How to Make SEO for Apps (App Store Optimization)

In Q2 2022, there were 3.48 million apps available for Android users on Google Play — and Apple App Store has approximately 2.22 million apps in place for iOS users.

The question marketing teams face today is not whether to invest in apps, but how they can make sure people will discover them. This is where app store optimization (ASO) comes in.

What Is App Store Optimization?

App Store Optimization (ASO), also called App Store Marketing or Mobile App SEO, is the process of making your app more visible in an app store search engine. The goal of ASO is to increase impressions which will support other goals such as increased traffic and downloads.

ASO is focused on mobile application ranking improvements within app stores, such as iTunes and Google Play. The main target phones for apps are iPhone/iPad, Android, and Windows Phone.

ASO’s typical outcome is more app downloads, though other objectives could be:

• Obtaining better brand recognition.
• Favorable comments and rates for your app.
• More often and larger numbers of reviews for your app.
• Audience engagement.
• Broadening your range of marketing outlets

Difference between ASO and SEO

Although ASO and app store SEO both share commonalities such as keyword optimization, backlinking, and conversion optimization, the ranking factors are what set them apart. ASO is geared towards optimizing mobile apps for better discoverability in app stores. On the other hand, SEO focuses on websites and increasing their visibility organically on search engines like Google.

There are hundreds of ranking factors that Google Search takes into consideration, while the list is much shorter for ASO. We can also be more confident in what those factors are. The following checklist compares and contrasts the main differences between ASO & SEO

How Does ASO Work for Mobile Apps?

ASO may be more familiar to your business’s online marketing than you initially realized. In fact, there are many similarities in approach between traditional search engine optimization (SEO) and ASO – something we will explore further in the next section. It makes sense when you think about it.

App stores are, in essence, closed search engines that Discover easy content (app), indexation, and ranking algorithms related to the perceived quality of the app, how fresh it is, brand recognition, and user value signal App marketing experts who want to see a higher ROI from their apps need to focus on key performance indicators that will increase visibility:

• Ranking
• Impressions
• Shares Engagement (reviews/ratings)
• Downloads

Optimizing your app for visibility is an ever-changing and continuous process, much like SEO.

The purpose of creating an app is to generate traffic. If you’re dedicated to ASO and tracking/measuring your progress over time, you have the potential to be successful and rise above the rest in either App Store or Play Store– both sites with essentially limitless reach.

Why does mobile app SEO matter?

According to Google’s official data, 27% of people find new apps through search engines and 24% of users discover new apps through the app’s website.

The number of mobile apps available on the Google Play Store and iOS App Store has increased rapidly in recent years, with 1.96 million currently for Apple and 2.87 million for Google.

By 2022, the total number of app downloads is expected to reach 230 billion–a 4% increase from 2021 and 13% increase from 2020. This shows that there is a lot of potential for brands who know how to actions that will lead to more app downloads.

According to data from March 2022, the top 5 most popular categories in Apple’s App Store were:

1. Games (21.53%).
2. Business (10.11%).
3. Education (8.67%).
4. Lifestyle (8.62%).
5. Utilities (6.24%).

The categories outside of the top 5 (which include travel, food/drink, health/fitness, etc.) are all within 2-4%. The only exception to this is entertainment which has 5.72% popularity.

How do you optimize an app for ASO (App Store Optimization)?

Many ASO marketing strategies lack organic search optimization or any focus on app stores, both of which are integral to a successful campaign. SEO and ASO techniques often overlap, so it’s important to take advantage of this fact when planning your marketing strategy. If you consistently focus on ASO elements, you will see significant improvements in your overall search marketing campaigns.

You may be unaware that many of the same tactics used to optimize search engine performance on Google and Bing can also enhance your app’s ranking. The most common error, though, when it comes to fusing SEO and ASO is forgetting the website’s potential for boosting referral traffic directly to your store page or app download section.

As content is limited in app stores, your website should be seen as the driving force to lead people from becoming aware of your app to download it. The more you can use your website’s content to increase awareness and discovery of your app through external means such as search engines or directories, the greater value, traffic, and downloads you will receive.

Improving Your In-App Store Techniques.

There are a number of ways to optimize your app store listing, including things like keywords, descriptions, and ratings. Since the majority of app downloads come from app stores, it’s important to make sure you’re doing everything you can to stand out.

App Title 

Make sure that the core keywords in your app’s title, name, and other areas reflect what users are looking for and offer value. Also, be aware of any character restrictions in place. You don’t want to stuff keywords into these spaces since it will be easy for algorithms to identify this as spammy behavior and penalize or demote your app accordingly.

Research the most effective keywords to use in your app name, title, description, and associated fields in order to take advantage of the App store’s keyword triggers. Remember to check back often for opportunities to optimize your choices.

