People say that competition is always a good thing, they say it gets the best out of you by keeping you sharp all time. Regardless of what industry you offer services in, getting yourself online is not the solution to bring in more customers. We understand the fact that this is the digital era, but the internet has also made it possible for everyone to stand up on their feet and start any business they want. All businesses have competitors, most of the industries are facing fierce contention to lure potential customers and that is why services like boost app ranking, search engine optimization and app store optimization are thriving at the moment.
If it’s your website that drives the traffic and gives you a chance to convert potential customers into regular customers then you have SEO services with you. But what about the enterprises whose complete business model revolves around an app? Just like a website, gaining app ranking on the app store is extremely crucial as well.Getting your app’s name on the top brings in relevant traffic which turns into more app installs, more users and eventually more revenue.
You might be wondering if this is a simple concept as all you need to get is the high rank on the respective app store as the rest of the factors will automatically follow. It’s true at some extent but in order to boost your app rank to #1 You need constant work from your end because it’s like getting blood from a stone. At the time of writing, we have more than 3.5 millions of apps in Google Play Store and roughly 2.2 million apps are available for iOS devices on the App App Store.
Source: Statista
For such insurmountable things, there’s always a team of experts that works round the clock to increase your app store’s ranking in your particular niche. As the expert of the domain, we thought of sharing some tips from our side on how to improve your app’s rankings and increase your app downloads. But first understand how an app’s store rankings work.
App Store Ranking and How Does it Work?
Just like any top search engine, the app store is like the catalyst that connects users with the apps based on the user’s search queries. For instance, let’s say you have a knack for reading books and you want an app that gives you all the best books at the same place. You will go into your app store and search for the app that can help you with it.
All you need to do is to type read book on the search bar and the app store will look through thousands of apps that match your keywords and show you relevant results.
Just like Google has its famous algorithm around which SEO experts work to boost the ranking of your website. App store’s ranking is also determined by algorithms of the respective app stores. One thing is certain that app store ranking algorithms analyzes all the uploaded apps and only boost your app rank to #1 if it matches its guidelines offered by the app store. However, there are many other factors like app name, URL, subtitle, description of your app, keyword field, in-app purchase, downloads and engagement but most importantly ratings and reviews that determine your app’s organic keyword ranking.
Now that we know what app store ranking is and how it works. Let us have a glance at some practices from the experts that can help you boost your app rank on the app store.
Practices That Will Help you Get Better App Store Ranking
It all starts with the inevitable task first which is to comprehend the concepts of app store optimization. If your business structure is totally dependent on a mobile app then it becomes more important to have a clear image of this concept.
Around 50% of the users discover new apps through general browsing in the app store. If your app is buried somewhere in the wind of competition then it won’t stand a chance to get easily discovered by the users and get downloads. So, as mentioned earlier you need to follow the guidelines offered by the respective app stores before submitting your mobile for a review. Consider this as one of the most important tasks, because it determines the credibility of your app and brand in the eyes of the play store. If the App store algorithm believes that your app can be good for the users then you will automatically witness more downloads even if you are new in the market.
There are many such factors that impact your App Store Optimization. So, let us understand more about these factors and see how they can help you get more visibility on the app store.
Naming your App
You should start discussing app names from the development stage. Google Play Store allows upto 50 characters in your title but at the same time ios app store only gives you 30 characters title limit.
If you are planning to launch your app on both of these top app stores then you need to have the same titles on each platform otherwise it could be a major disaster. For instance, if an iOS user recommends an app to a user with an android device then it can be confusing for the users to find your app. So, according to our experience in the field, we suggest reviewing all the bounds for each platform before you name your mobile app.
Fun Fact – Google doesn’t allow you to add keywords or repetitive words in the title. However, the Apple App Store gives you an extra field with a 30 character limit right under your name to add keywords and other relevant content.
Keywords and Description
Probably the most important factor that determines your app’s ranking is the insertion of relevant keywords and having a proper description of your app. As mentioned, title is not the only place where you can add keywords. You need to focus on adding a proper description which includes almost all the keywords that you think connect with your industry.
All of us have used app stores then you know that users don’t see full description until they click on read on button. So, there’s very less possibility that your users will do this. That means the first few lines of your app description must be compelling so the user really wants to continue reading and get to know more about your app.
Focusing on High-Quality Screenshots
As mentioned, more than 50% of the users browse through the app store to find new apps. The screenshots help them determine what your app looks like but give them a sneak peek of your app and how it works.
It means you just can’t take screenshots of any app pages as you need to think it through. We suggest you try and cover screenshots that cover a wide range of app’s features. For instance, adding a screenshot of your login and register screen doesn’t make any sense as they are not adding any kind of value to your description.
Make sure the first three screenshots easily explain what your app does because the power of visual identity can work tremendously in your favor.
Ratings and Reviews
What’s the first thing we all see as a user before downloading any app? Yes, you are right, its ratings and reviews. Apps with more than 4 stars automatically do good on the app stores. Best way to get more ratings is to ask your users to rate your app through push notifications or once in a while popups.
Before you also need to make sure that your app offers exceptional user experience and runs smoothly without any errors, bugs and other technical problems. Otherwise asking for app store ratings and reviews can backfire your app store ranking.
A prospective user reads these reviews and looks at your ratings before downloading your app. Better the ranking you have, greater the chances of your app getting more installs.
Endnotes
Let’s face the truth, competition will always there as you need to find a way to boost your app rank to #1. App store optimization is the best way to do that. Apart from the above mentioned factors you can also include a demonstration video, set up your in-app purchase, have an ergonomic app icon or follow a proven app store optimization campaign to get better results. We hope this blog will be helpful to you as we wish your boost app ranking high the app store.
