App Store Optimization: Ways to Improve App Ranking on Play Store

“App Store Optimization (ASO),” Many people are not familiar with this term and might be hearing it for the first time. Well, not an issue, I am here to explain what exactly ASO is all about.

You know that, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is intended for websites. Similarly, App Store Optimization is proposed to improve Mobile App Rankings. ASO is applied to mobile applications that are developed for different platforms including

• Google’s Play Store for Android
• iTunes for iOS
• Windows Store for Windows Phone
• BlackBerry World for BlackBerry

Among these platforms, I believe that Android users are massive in numbers as compared to others.

App Market is a big fish, and according to VisionMobile, the global app economy in 2012 was around $53 billion, which is expected to soar to $143 billion by 2016.

Moreover, it is being predicted that by the end of 2019, 63.4 percent of mobile users will access online information using mobile devices. Thus, no wonder that mobile is the future.

Take a look at some interesting stats from a study by thinkwithGoogle (May 2015).

• Around 26 percent of installed apps are used daily.
• Social and gaming apps top the list with 68 percent and 46 percent respectively regarding everyday use.
• 52 percent of people got to know about the app through their friends, family, and colleagues.
• 40 percent browsed the app through the app store while 27 percent searched apps over search engines.

After this factual information, now let’s jump to the main point that you are eagerly waiting for. Here are ways to help you attain higher App Store Rankings for your mobile application.

Also Read: How To Improve Ranking Of Online Betting Sites On SERP?

Title is Important

While publishing your mobile app on the Play Store, you should pick a unique title that depicts the primary function of your mobile application. Apple’s iTunes allows a maximum of 255 characters for creating a title while Google’s Play Store allows a maximum of 30 characters.

In short, try to use the target keyword while choosing a title for your app. Your online presence in SERPs hinges on your title as an appropriate title to increase app rankings. Thus, make it appealing to encourage people to download your app.

Add Description Carefully

Always try to write a description that covers all the essential keywords that you want to target. Further, never repeat words, otherwise, it may leave a bad impression in the eyes of Google as it mentioned in its recent update on content policy.

There are two types of descriptions that Google Play Store allows: short descriptions and long descriptions.

You can use a maximum of 80 characters to create a short description for your app and 4000 characters for a long description. If we talk about iTunes, then they allow creating a description of a maximum of 4000 characters.

Several online tools are available that allow you to identify and research the relevant keywords for your mobile app. One of them is the Keyword Tool.

App Type/Category

An app type/category gives users an idea of the category the app belongs to. However, you can choose only one category. Sometimes, it happens that your app may fall into more than one category, so it is advised to choose the most relevant one. Choosing the wrong category for the app may create irrelevancy, which can badly affect your app ranking.

On iTunes, you can choose a primary category and a secondary category is optional. While on Play Store you can choose only one category.

Get a Fascinating App Icon

When it comes to achieving a higher rank, everything matters, even an app icon. Thus, it is advised to make it fascinating and compelling. To create a high-impact, make your app icon unique so that it can be remembered and clicked immediately whenever seen.

A distinct app icon helps in attaining distinction from your nearest competitors. It will help users will remember your app because of its appearance even if they forget the name of the application.

Upload Screenshots

Screenshots give users a familiarity and idea about your apps’ internal design and compel them to at least give your app a shot. Screenshots depict what an app is all about. The kind of options it present? You can even go for customized screenshots to showcase the internal features more pleasingly. The strategy is being used by numerous app makers these days.

Upload Video

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then what about a video? Yes, uploading a short video of around 30 seconds that describes your app is an integral part of app marketing. Play Store gives this feature so that you could explain to users, what functions the application performs.

Reviews/Feedback Decides Ratings

Feedback is an essential factor in App Store Optimization. You must have noticed that while searching for a mobile application, you first see the rating garnered by the app, read user experience to get an idea of whether the particular app is living up to the expectations, and download it after being completely satisfied.

Ratings of an app are based on the number of reviews given by the users. Thus, it is advised to get reviews (not by forcing you to put positive reviews) from your friends, family, and relatives at the initial level.

It will encourage people to at least give your app a shot. Don’t forget that, “Slow and steady always wins the race.” So, never give up and keep working hard to turn those one stars into five stars.

Authentic Links to Your App, Increases Reputation

One of the most crucial factors that dramatically increase your app ranking is the original links to your play store app page. Google values if people visit your app page through a reliable source. Thus, getting links from reputed sites is an excellent way to improve your mobile app ranking.

Distribute Your App Properly

Apart from Google’s Play Store, there are several other app stores like Mobogenie, Amazon App Store, and so on where you can distribute your app. Publishing the app on different platforms enhances the popularity of your apps, which is also considered as one of the important ranking factors in the eyes of Google.

Keep it Light

In-App Store Optimization, app size matters. Thus, if possible, limit your app to 5MB. It has been observed that people usually don’t give a shot to those apps that tend to occupy a lot of space on their mobile. Though downloading any app heavily depends on the zeal and intention of users, still, it is advised to keep the size of the app low.

Tracking

Many people fix keywords at some places and think that they are done. However, it is not a good practice. Just like SEO, you need to track the result regularly to improve in the areas where there’s scope for improvement.

You can make use of several free tools such as Google’s Mobile App Analytics, Distimo Analytics, Apptopia, Tune, and others to carry out the task. Then there are paid tools like Mobile Action, AppTweak, AppCodes, and Gummicube, among others to track your app performance.

Localization

Localization is a crucial factor in App Store Optimization. Offering users the opportunity to view the app content in their native languages can improve the chances of registering more downloads. Further, it will skyrocket your popularity. Thus, localization is pretty essential when it comes to attaining high rankings.

Try to Get in Touch With Influencers – For Better Promotion

If you want a sustainable ranking, then you should approach some great influencers whom people already know and follow. Impress them with your app so that they talk about it. If you achieve success in getting in touch with influencers, then it will be a big boost for your rankings.

Wrapping Up

The points mentioned above indicate some fundamentals that should not be overlooked while publishing your app on the app store. App Store Ranking System considers these points to improve mobile app ranking. For detailed insights and further assistance, it’s beneficial to contact us for professional guidance and support in optimizing your mobile app’s store presence.