Thеrе аrе tons оf content аbоut ASO іn thе Internet аnd thе amount grows еvеrу day. App stores (Apple App Store & Google Play Store) аrе bесоmіng bigger (and mоrе competitive) аnd thеу grow exponentially.
ASO (acronym оf App Store Optimization) іѕ а reality and, ассоrdіng tо оur experience wіth PickASO agency аnd оur оwn mobile apps, ASO іѕ а 100% MUST fоr аnу app developer оr marketer.
In thіѕ post wе аrе gоіng tо learn hоw tо optimize а Google Play Store listing оf аnу Android app іn order tо increase visibility аnd volume оf organic downloads frоm thе store.
APP STORE OPTIMIZATION: WHAT IS IT?
We don't write about this anymore, but basically, ASO is the process of optimizing mobile applications to get the maximum visibility and highest conversion rates to be installed in the application store. So, ASO is not only about traffic, but also about conversion. Some people call it the "App Store SEO", because of its resemblance to web Search Engine Optimization.
ASO STRATEGY Keyword Android Optimizer
The App Store Optimization Strategy basically consists of 3 of these processes:
- Keyword research & market research
- Google Play Store page + A / B testing optimization
- Track / monitor and repeat number 2 😛
- 1. Keyword research & market research
This is an important analysis that you need to do before implementing your ASO strategy and even before publishing your application or game.
For new applications, it is quite difficult to enter the top search results for keywords head or mid-tail.
That is possible, of course, but it will require a lot of effort, time and installation. This is why the best strategy at first is to use long-tailed keywords - keyword combinations that are a bit more specific than ordinary search query keywords and have lower competition. They have less traffic than head or middle tail keywords, but if you target keyword combinations for specific searches, your application or game has a much better chance of appearing in these search results.
For new applications, it is quite difficult to enter the top search results for keywords head or mid-tail.
That is possible, of course, but it will require a lot of effort, time and installation. This is why the best strategy at first is to use long-tailed keywords - keyword combinations that are a bit more specific than ordinary search query keywords and have lower competition. They have less traffic than head or middle tail keywords, but if you target keyword combinations for specific searches, your application or game has a much better chance of appearing in these search results.
How to choose keywords and keyword combinations for your app?
First, keyword brainstorming - it can be anything that appears in your mind that is relevant to your application and for the tasks it does, or its main features. Also check what your competitors are doing there - which keywords they are working on on their list, which keywords they rank for and where (country). Another good practice is to read your competitor's application reviews and try to identify the keywords that the user mentioned.
Collect as many different keywords as possible, and then strengthen the list with long tail keywords. You can do this with keyword suggestion tools - for example, AppKeywords.io or TheTool:
After you have created and uploaded a collection of keywords to the system, check the level of difficulty and traffic for each keyword. You can do this analysis in the Keyword tool panel:
How do you identify long-tailed keywords in TheTool?
Pay attention to keywords that have low or medium difficulty and at the same time, the most traffic. These keywords are not very competitive, and ranking for these keywords will dramatically increase the visibility of your application. When you will start implementing your ASO strategy, you will know which keywords are targeted.
To check your competition for each particular keyword can help when you analyze the relevance of your application for certain searches, or identify keywords with less competition.
To check your competition for each particular keyword can help when you analyze the relevance of your application for certain searches, or identify keywords with less competition.
2. Google Play Store Optimization + A / B testing
Implementing the ASO strategy for Google Play is a process that includes optimizing your application in metadata and beyond metadata.
Metadata factors are factors that are under the control of the developer: title, developer name, description, icon, screenshot, feature graph.
The off-metadata factor is a factor that is beyond your control (but you can influence it): installing volume, ratings, and user reviews.
The off-metadata factor is a factor that is beyond your control (but you can influence it): installing volume, ratings, and user reviews.
Later in this post we will take a closer look at the details of ASO on-metadata and anatomy from the perfect Google Play Store list of Android applications.
It doesn't matter if you have published your application, or if you are just preparing to launch it, you need to implement Google Play Store optimization. You will work on various elements of your listing, to increase visibility and conversion rates to install.
It doesn't matter if you have published your application, or if you are just preparing to launch it, you need to implement Google Play Store optimization. You will work on various elements of your listing, to increase visibility and conversion rates to install.
And here is news for you: what you think is not the same as what your users think.
You may have created a great icon, but as Ogilvy said, “If it doesn’t sell, it isn’t creative”. You can’t trust your own intuition here, and the user response is not always going to be as good as you expect.
This is why you need to perform an A/B test before implementing any change in the listing elements that are affecting the conversion rate. Those elements are primarily the graphics: icon, screenshots, feature graphic, and the localized texts.
You may have created a great icon, but as Ogilvy said, “If it doesn’t sell, it isn’t creative”. You can’t trust your own intuition here, and the user response is not always going to be as good as you expect.
This is why you need to perform an A/B test before implementing any change in the listing elements that are affecting the conversion rate. Those elements are primarily the graphics: icon, screenshots, feature graphic, and the localized texts.
