Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

3 tactics to increase app store ranking and visibility

There are billions of smartphone users worldwide, and this number is growing steadily each year, creating a huge and diverse market for new apps. With over 8.9 million mobile app downloads in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store today, app marketing is a strategy to increase awareness,…

By Japsimran Kaur
March 7, 2023

What is app store optimization and how does it work?

App store optimization means significantly improving your app's download page, ranking your app higher in important search results and encouraging more people to download your app. While the goal of ASO is almost always app downloads, complementary goals include increasing brand exposure, positive app reviews and ratings, audience retention, and further diversification of marketing channels. For example, your app title is one of the most important assets you can leverage to increase both awareness and conversion rates. Keywords that rank in your app's title have the greatest impact on your rankings. Before getting into subtitles and descriptions, you should make sure your app's title is as good as it can be. Remember that the title of your app is also one of the first things a user will see your app with.

Strategies to increase app store ranking and visibility

The App Store features and available fields vary, but the key optimization elements to focus on are:

Application title

Application description

Ratings and reviews

Let's take a closer look at each factor to understand how it affects mobile app rankings. Title of application: The title of your application should contain your focus keyword (the most important keyword). This is the keyword that most closely matches the user's intent and helps drive more quality mobile traffic to your app's listing. During the conception stage, pinpoint exactly which keywords resonate most with your audience to help pivot. As a general rule, we recommend including your brand name in the title of your application. App reviews and ratings: Your app's reputation directly impacts your brand's overall credibility with customers and app stores. A solid ASO strategy should include brand management to ensure that users are happy with your app and leave positive reviews. Apps with a high number of positive reviews rank higher on both iOS and Android. Application Description: When it comes to app descriptions, Android and iOS behave very differently. Take the time to review the descriptions of your top competitors on the Android play store. This helps you determine what your unique app description should accomplish. On the other hand, the iOS instructions work more closely with today's internet rules. Keyword stuffing does not bring any benefits. The entire description section is not indexed with keywords. For this reason, you need to change gears to create a completely user-oriented description.

Conclusion

App Store Optimization (ASO) continues to outperform growth trends. In recent years, the necessity and value of apps in the marketing mix have taken hold as a key marketing tactic. The first challenge now is to enable users to organically discover your app in the major app stores. With the strategies listed above, you now have practical steps you can take today to update, refine and position your app for better results.