What is App Store Optimization?
App Store Optimization (ASO) is about making your mobile app more visible and attractive in app stores, like the Apple App Store or Google Play. It involves using the right keywords, creating appealing descriptions and visuals, and getting positive reviews to increase the chances of people finding and downloading your app.
What do the app stores consider when ranking your app?
What should you change to make your app stand out? There are several areas in your app you can tweak to give it the best chance of being found by searchers. We’ve listed them below along with suggestions on how to improve each area.
App Title
Your app title should include your app name. But a lot of app developers stop there and don’t make the most of the rest of the character limit. Below are the character limits for each app store.
Google Play Store - 50-character limit
Apple App Store - 30-character limit
As well as your app name your app title should include a brief description of what your app is. It should also include some searchable *keywords you want your app to be found for.
Why? Apps with keywords in the title rank on average 10.3% higher than those without a keyword in the title.
*Keywords are words and phrases that are relevant to your app. They are also words that someone might search for when looking for an app. There is a section on using keywords for your app below.
App Keyword Field (Apple only)
In the Apple App Store, there's a 100-character field to add keywords for your app. Separate each keyword with commas. While users can't see this, it helps the App Store understand your app's purpose and who to show it to.
App Description
Both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store allow 4000 characters for app descriptions. This is the ideal space to provide a detailed explanation of your app's features and services. When crafting your description, include keywords you want to be associated with.
Make your descriptions informative and easy to understand, emphasizing what your app does and why users should download it. Keep in mind that both stores initially show a shorter version (around 80-120 characters) to visitors. Focus this snippet on the key selling points to grab users' attention. If they're interested, they can explore the full 4000-character description for more details.
Ratings and Reviews
Apps with higher user engagement get better rankings on app stores, reaching more people. Positive interaction with your app is crucial. Encourage user reviews, perhaps at the end of a lesson, and respond to comments and questions. Being an active app owner signals well to algorithms, increasing your ranking.
Downloads
More downloads signal to app stores that users find value in your app. This prompts algorithms to show your app to more people, leading to increased downloads. This positively impacts your app store rankings and enhances your app's visibility in searches.
Imagery & Video
Good pictures and videos on your app store page don't change how the app is ranked, but they make more people download it.
If your visuals aren't attractive, fewer people will download your app. Not many downloads mean your app won't be popular or rank high in searches. Make sure your app's pictures and videos look good and show what your app can do.
How to use keywords in your app
To use keywords effectively in your app you need to think about your dream customer and ask yourself: what are they searching for on the app store to find an app like yours?
Think about the niche your app sits in and then think about what words, phrases, or terms you might put into a search bar to find your app.
Example:
Bob has built a fitness app called BGain. The app is designed for beginner bodybuilders who have never used free weights before. After thinking about his target audience and what they may be searching for in the app store Bob decided to use the following keywords in his app.
Beginner weightlifting
Free weights
Lifting weights
Weightlifting
These are all likely search terms that Bob’s dream customer will be searching for. By organically adding them to his description and app title he is giving his app the best chance of success.
So Bob’s app title could be: BGain | Beginner Weightlifting
The keyword adds context to his title and lets the store know what it’s about.
Bob should also add the keywords he’s chosen to his description where appropriate. The key here is to make sure the keywords are added naturally and make grammatical sense within the text.
Do not stuff your description with keywords you want your app to be found for. The app store algorithms are smart and they will punish you for doing this.
You should interweave your keywords into your description so readers can’t tell they’re there. Do not add them to the end of your text or drop them in randomly.