App Keywords

Traditional keyword research is essential to get right, and you need to show the latest changes and user search queries. Take the time to gather a complete data set so that you can review it later, make improvements monthly, and ensure this process―and others like it―is running smoothly.

• What are the most relevant keywords to your app? 
• What keywords are commonly used by your target users? 
• What keywords are your app competitors using? 

Routinely analyze and review your keywords to make sure you’re targeting the correct ones. Additionally, stay on top of the keywords that your target users are entering into search engines and app stores.

App Subtitle 

Your app subtitle is an additional 30 characters that you can use to explain your app in more detail; you can focus on including other primary keywords that wouldn’t have fit in your title.

App Description 

App descriptions are important because they persuade users to download your app. They should engage and entice them by explaining the problem your app solves and using plain language. Keep sentences short, concise, and to the point. Use bullet point lists to highlight key features. And finally, be transparent about any payments, subscription info, or data sharing that might take place.

A/B testing your app’s description is a good idea to see which wording speaks more to users. Although it doesn’t directly improve your search ranking, how user-friendly and enjoyable your app is will determine if someone downloads it and recommends it to others–which does eventually affect your ranking.

App Ratings and Reviews

Reviews are essential for both users and app store ranking. In fact, three factors- volume, freshness, and rating- all affect your standings. To generate a regular stream of reviews (and to engage constructively with the feedback), you need to have a system in place. Front-line staff is often instrumental in this process; by providing training and incentives, you can empower them to be proactive in gathering positive reviews regularly.

Use an App Review Plugin

The idiom goes, “Ask and you shall receive,” so if you want an app review from anyone, just ask them. There are a number of easy-to-use plugins for iOS and Android that make it very simple to prompt the user to write a review for your app.

Better app support = better reviews

The best way to earn a good review for your app is to provide amazing customer service. Many apps make the fatal error of asking users for reviews as soon as they launch the app; this creates a terrible user experience and drives people away from writing reviews because the app interrupts their normal flow.

It’s much better to wait until the user has completed something within your app or finished their task before asking them to leave a review.

App Downloads

App downloads are vital to success because they create a perception of popularity, demand, and user value. Also, the more app downloads you have, the higher your ranking will be in organic searches within the app store. Therefore, it’s just as important to integrate your marketing channels outside of the app store to drive people to your app as it is to optimize what happens once they’re inside the application. When you successfully combine different marketing channels and track how they interact with each other, you’ll have much greater control over them overall.

App Preview

An image says a thousand words, so why not add visual aids to your app that can show potential users what your app is all about in just seconds? You could include images or videos that demonstrate how the app works. Make sure they’re high-quality visuals so you pique people’s curiosity and encourage them to download and try out your app for themselves! Boosting conversions doesn’t have to be difficult when you know App previews are an easy way to get more eyes to snuff any product up and make it look like photos – especially true for apps.

Optimize app icon

The images and screenshots you use to promote your app will directly affect how many people click through to learn more about it.

ASO would not be possible without a well-crafted app icon. App icons as billboards for your product; they need to be designed in order to stand out against other apps, while still being relevant to your brand image and message. Additionally, each app store (e.g., Google Play versus Apple Store) has different standards when it comes to the size, color, or shape of an icon — so make sure you stay aware of these changing criteria! Neglecting to do so could result in decreased ranking within respective stores.

Since your icon is one of the most, if not the important asset for conversion- especially in Google Play Store-, it’s crucial that you frequently test and optimize it. Keep in mind that there isn’t a lot of space for messaging on an icon, so make sure yours is representative of your app while still being recognizable and appealing.

Please avoid using additional, irrelevant graphic elements in icons when creating your app as Google has become increasingly strict about this. You can update the icon on demand through the Google Play Developer Console; however, for iOS users, you have to include the icon in your app binary code.

App Screenshots

iOS

On iOS, you can upload a maximum of 10 screenshots. They must be either portrait or landscape oriented to show an accurate experience of the app. Depending on the device, different screen sizes need to applied; it is also important that each screenshot depicts the relevant device (e.g – iPad screenshots should feature iPads).

Google Play

On Google Play, you have much more room to play around with your phone screenshots. You can upload between 2 and 8 of them. The maximum dimension for each screenshot cannot be more than double the minimum dimension. With that range, get creative! Screenshots that deviate from the standard sizing (neither portrait nor landscape) will definitely pique a user’s interest and conversions will soar.

App Preview Videos

ASO video can really help deliver the essence of your app in the most compelling way.

App Store

You can add up to three videos that are each 15-30 seconds long. Make sure the file size is under 500 MB, and both portrait and landscape orientations are accepted. App portrayals need to match the app’s real user interface in the video. The video must also be device specific with different sizes for each Apple device, but if featuring a phone device it only needs to be either an iOS device or ambiguousPhone devices cannot biasedly feature one brand over another). Choose a great poster frame and make sure it blends well with your screenshots; videos in search results don’t automatically play until prior results have finished playing (including any videos featured as part of an Apple Search Ad campaign).

