Did you know that nearly 65% of app downloads happen directly after search? This means that majority of people discover new apps through App Store and Google Play Store, so getting your app to the top of search results is a priority.
So how do you make sure you’re ranking highly in searches of your target audience? By working on your App Store Optimization (ASO), that’s how! With a little research and some expert know-how, you can tweak your listing to be as algorithm-friendly as possible and leap up the rankings.
ASO is an ever-changing beast, so you’ll need to monitor your app’s performance all the time: but the benefits are worth it. A well-executed ASO will increase your app’s visibility which in turn will boost downloads and revenue. And the good news is that the better your ASO is, the easier it becomes to maintain!
In this blog post, we’ll be sharing ten easy steps to improving your ASO, your app store ranking and your app’s success. So, let’s get started!
Step 1: Choose the right app keywords
Keywords are the foundation on which to build your ASO strategy. Getting your keywords right will give you a solid start in your fight for search visibility.
Start by doing some thorough keyword research. You can use some popular ASO tools like Asodesk or AppTweak to help you figure out your keywords, but we really recommend doing some manual research too. App stores are a great place to find terms similar apps are targeting; look at Google’s search trends and autocompletes for relevant phrases; try autocomplete on YouTube, too, and look at the titles that content creators are using on all the social media apps. You want to try to get into the head of your ideal user and develop terms they may be using to hunt for new apps.
Once you have your keywords, use them in your app title, subtitle and description. And don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you can just use the same keywords across the App Store and Google Play: actually, you want to research what will work best on each of the stores individually. A bit of legwork here can really pay off!
Remember to monitor your keywords regularly, assess which ones are working for you and which could use a refresh, and optimize your app’s metadata accordingly.
Step 2: Optimise everything in your app store listing
Every element of your listing should be carefully considered and tweaked to support your keyword aims – from the title to the subheading, to the images, to the screenshots, to the icon, to the app description… everything can impact your app store ranking. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that any of them can just be slapped together at the last minute.
Your keywords should be incorporated into all metadata of your listings, and the screenshots and app previews should support those keyword aims too. So, if you’re targeting something like “home workouts for women” then make sure your screenshots show just that: perhaps an example of one of the exercises from your app or a sample workout plan.
Step 3: Focus on driving high-quality installs
There’s no point getting millions of installs if those users aren’t going to actually use your app: in fact, loads of dormant users can lead to your ranking being tanked by the algorithm. Your user acquisition strategy should focus on high-quality installs: users who’ll not only download your app but set it up and use it regularly.
But how do you get more of these elusive gold-standard users? Start by targeting long-tail, niche keywords.
The big hitting keywords – like, say, ‘fitness app’ – are flooded with huge-name apps. They’ll be targeted by every single fitness app that exists and presided over by the app store editors. But the more focused keywords – like the “home workouts for women” example we used earlier – will have less competition and more concentrated results. These terms have high intent attached to them because they come from users who are specifically searching for them.
Step 4: Invest in Apple Search Ads
On the App Store, Apple Search Ads (ASA) is also a fast-track to get your app listing in front of the right users. It’s a self-service ad platform that can have a big effect on your app store ranking and it’s the only ad platform native to the App Store.
The Advanced programme lets you control your audience, keywords and budgets at a granular basis, while bumping your visibility (ads appear at the top of searches, on the Search tab, on the Today tab and on Product Pages) which can really drive downloads and new users. Remember, the more successful your app, the higher it will show up in organic search rankings too.
Step 5: Use these App Store Optimization (ASO) tools
We’ve already mentioned some ASO tools for keyword research and optimization. These tools not only help to analyze keyword performance but also provide insights for improving app store visibility.
ASO tools that track your app’s performance are essential – you should be monitoring this constantly, tracking data and tweaking your listing to improve ranking and performance all the time. If a certain keyword isn’t working for you, update it. If your screenshots aren’t pulling their weight, change them.
