According to a study by Forrester, 63% of all apps are found via search in the app store and downloaded there. With 1.7 million existing apps, it is therefore important to be as high up in the search results as possible as the search ranking is the second most important factor for app marketing after the sale ranking.

In fact, 10% of all apps receive 90% of all downloads. So, the question is how to get the own app into the magical top 10%?

There are various ways of marketing apps to increase sales, but App Store Optimization (ASO), the process of optimizing mobile apps in order to be placed higher in the search results, is a promising method worth to consider.

Put keywords into the title

The ASO process requires exact knowledge of the target group, e.g. what keywords potential customers use to find similar apps. In this case, the title of the app plays a particularly important role, as the keyword there should be the one with the largest search traffic. Make sure that you are researching properly as a title change may have a negative effect on the ranking and popularity of the app. Continuous competition analysis is of course essential as well, so find out what keywords your rivals use.

Some tips for finding the best keywords:

• Take a title for your app that complies with a typical search term or create a short catchy brand name that has a high recognition value and can eventually be supplemented by a keyword.
• Make use of the same title for the Apple App Store and Google Play to build a strong brand and avoid confusion.
• Learn from the best and find out who is placed at the top in the search results– then identify their potential keywords that you can use.
• Assess potential difficulties or popularity of keywords correctly.
• Bear in mind that the name of the app should be understood internationally to achieve a wider range.

Significant description

Not only the title is important for your app, a meaningful description should be in place, too. The benefits of your app you should be explained to the user in two to three sentences. Here again, deep insights into your target audience is important to get a lot of downloads with the right keywords. A mere aggregation of keywords, however, is bad for the ranking.

Categorization

Keep in mind that the categories in which apps are stored are keywords at the same time. So, consider carefully, in which categories your app should be found. Of course, they should fit with regard to content, too. Even niche categories are worth to consider, as there is less competition there. Nevertheless, ensure accuracy of fit there as well.

Always up-to-date

App Store Optimization is a permanent construction site. Therefore, it is important that you monitor your apps as well as your competitors and monitor and update your developments constantly in order to optimize when needed. The optimal set of keywords is rarely the one you have set at the beginning and perhaps new categories get created that better match the content of your app. Important is to be aware of the fact that if you do not use ASO to improve the ranking of your app, it will most probably gradually disappear into the depths of the App Store.

By Daniela La Marca