with web pages, you’re dealing with mobile apps.

ASO consists of:

• Carrying out keyword research to see which words and phrases customers use
• Optimising your app listing with relevant keywords
• Using creative assets like images, videos, and icons to make your app stand out
• Publicising your app to boost visibility
• Creating localised pages for your app to appeal to international customers
• Encouraging people to leave positive reviews

We’ll look at these elements in more detail later in this article.

Why is app store optimisation important?

There are several million mobile apps available worldwide – App Store has 1.8 million apps, while Google Play has just over 2 million.

This means there’s a lot of competition if you want to launch a new eCommerce app for your business.

Good ASO not only makes your app easier to find but can also increase customer trust. Like the search engines, a high ranking can indicate that other people, as well as the app stores, consider it reliable and valuable.

According to Sensor Tower, nearly 60% of global app store downloads are initiated by a search, and this figure increases to 70% for non-game apps.

App store optimisation doesn’t just improve visibility in Google Play and App Store. It can give your app a boost in the search engines too, showcasing it to even more people.

How to get started with app store optimisation

Now that you know what ASO is, how can you use it?

As an eCommerce agency, we have extensive experience helping businesses rank at the top of the search results!

Here are seven things to bear in mind when optimising your listings for the app stores.

1. Know what the algorithm values

App Store and Google Play store prioritise different ranking factors – these are the elements that determine where you rank in their search results.

For example, backlinks are more of a factor in Google Play, while App Store prioritises app size.

This means that if you want to promote your app on Android and iOS, you’ll need a unique approach for both platforms.

2. Research your keywords

Like SEO, keyword research is a significant part of ASO – you want to target the words that your audience is most likely to use.

However, there are two key differences to bear in mind:

• People use search engines for a variety of reasons, for example, to find answers to questions or to research products. However with app stores, they are only likely to search in order to download
• There is less space for keyword optimisation in app listings than on a website, meaning it’s even more important to choose the right keywords

When carrying out keyword research, you can use general SEO tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, and Moz. However, there are app-specific tools that take app store ranking factors into consideration, meaning you’re more likely to see success.

Here are some of our favourites to get you started – many are free if you only need a handful of keywords:

• App Radar
• Appfigures
• Appfollow
• Apptweak
• Asomobile
• MobileAction

To help you choose the perfect words and phrases to target, here are some additional keyword research tips:

• Know who your target audience is – this will help you identify the keywords they’re most likely to use
• Look at what your competitors rank for – this can help you identify opportunities to leapfrog them in the results
• Consider seasonality and update your keywords to reflect the terms people use throughout the year, for example, during Black Friday and Christmas
• Avoid trademarks, celebrity names, competitor brand names, and offensive keywords. These can lead to your app listing getting rejected

3. Optimise your app listing

The next step is to optimise your app listing for your ideal customers. This involves not only adding relevant keywords but also using images, videos, and text to make your listing stand out.

The list of what you have to fill in varies depending on whether you use Google Play or App Store:

Google Play

App Store

4. Think about localisation

Localisation is when you create different variations of assets to meet the needs of an international audience.

You can create multiple versions of your app listing in both Google Play and App Store, using different keywords, images, descriptions, and videos.

This not only makes it easier to appeal to people in other countries and regions, but means you’re more likely to rank in the relevant search results.

Even subtle changes can make a difference. For example, here’s the Depop app page in the UK:

And here it is in the US:

If you need to provide content in a different language, consider transcreation rather than translation. This is when you focus on conveying the same message in a different language rather than converting it into another language word for word.

Global eCommerce – 5 ways to prepare for world domination

5. Encourage reviews

Positive reviews are vital for good app store optimisation.

They show the app stores that your app is high-quality, reliable, and popular with customers.

They also encourage other users to download your app, enhancing your reach in the app store even more. 79% of users check ratings and reviews before downloading an app

Google Play even shows your current rating in the search results.

Here are our top tips for making the most out of your app reviews:

• Encourage regular reviews – the app stores (Google Play especially) put more emphasis on recent reviews
• Use in-app prompts to encourage users to leave a review after a positive experience or milestone, for example, buying something in your store with a discount code
• The keywords used in the reviews matter – frequent mentions of specific keywords can give you a small ASO boost
• The volume of reviews matters as much as the average rating – you’re more likely to see success with an average of 4.5 stars and 10,000 reviews than you are with an average of 5 stars and 100 reviews
• If you do get a negative review, take the time to respond and resolve the issue. Not only does this show that you listen to your customers, but it may encourage the reviewer to give you a higher score.

6. Boost visibility

In SEO, backlinks can establish trust in your website and show the search engines that you’re a reliable source of information.

Google Play counts backlinks as a ranking factor, while App Store doesn’t.

Even though backlinks don’t directly impact ASO in App Store, you can still use them to direct traffic towards your app listing.

Here are some ways you can generate backlinks and whip up publicity for your app:

• Promote your app on your website and social media profiles
• Use influencers and content creators to publicise your app
• Create a referral programme to encourage existing users to refer people to your app
• Write guest posts and press releases for relevant publications and websites
• Submit your app to review sites

Like traditional SEO, quality is better than quantity. High-quality links from trusted websites are the best ones to aim for.

7. Review and make changes

App store optimisation is an ongoing process – it’s essential to regularly review your app listing metrics and make changes.

Both Google Play and App Store have dashboards where you can see how many times your app was viewed, how often it was downloaded, and how much revenue you have made.

Here are some more suggestions to help you optimise your app listing:

• As well as download and conversion metrics, use Android Vitals (Google Play) and App Analytics (App Store) to check app performance. Stability issues and bugs can hinder your visibility in the results
• Use A/B testing. Both Google Play and App Store let you run different variants of your app listing to see which leads to the most downloads
• Making regular changes and updates to your app listings can show your app store of choice that your app is regularly maintained, leading to higher rankings. Take the time to tell users about new app updates and in-app events. However, be mindful that it can take time for your updates to be approved, so avoid scheduling them at the last minute.

Xigen: Your mobile-first eCommerce agency

App store optimisation can feel daunting if you’ve never done it before, but it ultimately comes down to providing a great user experience.

Understand the keywords your target audience uses, create a listing that’s informative and engaging, and provide great customer support in the reviews section – you’ll be in a good place.

Let us leave you with one final tip – don’t forget to use your other marketing channels to promote your mobile app too.

You can promote your app through your email newsletter, across social media, and in your content marketing. If you choose to use pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, there are specific app campaigns you can use to promote your ad both in the search engines and app stores.

As an eCommerce agency, we take a mobile-first approach to everything we do.

This means that when you work with us, not only do you get a mobile app that your customers will love using, but an app listing that ticks all of the right boxes.

Contact us today to see how we can help you achieve your ASO goals.