You should be refreshing the content on your listing regularly too (including app updates and responding to reviews) as the algorithm is always monitoring how ‘live’ your app is.
You can also use many ASO tools to identify new keywords (don’t forget to blend this with your manual research too) and – this is a big one – track your competitors’ performance. Whatever they’re doing that’s working, you need to incorporate it into your own strategy. And whatever they’re doing that isn’t working, you’ll know to avoid.
Step 6: Improve app retention and engagement
Improving your app store ranking isn’t just about your App Store or Google Play Store listing. Your position is also informed by the activity on your app: the more engaged and retained users you have, the better for your app’s ranking. Why? High retention rates indicate a good user experience, which is a clear indication to Apple that your app is worth ‘promoting’.
To improve your retention, well-timed push notifications can remind users to check in with your app regularly – like that pesky Duolingo owl guilt tripping you into practicing your Spanish – but be careful not to over-do this and become a nuisance.
Regular app updates also show the algorithm that your app is constantly being refreshed and improved – that’s another metric that will help bump your listing up the rankings.
Step 7: Encourage user reviews and ratings (App review management)
User reviews are hugely important to your ASO (and for your conversion rates, of course). Most users read reviews before downloading an app and a good rating can influence their decision.
You want to aim for at least 4.5 stars to be eligible for premium store placements. But don’t panic if you get a handful of negative reviews – all is not lost. If you respond to them and address your users’ pain points, it encourages users to change their rating for the better.
Use in-app prompts to encourage reviews and time them strategically so your user is in a good mood when you ask – you’re more likely to get a positive review from them if they’ve just won a game or completed several rounds successfully! This approach increases the likelihood of receiving favourable ratings because users are more engaged and satisfied at that moment.
Step 8: Always optimize for the app store algorithm signals
ASO isn’t a one-time job: you can’t just perfect your app store page and just leave it to do its thing: you need to be constantly monitoring its performance and making algorithm-friendly changes. Those algorithms are constantly updating so you’ll need to be vigilant.
How your app performs also has a big impact on your app store rankings so always work towards high install to conversion rates, satisfied users and low uninstall rates by making sure your app is functioning well, fixing bugs and addressing complaints and keeping your users happy.
Step 9: Use App Store Optimization for local markets
App localization is a great way if improving your app store ranking. Firstly, not all your competitors will be localizing for different regions and therefore you will have lower competition when ranking for certain keywords.
Make sure you adapt your ASO strategy for different regions and languages – this could mean researching local keywords, for example, or targeting specific countries or regions.
Be careful if you’re using translation software on your copy: always be sure to run it by a human before posting it.
Every country’s users’ needs are different, and may have completely diverse cultures/interests that you would need to adapt to. For example, in the West, blue is a very popular colour for finance brands which would come across as crass in certain Southeast Asian countries, where blue is commonly linked to death and mourning. If you directly look at the icons in the app stores in Japan, you’ll see more of a skew towards oranges, greens, whites and reds.
Having an on-the-ground understanding of cultural nuances is essential to ensure you are speaking authentically to your new target market.
Step 10: Keep users engaged with in-app events
In-app events are simply time-dependent events that are directly linked to your app and highlighted on your iOS store listing and in the App Store search results. They are a way to showcase special activities or promotions directly on the App Store.
But contrary to what their title might imply, they don’t have to be live, real-time event-like events. These events can target existing users and encourage engagement by offering special promotions or highlighting interesting activities – for example, you could run a summer fitness challenge, or a language-learning marathon.
In-app events are a creative way to keep users engaged and improve app visibility – and we know what those things mean: better app store rankings.
Now you’re all set to improve your app store ranking
Improving your app store ranking doesn’t need to be overwhelming. By focusing on the fundamentals – optimising your keywords and visuals, prompting positive reviews and boosting engagement – you’ll soon start to see an improvement in your app’s ranking. And by keeping your users happy and engaged, you’ll soon find it easier and easier to get your app in front of new audiences who’ll love it too.
