This article covers the ASO techniques for the Google Play Store. if you are looking for ASO in the Apple’s AppStore take a look at the similar article here.
1. App Name
Keywords in your App Name have a lot of a weight in the Google Play algorithm. Try adding your strongest keywords in your title to increase your app discoverability. You can use up to 50 characters.
Your app title is one of the most important factors in App Store Optimization. It has a significant influence on the Google Play Store algorithm. Therefore, words contained in the title are taken into account for the referencing of your app and every word should be carefully chosen in order to maximize your chances of success.
The name of your app should give at least an idea of what the app offers or does. Use your brand name only if it is already known by everyone; use a few words that describe your app if it is not.
Integrate the most relevant keywords possible in your title, as they will help to improve your ranking in the Play Store. Best practices recommend to put your Brand Name and a couple of relevant keywords.
The size limit is 50 characters. Use all available characters. Don’t forget that your App Name will be cropped on some screens, so be sure that the first characters still make sense on their own.
2. Short Description
Your short description should explain in one sentence what your app does. Don’t forget to include your strongest keywords as they will be taken into account by the Google Play Store algorithm. We recommend to use all available 80 characters.
You can easily update your Short Description through the Google Play Developer Console. The size limit is 80 characters, so try to use all available characters.
Keywords in the short description have a lot of weight in the search algorithm, therefore it’s a great opportunity to expand your app’s discoverability and increase impressions. The short description can also help users get a better idea of what your app is about and thus increase conversions.
Expert tip: The more you repeat a word across the different metadata fields, the more weight you give to the word (keyword density). Carefully choose the keywords you want in order to maximize your chances of success. Check out our Keywords Tool to find the best keywords for your app.
3. App Description
The Play Store algorithm takes app descriptions into account, so don’t forget to use relevant and important keywords in your description to increase your discoverability. Make sure to optimize your keyword density. Use our Keywords Analysis to find the best keywords for your app.
Writing a good description is hard work and can take time. It is however essential to find the best way to entice and convince Play Store users of downloading your app. Be as clear as possible: use line breaks, short sentences, small paragraphs, bullet points, symbols, … The point is to be easy to read!
Your description can help convince browsing users to download your app by further explaining what your app is about and what are its best features. Make sure the first 255 characters of your description are amazing. This first paragraph needs to be catchy and straight to the point, because most users are unlikely to read the whole description.
Best practices include repeating the most relevant words across your description without doing any keyword stuffing. Words with a higher density will be considered with more weight by the algorithm.
4. App Icon
Your icon should be carefully crafted in order to improve your Click Through Rate (CTR) and increase conversion. Make sure that it’s original and descriptive enough, without too many details. Adding a border and avoiding text is highly recommended.
There are several best practices that can boost your app store visibility thanks to a good app icon optimization. It is important to understand that your app icon makes your app’s first impression, along with your screenshots. People love visual content so make sure that it is absolutely well designed and carefully thought out.
It’s very important to keep your icon simple without text or too many details. It needs to be attractive and original so that you get more chances to stand out from other apps.
You can use your brand logo if your app is directly connected to your brand and if you have a strong branding. Otherwise, it is recommended to create a unique icon for your app. Try to use a flat design as much as possible.
It’s also highly recommended to update your icon along with the seasons or special occasions: Christmas, Halloween, Valentine’s Day… don’t hesitate to show users that your app is alive and updated.
5. Screenshots
Screenshots are a very efficient way to convince and influence users to download an app (increase conversion). People prefer to look at screenshots rather than read a description. It is therefore necessary to optimize them.You can add up to 8 screenshots for each supported device.
Your screenshots can really help convince a user to download your app. They should give an insight on the look and feel of your app while showing your app’s best features. Make sure to include some text to describe your app on each screenshot.
The first screenshots are displayed in the Search Results on the Play Store so they will make the 1st impression of your app. They need to illustrate what your app does and showcase your best features. Be catchy, original and awesome: you will hopefully drive more downloads.
Best practice: use a short descriptive sentence on the top of each screenshot to describe the feature shown.
Also, be sure to localize your screenshots: use different languages for each different country. You want your audience to understand completely what you’re telling them.
6. Promo Video
Promo videos are a good way to convince users to download your app. Use this great opportunity to explain what your app does. Show off your best features. Make sure to use an individual video’s YouTube URL. Your video should be short: 30 sec – 2 min.
It demands a lot of effort to create a convincing promo video that demonstrates the features, functionality, and user interface of your app in less than 2 minutes. Make sure to use an individual video’s YouTube URL.
Your promo video will appear in the first position of your graphic assets on the Google Play store. Videos are a good way to convince users to download your app. Benefit from this great opportunity to explain what your app is about. It will help you get some coverage as well.
7. App Details
Changing the following App Details can be time consuming as they are directly linked to how your application is built or the whole business model that lies behind it.
It is still worth optimizing them as each can have an impact on your conversion rate. For example, a user might cancel the download of your app if it takes too long (if your app is too big). Or they might be looking for an app that offers more in-app payments, etc.
8. Versions
Regularly updating your app can have a positive impact on your app rankings. It is also well perceived by your users.
It is important to regularly update your app. Best practices recommend to update your app every 4 to 6 weeks. This means fixing reported bugs, improving existing features, launching new features etc. Keep an eye on users’ feedback. The next great features may already be asked by many users.
The Apple Store wants to provide fresh content to its user, that means that a regularly updated app will have more weight in the algorithm than an app that hasn’t been updated over a long time.
Take the occasion to update your app’s ASO by refreshing your visuals from time to time and by updating your keywords regularly.
Finally, this section can have a positive influence on your conversion rate. The latest bug fix or the newest feature might convince old or new users to download your app. Make sure you explain clearly what each update is about!
9. Backlinks
Backlinks are the links coming from other websites pointing to your mobile app’s webpage. Backlinks are very important in terms of App Store Optimization (ASO). They weight in the Google Play Store algorithm to index and rank your app. The more backlinks you get, the higher your app authority.
Additionally, if the links are placed on relevant keywords pointing to your app’s page, your keyword ranking power on these keywords will increase.
Warning: backlinks influencing your app’s ranking are links coming from trustworthy domains. Link quality is determinant in the ranking power allocated to your app. We highly encourage you to get as many quality backlinks as possible.
What about Apple’s AppStore
This article covers the ASO techniques for the Google Play Store. if you are looking for ASO in the Apple’s AppStore take a look at the similar article here.