Google Play

Please note that the video must be in landscape mode to play from YouTube. Only one video can be played at a time. The Featured Graphic (or video thumbnail) is crucial since it appears in place of the first screenshot; make sure it’s high-quality and catches the user’s attention! Additionally, take care to ensure that the Play Button is prominently placed and doesn’t block any important content or features on your page.

Update Your App Data Regularly

The best apps are always improving based on user feedback, technological advances, and new features/improvements. In order to maintain this level of performance, they need to be constantly changing and evolving to meet the needs of their audience.

Apps that consistently see improvements – like changes in technology, new features, or user feedback – are ranked higher in app stores. Regular updates not only help you build a positive brand image and trust among your target audience but sets you apart from the competition. This increased ranking is because both Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store continuously assess the consistency of an app’s upgrades.

Apps that are updated regularly tend to have more positive and frequent reviews. They also provide iterative ways to update, engage with, and service your company community. Updating your app at regular intervals can bring added relevance for your product to your audience and enable your brand to react quickly to changing audience needs and competition changes by refining and improving the app.

The ranking algorithms for both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store consider how often an app is updated. In other words, if you frequently update your app, you’re more likely to have a high ranking in the store, which leads to better performance overall. Plus, updating your app regularly shows that you’re dedicated to improving it and responding to feedback from users.

Organic brand name search 

Not only do your app’s rating, number of installs, and cost appear if someone searches for your specific brand, but a snippet of your listing as well. If users want to install the app directly from the SERP, they can; this takes them either to an Apple App Store Preview or Google Play App Store. Let’s take Instagram as an example: their one-sentence snippet appears at the top of the mobile search page and includes what the app is and why people should care about it.

Monitoring & measuring your app optimization

An SEO strategy is not only beneficial for marketing your app, but can also help it rank higher on search engines and within app store searches, including Google Play and Apple. Although similar steps can be taken to improve both ASO and SEO, App Store Optimization should be a key part of your larger SEO strategy.

Your app’s title, subtitle, description, keywords, and other metadata all play a role in how easily users can find and install your app. Write engaging copy to describe your app, including a brief snippet, then test different versions to see which engages your target users the most.

SEO Strategies for Mobile Apps

Keyword research

Without keywords, there would be no SEO strategy. Keywords simply search queries that help users find the information they need. Based on these keywords, search engines then attempt to provide the best results for users. By utilizing relevant keywords in your content, you increase your ranking on SERP and make it more likely for customers to find you.

When you’re conducting keyword research, be sure to keep your target audience in mind. Think about the words they would use when searching for an app like yours. Also, take a look at the competition and see what keywords they are using. You can learn a lot from your competitors and generate some great ideas for your own ASO strategy.

Optimizing app name, title, and URL

You can improve your app’s ranking in search engines by using important keywords in the app name, title and URL. The name of your app should be reflective of what it does. By including keywords in both the name and title, users will have a better understanding of what needs your app meets. Additionally, this makes it easier for search engines to discover your app which increases its chance of being ranked higher.

App indexing

App indexing enables your app to appear on Google search results alongside other relevant web results. Just like a website, App indexing allows Google to crawl and index your app so that it may be seen by a wider audience. This is especially useful for promoting products or services since searchers will also see an install button next to the listing if they don’t have the app installed already. By taking advantage of this feature, you can encourage users to try out your app who might not have otherwise considered it.

App indexing allows for your app to be discovered by users while they are searching for related content. This broadens the reach of your app beyond those who would find it in an app store. You can generate more traffic and downloads for your app this way. In order to get indexed by Google, use the same URL on both your website and within your app, then verify that you own both domains. From there, Google Search will crawl links on your site and make them visible in search results.

Build quality backlinks

Backlinks play an important role in SEO strategy. They help Google determine whether a website or app is credible and trustworthy. When other people reference your app, it shows Google that your app has legitimacy. Start by adding your app’s link to your website. Then build a strategy to reach out to other credible websites which can talk about your app and help you gain quality backlinks from them. Ensure that you only approach websites with a good domain authority, otherwise attempting to get backlinks from them may negatively impact your rankings instead of helping them improve.. Building backlinks takes time and effort but eventually pays off if done correctly.

App Website

If you want more people to find your mobile app, you need a website for it. The sophistication of this site depends on the goals you have for it; sometimes all you’ll need is one landing page, while other times a whole website complete with multiple landing pages will come in handy. Landing pages are beneficial from an SEO perspective because they let you zero in on specific demographics and needs.

