App Store optimization aims to improve your app's visibility within the app store. The fundamental goal of ASO is to increase the click-through rate (CTR) by keeping your positioning high in the search results within an App Store. This means that people click/tap on your listing in the app store once they find it on the very top.

What Is App Store Optimization

ASO can also be achieved by optimizing the app name, app title, app icon, app screenshots, and app reviews, but that's not all. After positioning your app for specific strategic searches, you have to overcome the click barrier. So, what can you do to get users to choose your application? Once people land on your application’s page, you need to make sure they download or make a purchase. This aspect of Google app store optimization is also known as conversion rate optimization (Conversion Rate Optimization CRO).

Difference between ASO and SEO

ASO and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) share vital aspects, such as keyword optimization, the importance of backlinks (for Google Play), and optimization for conversions. The main differences between App Store Optimization and search engine optimization are the ranking factors and the application's scope. App store optimization services aim to optimize your application for searches within the App Store. On the other hand, SEO aims to position certain web pages in search engine results (such as Google). Google considers over 200 aspects for its search results, and this list continues to expand. The list of ranking factors for ASO is much smaller; however, many are unclear, which ones carry more weight.

Benefits of App Store Optimization

The process affects internal App Store searches and items presented to users while browsing. ASO helps increase traffic to application pages within a given App Store, improve conversion rates, and generate the maximum number of organic downloads possible. If your app often appears on top of search results, more people will see and download it. To boost your organic growth, you first need to understand how people search and find apps.

How Users Find and Download Mobile App

A user can easily download apps from the app store. He only needs to type the desired app name on the search bar to find it. A simple click on the download button will lead to the automatic installation of the app. Moreover, installing a good antivirus is extremely important. You must set the automatic scan to avoid problems. Please note, to assure safe app downloads, you supposed to read comments carefully. Another significant factor is regarding privacy policies, which must be read carefully to be aware that apps have free access to some device data or not.

How ASO Works

Once app store optimization companies have developed your app and are ready to do app marketing, you need to decide where to publish it. You can choose from either Google Play, the Apple App Store, or both. Let's take a look at these two platforms in more detail.

iOS and Android: Apple App Store vs. Google Play Store

Both stores serve the same purpose: they provide users with a platform to search for mobile apps or games and download them. This does not, however, mean that they work in the same way. One of the main differences between the apple app store optimization and Google Play concerns the app's publication. Google Play lets you post updates and make changes virtually in real-time. On the Apple App Store, however, you must always go through a review process that generally takes up to 24 hours and involves checking the app's technical, content, and design aspects. Apps on Google Play are generally rated after they are published. Another point to consider is the ranking algorithm, which works differently in the two stores. While keywords are essential on both platforms, they are exploited differently. Google Play works in a similar way to the Google search engine that we all know: this means that all textual elements of your app are considered. The Apple App Store, on the other hand, provides a special field where you can specify the keywords. In some cases, they are also obtained from competitors and from the name of the category they belong to. It is not recommended to repeat keywords in the title and keyword field.

Mobile App Trends

Today, companies, start-ups, banks, small and medium-sized enterprises all invest in the development of customized apps. App store optimization companies experiment with new trends to satisfy customer requests.

• Internet of Things
• AR & VR
• Secure Online Transaction
• Beacon technology
• (Even more) On-Demand apps
• Artificial Intelligence in apps
• Voice User Interfaces (VUI)
• Android Instant Apps
• Independent wearable devices
• Mobile Wallets

App Store Optimization Tools

These tools and app store optimization techniques are among some of the most common and used among app developers. They help understand their positioning in Stores with ease and reduce problems that can arise in reporting specific metrics, such as certain keywords' performance.

• Store Search Tool: Appfollow, Mobile Action, AppTweak, Annie app
• A / B Testing Tool: SplitMetrics, StoreMaven, Google Experiments
• Competitive & Market Intelligence Tool: Appfollow, AppAnnie, Priori Data, TheTool, Apptopia, MetricsCat, Appfigures
• ASO Reviews, Ratings and Feedback Management Tool: Apptentive, Appbot, Appfollow
• Stores Management Tool: CodeNGo
• Screenshot creation tool: AppLaunchPad, App Screenshot Maker (AppInstitute), Shopbot
• Keywords Research Tool: Apptweak Keywords, UberSuggest, Keyword Tool

ASO Ranking Factors

Google Play and Apple's App Store use sophisticated algorithms for their search results. Although the exact criteria are not known, it is possible to deduce which factors influence the App Stores' ranking. Apple App Store Ranking Factors: Application name, App URL, Subtitle of the app, Keywords field, In-app purchases, Ratings and reviews, Updates, Download, engagement, etc. Google Play Store ranking factors: Application name, App description, Backlink, App Indexing, In-app purchase, Ratings and reviews, Updates, Download, engagement, etc.

App Store Optimization Checklist

Optimizing for the App Stores is a crucial part of your marketing strategy; to make a good App Store Optimization, it is not enough to pay attention to app store keyword optimization. It would help if you made a lot of extra efforts, as well. Because more downloads lead to higher visibility, higher visibility leads to more downloads.

• Choose a name/title for your app that is distinctive
• Focus on research and user needs
• Create an icon that is original and stands out
• Do A / B tests mainly on the title and visual elements
• Locate your page on the App Stores
• ASO app store optimization is a continually evolving process, so be active to monitor your competitors and optimize, always!

Tracking Performance

An effective way is to do A/B testing. The idea behind it is to create multiple icons and find out which one got the most clicks. For example, it might be interesting to check which colors or fonts your users prefer. Now that you know the basics of making your app visible, it's time to look into the other factors, such as the visual and creative elements. Your app icon can attract a lot of attention and can be one of the main reasons that induce people to click on a given search result. It is therefore considered another crucial element of mobile app store optimization. When designing your app icon, think about the features you offer and how you can communicate them visually. If your app or game is fun, your icon should reflect this. Once you have this information, adapt your icon accordingly. So when designing and test your app, remember to pay attention to Analysis and brainstorming, Variations on the theme, Run tests (A / B test), Evaluation of the results, Implementation of changes, and Starting new successive experiments such as:

App Performance

Monitoring Application Performance via App Annie, SensorTower, or AppFigures Monitoring ranking, competition, monetization, and reviews is critical to improving your mobile app's performance.

App Reviews

Asking user reviews for your mobile application will help you optimize and improve the next version of your application and skyrocket your application to the top of the mobile application rankings

Conclusion

The above-described app store optimization techniques or app store optimization guide affects internal App Store searches and items presented to users while browsing. App Store Optimization increases traffic to the app within a given App Store, improves conversion rate, and generates the maximum number of organic downloads. If your app often appears first in search results, people will see and download it. App revenue is directly correlated with download rates. There are millions of apps on the various App Stores so that the competition will be fierce. It would be best if you were prepared and ready to understand how people search and find particular apps, including yours.