App Store Optimisation (ASO) - Optimising Apps for the Apple App Store and Google Play

Businesses understand the important role apps can play in the delivery of their products and/or services. However, the question is do they really understand how to get their apps showing in app store search results and ultimately, achieve downloads?

Similarly to the principles of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) on websites, ASO (App Store Optimisation) is essential for apps to be seen in searches. A website without SEO is often likened to a car without an engine, and the same applies to apps. If your app doesn’t have any relevant information that can be read by the platform it is sitting on, how can the platform index your app?

When optimising your app, it is important to take into account which platforms your app will be available to the public through, and how to optimise effectively for these platforms. With the two big players in the app market (The Apple App Store and Google Play) controlling the majority share of the smartphone sales market share (approximately 90% combined, see below), it is essential that your app meets the demands of these leading platforms to become competitive in the crowded world of apps.

Source: http://www.uk.kantar.com/tech/mobile/kantarworldpanel-comtech-smartphone-os-market-share/

With over 1.3m apps available in Google Play, 1.2m apps available in the Apple App Store and with the number of mobile app users expected to rise over the next few years (see graph below), it is important to recognise what it takes to make your app visible to searchers.

Source: http://www.statista.com/statistics/277672/forecast-of-mobile-app-users-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/

Optimising your app for both the Apple App Store and Google Play is vital. There are a variety of ‘on-page’ and ‘off-page’ techniques which will increase traffic to your app download page from app store search results. Effectively implementing these techniques should eventually contribute to a highly accessible and successful app.

On-page Optimisation

App Title 

Choose an appropriate app title which clearly describes the app and what it does. There is no optimum length for app titles due to apps being used on a variety of screen sizes, although Apple recommends fewer than 25 characters to avoid truncation and therefore poor user experience.

App Description

Working similarly to a Meta Description tag on your website, your app description will need to be written clearly, giving an insight into what exactly your app is, what it does and its benefits. A 4000 character limit (For Google Play and no limit for Apple App Store) means you will need to use this space wisely, including engaging content to sell your app and present its unique features in a short and concise manner.

Keywords

Include quality keywords and avoid stuffing too many keywords into sentences. Quality over quantity is key and Apple recommends using unique keywords over highly generic ones.

App Icon/Logo

Your app icon/logo is the first impression an app searcher will have of your app, so it is essential that it clearly reflects what your app is and what it does.

App Screenshot & YouTube Demo

Screenshots of what the app looks like are a must. Displaying eye-catching screenshots of your app's layout and features will more than often be a deciding factor for whether or not the app is downloaded. In addition, Google Play now offers the chance to insert a YouTube Demo video into your app page. You should use this as a sales pitch to leverage your app and showcase its capabilities.

Category & App Type

It is important to choose an appropriate category for your app, this will help your app achieve a higher number of downloads. Pick the category which best defines your app. Although Apple provides a secondary category option, try to make your first choice the most relevant. Another choice you may have to make is ‘app type’, as Google also divides apps into two main types – Applications and Games.

Google+ 

Don’t underestimate the power of including a Google+ plugin. Ultimately, the more positive Google+ feedback your app receives, the more visible it will become in Google Play, with the chance that the app may make it onto the front page of search results.

Off-Page Optimisation

App Ratings & Reviews

App searchers will view your ratings as a direct reflection of your app's performance. Because of this, gaining positive app ratings is an essential part of app store optimisation and will often increase the chances of your app being downloaded. App reviews can be a deciding factor when it comes to conversion. Positive reviews can often include specific information about the app that a searcher was looking for, which may ultimately affect their decision.

Total App Downloads

The total number of app downloads will carry considerable weight in the searcher's decision on whether to download or not. Apps with a significant number of downloads will be perceived by the searcher as authentic and of a certain quality, often reassuring the searcher of the app's credibility.

Link Building

Due to Google Play being part of Google, it is widely believed that Google will use links coming from high authority websites as a tool to determine your app's quality and use this information in its ranking of apps.

At Silverdisc we are more than happy to optimise your app for you through advertising on Google, Bing or Facebook, with the aim of achieving further downloads and to also optimise your app for organic search engine results.

If you are interested in any of the above or would like to discuss app optimisation in further detail please do not hesitate to contact us.