ASO Infographic – App Store ASO Roadmap

Dave Bell
Co-Founder and CEO of Gummicube

We are glad to share the article written by our Partner – Dave Bell, Co-Founder and CEO at Gummicube.

Dave is a pioneer of the mobile entertainment industry with 15+ years of experience in publishing, marketing and distributing mobile applications and games across carrier, direct to consumer, and via app store channels. Learn how to increase your app’s chances of being found by relevant users in the App Store. The precise infographics contain a checklist of practical steps for app promotions in stores.

The App Store has been growing at a phenomenal rate and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down, with well over two million apps available and over 80,000 apps submitted in October 2016 alone. It’s clear that many passionate developers are looking to find their place in the App Store, but that influx also makes individual apps harder to find for the end user.

App Store Optimization attempts to solve this issue of discoverability. By following a few key steps, you can effectively increase your app’s chances of being found by relevant users in the App Store.

Your title and keywords are the foundation for your rankings in the App Store. Words in both your title and your keyword bank contribute to which search terms you rank for – for example, if you have the word “poker” in your keyword bank, you’ll have a much higher chance of ranking for the word (as long as your app is relevant for the term, at least). Similarly, you can increase your relevance for keywords by elaborating upon them in your app’s description.

The description is also helpful for increasing conversion. A catchy intro can key users into your app’s most important features. Your icon, screenshots and preview video (if you have one) are also crucial for convincing more users to tap that “Get” button. Many users won’t ever see your app’s listing, and will simply download directly from search results. Consider what is visible from search results – your icon and first two screenshots, specifically – and make sure to test them to see what connects best with your audience.

After you’ve finalized your title, keywords, screenshots and icon, it’s time to submit to Apple. Be sure to enter all of the appropriate information into the correct fields – it’s essential that your title and keywords be entered correctly so that you can pick up the right rankings. After a brief period of review, your app should be live on the App Store.

Ultimately, launch is only the beginning of the optimization process. There are many external factors that can help with discoverability and conversion. Social media, for example, has always been a powerful tool for app developers. Whether you run a campaign through Facebook and Twitter, or target influencers through Instagram and Snapchat, social can have a huge effect on your app’s visibility.

As you investigate advertising sources, be sure to put equal effort into finding keyword tracking software. If you intend to optimize your app’s performance for certain words and phrases, it’s crucial to know how your app has fluctuated in the rankings for those terms. Has Apple deemed your app relevant for every term you targeted, or are there certain terms that you remain unranked for? Have those rankings gone up over time, or down? Doubling down on what’s working for you and replacing or fixing what isn’t will help you achieve the maximum possible visibility in the App Store.

Your marketing isn’t all that needs to be updated. The features of your app are ultimately the most important, and users expect to see them updated over time. A new feature or even a bug fix every six to eight weeks is a great way to show users that your app is still being supported.

For small teams, it can be difficult to continue updating an app on a regular basis. Rapid development or even working with outside teams are great ways to expand your app without sacrificing the time required to grow your business.

This process, ultimately, is the crux of ASO. When it comes to keywords and creative alike, you want to constantly track and update what is and is not working for your app. Similarly, you will want to stay on top of trends in the store so you can utilize them to your advantage. This loop never really ends, but repeating it in cycles will ensure that your app never loses relevancy and never gets stuck targeting terms that just aren’t worth it.

With Apple App Store Optimization, you can utilize your app’s title, keyword bank and creative to propel your app to new success. The process is ongoing and exhaustive, but with over two million apps and counting, the App Store isn’t getting any less crowded, and your app needs every shot at standing out.