What is A/B testing?
To perform an A/B test, you will need to create 2 different versions of your listing element, and compare them against each other. During the experiment, half of your traffic will go to version A, and another half to version B, and then both options will be compared to determine the best result. It is very important to test with a change in only one listing element, otherwise it is hard to determine which of the changes has caused an improvement.
3. Tracking / monitoring
The App Store Optimization process never stops, changes in the market and Google Play Store itself, so developers must always be up-to-date with the current market situation.
Good practice is tracking weekly (ideally, every day), your mounting volume (organic + non-organic), keyword rankings, top chart rankings (overall, categories, etc.), rating and review of your application or game. Delete non-performing keywords, analyze and add new keywords and continue A / B testing until you find the best conversion element from your Google Play Store list.
User reviews are parts that are not entirely under your control, but if you constantly monitor them, you will get valuable information about your product, keywords, and weak points of your product and / or your communication strategy with users. On Google Play you can interact with users, reply to their reviews, which helps build trust and improve the overall ranking of the application. Good user sentiment not only increases conversion rates to install, but is also beneficial for ASO search, because Google ranks apps higher with more and better user reviews.
How to Optimize Your Google Play Store List for ASO
The perfect Google Play Store list for ASO can increase keyword rankings, increase conversion rates to install and encourage organic downloads. As simple as that.
In addition to optimizing your application for the Google Play Store, ASO will also help your app rank higher in Google web search results (Application Packages)
URL / package
The first thing first, and the URL is the first thing you have to think about, because once it's set up, it can't be changed later. On the Google Play Store, just like in Google web search, keywords included in the domain / URL act as strong ranking factors for application search.
how Super Mario Run Nintendo entered the keyword "zara" in the package URL. When the installation began, providing the required off-metadata boost, the game began ranking this highly competitive and highly searched keyword.
Name of developer
The developer name will also help rank your application in search results. In addition, Google prefers apps from developers with a positive history and ranks higher in searches.
Try adding a few keywords in the developer name. For example: "#DeveloperName: keyword + keyword"
Title
Application titles on the Google Play Store are other important ASO metadata factors to keep in mind. This affects, above all, the search results, but also the conversion rate to install.
Google allows developers to enter 50 characters in the Application Title (NEW: link), so use them wisely. Let your brand name be short, easy to spell and easy to memorize for your users. Enter your most relevant keywords next to your brand name. This can significantly increase the ranking of your application keywords!
Remember that you can add one title in each language to localize your application. Don't ignore localizing your app's title - the cellular world is global, and requests for your application can come from countries that you never expected.
Application titles on the Google Play Store are other important ASO metadata factors to keep in mind. This affects, above all, the search results, but also the conversion rate to install.
Google allows developers to enter 50 characters in the Application Title (NEW: link), so use them wisely. Let your brand name be short, easy to spell and easy to memorize for your users. Enter your most relevant keywords next to your brand name. This can significantly increase the ranking of your application keywords!
Remember that you can add one title in each language to localize your application. Don't ignore localizing your app's title - the cellular world is global, and requests for your application can come from countries that you never expected.
Quick tip: Try adding emojis to the title of your application to attract users' attention when they search or search the Play Store.
The perfect title will look like ...
The perfect title will look like ...
- Brands - Keywords
- Brand: Keywords
- Keywords - Brands
- Keywords: Brand
Short description
On the Google Play Store, a brief description of an application has a strong influence on ASO in keyword ranking and conversion rates.
Google allows developers to enter up to 80 characters for short descriptions, and if users are interested in knowing more, they can expand a short description to see the full description of your mobile app or game.
A well-defined short description is the highlight of all the best about your application or game, and the best use that developers can provide for this field is to enter the core keywords and the main objectives of your application.
Quick tips: As with the title, adding emojis in a short description is sure to attract the attention of users!
Description
The description on Google Play is very important because it is the On-Metadata factor responsible for Search and Conversion. In this field you must enter all your application or game keywords, combined with a strong call to action.
First of all, the description serves to increase the position of your application in the Google Play Store search algorithm, so it must be searchable. And second, this helps convince your prospective users to install your application, so it must be acted upon.
The maximum length for descriptions on the Google Play is 4,000 characters. The best practice is to enter your target keywords several times, and it's important to mention the core keywords in the first line and in the description to increase the ranking of those keywords.
Unlike the Apple App Store, Google indexes ALL content from the description of your application and helps with ASO.
Some tips for perfect descriptions:
- Use the maximum possible number of characters for the description. 3000-3500 char doesn't matter.
- Localize the description to ALL possible languages.
- Search for intermediate and long keywords and add them to your description.
- Use bullet points to organize information in a clear and visual way for users.
- Describe the best features of your application.
- Write in short paragraphs without excessive information.
- Include emojis 😉 ✔ or text format with HTML.
- If your application has won a contest or award, brag about it!
- Include an invitation to action that contains a sense of urgency (eg "Download now and start the adventure")
- Support your description with your social media profile or link to your application user community.
