App store optimization — ASO for short — has long been an important tactic for app user acquisition (UA) marketers. Not unlike search engine optimization (SEO), ASO helps improve an app’s visibility in app stores and search rankings. However, ASO is enjoying renewed importance after SKAdNetwork’s (SKAN) introduction. As other forms of iOS UA have become harder to track, spending on Apple search ads has been prioritized but ASO — which ultimately leads to organic installs — is also more important.

According to the Business of Apps, “the average ASO conversion rate across US categories in 2022 was 31% on Apple’s App Store and 33% on Google Play.” Still, like SEO, it’s an ongoing process, and marketers must keep up with the ever-changing best practices. In this article, we’ll explore some of the tried and true ASO tactics, as well as some of the outside-of-the-box methods we’ve developed to help apps improve their app store rankings.

Five ways to improve ASO

Traditionally, ASO has meant optimizing your app store listings using a variety of tactics. Here are five of the most critical ASO considerations:

1. Using the right keywords in your app’s name and description — It seems obvious, but just in case it needs to be said, using accurate, popular keywords in your listings is integral to ensuring the right users find your app. Branded keywords are also important, as you want to be sure people searching specifically for your app find it and not a competitor who has mastered the ASO game. Revisiting your keywords regularly and adding trending keywords can help make sure you’re always at the top of search results.

2. Encourage user reviews — People often check an app’s rating and reviews before downloading to see how other users feel about an app. Encouraging your current users to rate and review your app will help ensure potential users have reliable information to turn to. Perhaps more importantly, app stores’ algorithms prioritize apps with higher user rankings. And, at least in the Google Play Store, keywords that frequently appear in your user reviews will likely impact your Android app rankings.

3. Listing in the right app categories — Listing your fintech app in the entertainment category is confusing and will not only make it harder to find your app but those who do may be disappointed in what they find. Choosing the right categories is imperative.

4. Use relevant screenshots and images — Using good visuals not only catches the eye of people browsing the app store but it helps them know what to expect from your app. Video is increasingly an important part of app store listings as preview videos autoplay in search results.

5. Localizing content — When entering new markets, it is also critical to update your app store listings for the local users. That can be as simple as making sure you translate your name and description, but you should also consider your keyword strategy, updating images, and any other elements that may need to be tuned to the local culture.

Improve app store rankings with these outside-the-box tips

ASO and app store ranking are not the same thing, but they are intrinsically linked. According to Apptopia, app store rankings are influenced by a number of factors:

• Quantity of new users added
• App Usage (session frequency and total time spent in-app)
• Velocity of downloads/engagement (assume a 4–7 day moving avg. is used)

All of this is ultimately influenced by your ASO and your ability to connect with the right users. The more people who organically find your app, download it, and engage with it over time, the better your app store ranking will be. This leads to a virtuous cycle, as improved store rankings make your app easier to find. But over the years, we have found other ways to impact clients’ app store rankings.

Working with a large sports entertainment app, we aimed to increase organic momentum during peak advertising season — in this case, it happened to be football season. FeedMob’s goal was to improve the client’s U.S. iOS App Store ranking in the free sports category, as this lift could potentially drive organic installs.

To achieve this goal, we ran incent bursts over the course of two weekends with the objective of driving a high volume of installs and post-install events — ultimately improving the App Store ranking for our client. The app reached the top spot in the App Store, a 95% increase. This kind of innovative thinking is what our team is known for and how we get results for our clients.