Did you know that 70% of downloads in app stores come from the search engine? If your app is not optimized to appear in the first results, you are losing a golden opportunity to reach hundreds of potential users. In this article we tell you what ASO (App Store Optimization) positioning is, why it is essential for you and how to apply it to stand out in such a competitive market.
What does ASO mean?
The term ASO (App Store Optimization) refers to the process of optimizing all the data of an application to improve its visibility and ranking in app stores such as Apple's App Store and Google Play Store.
The main goal of ASO is to make your app easier for users to find, thus increasing organic downloads.
Similar to SEO (Search Engine Optimization) in search engines, ASO involves optimizing keywords, descriptions, images, videos and reviews so that your app appears in the top search results and relevant categories.
Importance and benefits of a good ASO strategy
In total, it is estimated that there are around 6 million apps worldwide. A figure that, due to the growing trend in the mobile sector, is expected to continue to increase. ASO positioning strategies are therefore becoming increasingly essential.
Optimizing your app with a good ASO strategy is almost as important as designing a functional and intuitive application. If users can't find your app, all the effort behind its development will be in vain.
Key benefits of ASO:
- Increased visibility. Your app will appear in the first search positions, attracting more users.
- Higher retention. By optimizing some of the influencers in the positioning of apps in the markets, you will be able to attract more qualified users to your application. In other words, you will improve user retention in the long term.
- Brand exposure. Not only do you have a better chance of your app being downloaded and maintained by more qualified users, but you will also get more brand exposure.
- Increased organic downloads: By improving visibility, users find your app more easily, which translates into an increase in downloads without the cost of advertising.
- Reducing the cost of user acquisition: Organic downloads are free, so optimizing your ASO can help you reduce your paid campaign budget.
How to make an ASO strategy: factors influencing positioning
ASO positioning does not depend solely on a single element, but is a set of factors that work together to improve the visibility of your application. On the one hand, we have the internal factors (on-site) and the external factors (off-site). Next, we will see which are the most relevant aspects that influence this process.
ASO on-site positioning factors
These factors are the ones that are directly related to the application, and you must optimize them before publishing it in the app stores. These are some of the factors that you cannot forget:
- Title and name of the app. The name must be attractive and include relevant keywords. It is one of the most influential factors for the ranking, so it is important that you study all the options and evaluate which one is the most suitable for you.
- Subtitle. Describe the most interesting features of your application and take the opportunity to include, in a natural way, keywords related to your proposal.
- Developer. In SEO, entities are becoming more and more relevant. In ASO, it's a bit the same. The app developer is relevant in the positioning of an application: the more experience, ratings and success their applications accumulate, the better the positioning of the app.
- Description. The description should be clear, concise and optimized to include the keywords that users usually search for. In addition, we recommend that you add the main features and functionalities of your application.
- Icon. Although it seems irrelevant, a well-designed, current and original icon can boost the number of clicks and downloads.
- Screenshots and videos. They are one of the most relevant ASO factors nowadays. The selection of screenshots and videos you make to present your application can be decisive. Select screenshots that highlight the main functionalities and navigation experience of your app.
- Correct category. Make sure you select the most appropriate category for your application, as this influences the relevance of your app in searches.
- Keywords. Add in this section the keywords that generate the most traffic and, above all, that reinforce and accompany the word you have added in the title of your app.
Off-site ASO positioning factors
These are the factors that impact the ASO positioning of your app but do not depend on specific configurations. However, they can be worked on.
- Ratings and reviews: The more positive reviews and high ratings your app gets, the higher its ASO positioning will be. To work on this, you can create review campaigns.
- Backlinks: In SEO, linkbuilding is an important positioning factor. Thanks to it, websites gain authority in their niches. In ASO, too: get links pointing to your app from relevant external websites to improve your authority in app stores.
- Connection with social networks. A strong social presence on platforms such as Instagram, LinkedIn or TikTok can increase visibility and downloads.
- Engagement and usability. If users find what they were looking for when downloading your app, it is likely that they will not want to uninstall it and will continue to use it over time. This data makes your app have better ASO positioning.
5 mistakes you make in your ASO positioning system (and how to avoid them)
Optimizing your application for the app stores may seem like a challenge, but avoiding these common mistakes can make all the difference:
- Ignoring keywords. If you don't do a proper keyword analysis, you will be missing opportunities for users to find your app.
- Not updating the app frequently. Or doing so without a previous strategy. App stores prioritize applications that are updated regularly. This indicates that your app is active and improves the user experience.
- Underestimating the impact of reviews. Negative reviews can drastically affect ranking. In addition, having a good marketing and communication strategy to respond to reviews assertively and resolve user issues can be crucial.
- Do not optimize the icon and screenshots: Design is a critical part of capturing users' attention. A bad design can lead to low conversion rates.
- Forget the user satisfaction approach and look only for strategies to "trick" the algorithm.
In conclusion, a good ASO strategy is essential to maximize the visibility and success of your app in such a competitive market. Optimizing both on-site and off-site factors, and avoiding common mistakes, will allow you to stand out from the crowd and improve user acquisition.
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