- And check these requirements from Google what NOT to do 🙂
Icon
The icon is the first visual impact that your application will have on users, the essence of your application. Right after making a search request on Google Play, what users see is a very large list of applications with various names and icons, and at this point the user will decide which application to check and install.
Interesting and interesting icons are an important part of the appearance of your application, and directly impact the Conversion Rate. A picture is worth thousands of words!
In addition, icons (as well as titles and developer names) are things users see in the actual search results on the Google Play Store, so these elements are the ones that have the most impact on ASO searches.
In addition, icons (as well as titles and developer names) are things users see in the actual search results on the Google Play Store, so these elements are the ones that have the most impact on ASO searches.
To publish your application page on the Google Play Store, you need a high-resolution icon. Google has the following requirements for developers:
- 32-bit PNG (with alpha)
- Dimensions: 512px for 512px
- Maximum file size: 1024KB
Some tips for highlighting your application icon:
- Make your icon coherent with the purpose of your application or game.
- Stick to the overall style of your application.
- Check your competitors and be different.
- Use bright colors to attract attention.
- Avoid text on your icon.
- Play with simple shapes and harmonious colors.
- Adding borders to the icon makes it more visible.
- Follow the trend of design, being modern and innovative - remember how flat design stole attention?
- Test, test, test - A / B test your choice with the Google Play experiment to find the perfect one!
- Test again 😉
If you are ready to start designing, read this great case study from Incipia about how to choose the best application icon. Or visit Creative Bloq to get inspiration on some cool icon designs! Exploring the Google Play Store can also help to find out new trends for icons.
Feature Graph
Another key element for Conversion Level Optimization (CRO) is a graph of Google Play features that are displayed before your screenshot if you have a video.
Basic requirements for feature graphic from Google are:
- JPEG or 24-bit PNG (no alpha)
- Dimensions: 1024px by 500px
Follow these simple tips when designing your feature graphics:
- Do not include important visual or textual information near the border and in the lower third of the graph.
- Center information / text / logos horizontally and vertically.
- Use large font sizes for text.
- Remember that your feature graphics can be used alone without an application icon, so stay with your style and make it recognizable.
- Test your A / B graph to see which one has a better conversion rate to install (this is your final goal). Use the Google Play experiment for this.
- Take the opportunity to change themes for seasons, important announcements, or X-mas holidays, for example.
- Remember to localize your feature graph along with the name and description, if that includes text.
Promo videos for your Android application
If an image is worth thousands of words, a video is worth thousands of images!
On the Google Play Store you can add YouTube promo videos to improve the application or identity of your game. It is important to understand that there are differences between videos on Play Store and videos on the iOS App Store. This is not one size that fits all and you want to optimize for each store.
A thumbnail of your promotional video will be a graph of your feature and placed before your screenshot (see above).
Just enter the video URL in the "Video promo" field, and remember these Google tips:
Be sure to use an individual YouTube video URL, not a YouTube playlist or channel URL
Don't use videos that are age restricted as your application promo video
You can localize your video too. To do that, upload your video in a different language, or upload only transcripts, which Google will automatically display depending on the user's language settings.
The best thing about that is that video views from the Google Play Store are counted as YouTube views, making your video rankings higher in YouTube searches and, subsequently, in Google search results.
Remember that feature charts (or feature charts with video play buttons) can also appear when someone searches for your application (with brand search, featured applications or Play Store ads for example). One more reason to fix it!
Screenshot
Like feature icons and graphics, screenshots do not affect the search algorithm, but they have an impact on the conversion ratio to be installed. Screenshot shows how your application or game looks from within, and highlights its best features. It is up to the user if he likes what he sees and if he wants it, so it is very important to attract the user's attention from the first screenshot.
On the Google Play Store you can add up to 8 screenshots for each type of device supported, while the minimum required by Google is only 2 screenshots with the following specifications:
- 24-bit JPEG or PNG (without alpha)
- Minimum dimension: 320px
- Maximum dimension: 3840px
- Your maximum screenshot dimension cannot be more than twice the minimum dimension length
Obviously, don't limit yourself to a minimum of 2 screenshots. Be creative and captivate your users by showing off the best features of your application.
Screenshot does not have to be an actual screenshot, you can (and should) search for stories and create a rich set of images to illustrate the best features of your application.
Follow these tips to move your screenshot:
- Backup the first screenshot slot for your most important message, or your application's BEST feature.
- Don't give a blank screenshot, give an explanation for each slide.
- Choose a style or theme for your screenshot sequence and follow it instead of generating random images
- Don't just declare your app's features - challenge users with your copy!
- If you have a limited offer, show it in your screenshot.
- If you have awards or designations in the media, too!
- Test many options to find the best.
- Locate the screenshot 🌍 if necessary
ASO for Google Play: In short
App Store Optimization is an endless process, so keep trying new things and optimize your Google Play Store list. Keep monitoring the evolution of your application and your competitors. Test everything and be updated with news and changes to the Google Play Store to never miss any trends.
Source from content writer Sylvain Gauchet
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