Google Play Store Optimization: Simple Hacks & Useful Tips In 2020

App Store Optimization – a vital aspect of the mobile app strategy

There are several factors leading to consumer acceptance with a mobile app. Besides the total UX and the interest it offers, it always needs to be convenient for future users to identify.

If you have an Android app, optimizing it for the Google Play Store is one of the main ways to ensure its high discoverability – making it stand out from the thousands of other choices available. Especially because we are talking about 2.9 million apps worldwide on Google Play!

In the following section, we'll share our top 11 tips for making the app distinguishable for both the algorithm and users in the Google Play Store.

11 Tricks to help you optimize the Google Play App Store

1. Look for keywords with the correct volume-to-click-through ratio

It is a common error for someone starting with ASO (short for App Store Optimization), to concentrate solely on using keywords with the lowest possible search volume in the summary of the item.

Although it is definitely significant, not all of these phrases obtain a sufficient number of clicks from users (a consideration known as CTR-click-through rate). Choosing a low-CTR word might theoretically damage your app listing, as – if you don't get enough clicks – Play Store could decide it's meaningless to users.

You will always remember the search goals of your target users when selecting your keywords. Would you trust them to be aware of what your app is doing? Did they use a similar solution before, or are they new to the topic?

Google Maps listed in the Play Store is an example of a well-thought-out user intent approach. Despite the immense popularity of the app, its name is concise in the Google Play Store: Maps-Navigate & Explore.

Through choosing these two keywords, Google assured that anyone who is looking for a navigation solution without using their brand name would still find their app.

Long-tail keywords for successful ASO?

Provided that CTR and user search intent are such significant ASO variables, we advise you to turn to more descriptive long-tail terms, which appear to have a higher CTR. The good news is that you don't even have to rely on the search length by choosing longer keywords!

According to a report by Ahrefs with more than 1.9 billion keywords, 29.13 per cent with sentences of more than 10,000 monthly searches composed of three or more words!

2. Do not overdo it with keywords in your short description

While keywords are critical in making your app discoverable, the short description should not be your primary focus. Especially because the short definition can be only 80 characters long!

We strongly recommend using it as an elevator pitch.

You just have a few seconds to grab the eye of your customer, make a strong first impression and sell the story of your app. You should of course list one or two keywords – just make sure they don't interrupt the message that you're trying to express.

Instagram does a fantastic job with its claim: "To get you back to the ones you love."

3. Using keywords in your long description

In comparison to the iOS App Store, Google Play searches the app's long description in pursuit of appropriate keywords. Here's where you can concentrate your attention and list the words of which you want to identify yourself.

The gap in-app rating has proved to be quite significant for some industries. For eg, after ASO optimized the long summary the marketing agency AppMasters found a spike for two keywords. Place of the first keyword fell from number 13 to 8, and the location of the second from 11 to 8.

This means that the app has both phrases hit the top 10 search pages!

4. Add social-proof or statistical facts to your description

If there is a number of which you are especially proud, or if you have an endorsement from a famous company, you will certainly include it in your Google Playlist!

Mentioning this will give you a boost of prestige and separate you from your rivals – particularly where the figures or endorsements are clear above the fold.

5. Make sure your app icon stands out

One of the easiest ways to get more views in the Google App Store is to make your graphics stand out from the crowd.

You know your rivals, you should use colours that clash with their visual image to do so. Another solution is to go with a bold statement to establish an unmistakable to easily identifiable name.

6. Get the app available in Google Search App Packs

Not all search requests for applications are performed explicitly in Google Play – some users only turn to Google Search (with 63 percent of all The mobile device searches completed in 2019).

Google developed App Packs for this purpose – a special snippet that appeared at the top of the search results.

This means you can rely not only on ASO but also on SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). Luckily, with both cases, many of the core rules are identical, and you can get a fast understanding of Google Search and Play Store optimization.

7. Don't focus on Google Play automatic translations

Google provides automated translations of listing details to easily make it possible for you to be present in numerous markets. They also freely advocate that you view them only as a temporary solution and that you employ a human interpreter.

That is because it's not just about exporting to target different markets-its about localizing.

Localizing the details of the product ensures you'll have to do different research on keywords for each region. A word that is simple and has a large amount of quest in one market might not be as simple to rank for and as common in another.

For eg, according to UberSuggest, in the United States the keyword "bed and breakfast" has a search volume of 110,000 and a difficulty score of 46, while in Canada the volume is 18,100 and the difficulty score is 24.

That means that while the word is 5x as common in the US as it is in Canada, it is also twice as hard to rank on the American market for the expression.

8. Optimize the product to represent cultural variations between markets

We highly suggest localizing not only the copy but also the graphics that follow the listings of your product. This happens in the marketing video not only to the text on the photos or the audio.

Think about the diversity of the markets in which the product is available – are their behaviours, ideas or views substantially different? For a brand like H&M, this may involve publishing separate swimwear snapshots inside European and Middle East lists.

9. Invest in an app retention strategy

The Google Play Store provides two forms of metadata. The first sort is called 'on-metadata' (the content of the listing that you manage and can modify, for example, photos, title, or description). The second is called off-metadata, which contains details such as the number of downloads, user feedback, or scores of customers). You can not change any of this material, as the creator of the device.

When determining if the app will be rated extremely, the Play Store algorithm takes into consideration all forms of metadata. If you have bad user feedback or the download rate unexpectedly decreases, the location of your app in the search results may also be adversely influenced by this.

10. Respond to Google Play Store Algorithm Updates ahead of your competitors

We highly recommend using an App Store Algorithm Monitoring tool to guarantee that you never fall prey to notifications from the Play Store.

A resource like this would warn you if your app listing detects any odd or sudden improvements to the keyword rankings. This way, you will be able to easily test if it is induced by a modification of the algorithm.

If that's the case, you'll be able to update your app store content quickly – maybe even before your rivals know there have been any algorithm improvements.

11. Use Google Android vitals

Google has launched a new app called Apps Vitals a while ago. It's a series of success metrics in the software that tell you if the success of the device is spot-on.

The functionality provides you with details on the top technological capabilities of your app and lists any problems that could adversely affect the output of the app or the experiences of users.

Just as in the case of off-metadata listed in this post earlier, Android Vitals statistics may also have a major impact on the rankings of your app in the Play Store.

Hence, make sure that the vitalities of Android are an important part of your ASO plan.

App Store Optimization is an evolving project

It's crucial to keep track of any code updates or general ASO / SEO recommendations to ensure that the app ranks high in Google – in both the Play Store and the search results.

Remember to pay attention in your app lists to all forms of metadata-including those managed by you as well as data from customer interactions, ratings, or feedback trackers.

Just as in the case of off-metadata listed in this post earlier, Android Vitals statistics may also have a major impact on the rankings of your app in the Play Store.

Last but not least, you will periodically carry out market analysis and review your rivals to change your approach. In the long run, consumers prefer apps not because they are easy to discover, but because of the real interest they pass along and the feelings they elicit.

Good luck!