QR Codes

QR Codes are useful for app marketing campaigns because they remove a step that customers need to take to download the app. Instead of viewing an app store badge on a website and then searching for the app themselves, customers can scan a QR Code with their mobile phone and download the app directly.

How to Drive Traffic to Your App From Other Channels

SEO is a lengthy process that requires dedication, so it’s advisable to have an alternate plan for generating traffic. SEO isn’t the only solution for increasing app downloads and user engagement.

Social Media

Platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat are excellent tools to use in order to increase your app’s traffic. By simply creating dedicated pages or profiles on these channels specifically for your app, potential customers will be more likely see it. In addition, consider reaching out to social media influencers (especially micro-influencers) that have a large following in order promote your app. These types of individuals can be extremely beneficial because they already have an engaged user base that is interested in what they talking about–chances are if their niche is similar enough to yours, their followers will enjoy your content too!

Implement a Strong ASO Strategy

If you want your app to generate more traffic, ensure that the keywords in your ASO strategy are relevant and frequently used. This way, not only will your app have a higher page rank, but it will also perform better overall. Additionally, remember to optimize things such as your icon, feature graphic, and screenshots. Though this process may require some time and effort upfront through designing and testing different options), it’ll all be worth it in the end.

Apple Search Ads

The new Custom Product Pages feature for iOS can help you improve conversions and click-through rates by allowing you to optimize your app’s product page to match different ad groups and topics. Up to 35 custom product pages are possible, and a unique link can be generated for use in your UA campaigns.

Paid Efforts (User Acquisition)

For example, Google and Facebook Ads are excellent when you want to target a massive crowd that might be interested in your products or services. If you ensure that your ASO (Application Store Optimization) strategy matches up with your UA (User Acquisition) strategy, then this can result in more downloads, higher conversion rates, and ROI (Return on Investment). Keep in mind that if you use Custom Product Pages for other paid campaigns, you can increase CTR (Click-Through Rate)!

Apply for App Awards

Not only does winning an award give your app marketing strategy a significant boost, but it’s also a fantastic way to get publicity and attract users who may not have heard of your app before. Furthermore, being recognized by experts in the industry will help increase the trustworthiness and authority of your app.

Record a Podcast

If you want to further optimize your web presence, consider creating a podcast. We recommend recording both audio and video content for the best results. This type of content is highly shareable and has potential to go viral if done correctly. A podcast also allows you to share valuable knowledge with your audience that can convert listeners into users of your app– increasing traffic on both platforms. Make sure to include a link back to your app’s page in the description so people can easily access it while they’re listening. By doing this, you encourage conversions and increase traffic overall.

How do users find and download mobile apps?

Many people use app store search engines, like Google Play Store and Apple App Store, to find new apps. In fact, 70% of mobile users look for apps this way. And it doesn’t stop there- 65% of all app downloads happen immediately after a search is conducted. Therefore, searching in an app store is the most popular method for discovering new apps.

The ranking position an app has in search results directly affects the number of downloads it gets. The higher up your app is, the more people will see it. Top-ranking apps also get more downloads because users usually don’t bother looking at everything listed; they’ll just pick from the first 10 or so options. That’s why having a good rank is essential to an app doing well. If you don’t optimize for the store, then you’re missing out on one of the most potent marketing tools available for mobile games and apps.

Mobile App Trends in 2023

Apps that crash frequently or have infrequent updates are considered lower quality and will be ranked as such. In addition, these types of apps may be removed from the app store entirely. Furthermore, one of the upcoming trends for 2022 is to provide users with a clear privacy policy. With more people developing mobile apps and games, Google and Apple have become more selective about which ones they allow in their respective app stores. Oftentimes, the apps that are updated more frequently and used more often by users are rewarded by appearing higher up in search results within the app store.

Google Play Store Policy Change for App Store Optimization

The Google Policy Update that started being enforced on September 29, 2021, has impacted the way of App Store Optimization. Some apps have been punished for not following the new Google regulations. Whereas in contrast, some app developers keep ignoring new rules and are not being penalized for it.

Google Cuts Service Fees in 2022

In a recent Android Developer Blog post, Sameer Samat, Vice President of Product Management at Google, announcedbreaking news for app developers. Starting from 1st January 2022, Google will cut its service fee for subscription-based apps from 30% to 15%. According to Google, businesses who offer subscriptions faceUA and retention challenges. After working closely with different types of developers They have decided to ”change the service fee” so that it is more equalized starting From day one”.

Google Play Store Ratings and Reviews Update

Another major change from Google that took place in 2021 but will have a major impact on app marketing in 2022 is a new Play Store Ratings and Reviews update: 

From November 2021, users on phones will start to see ratings specific to their registered country. Early in 2022 users on other form-factors such as tablets, Chromebooks, and wearables will start to see ratings specific to the device that they’re on.