App Store Optimization: Learn Its Benefits and Strategies

The digital world opens new opportunities for businesses in Singapore to thrive. With the significantly increased use of smartphones, everyone can discover and shop what they need in minutes. Other than social media and websites, mobile apps garner popularity for their easy access, allowing users to explore or make purchases without a hassle.

Today, you can find hundreds and thousands of mobile apps in app stores, like Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store. The massive numbers automatically increase the competition to reach the top search results. So, how can a mobile app catch users' attention? That’s where the ASO (App Store Optimization) comes in.

Singapore users are familiar with mobile app use. One of the most downloaded apps in 2023 is SHEIN, with the number of downloads amounting to 783,210. Singapore's shopping app stands behind social media giants like Telegram, TikTok, and Instagram. It’s a testament to Singaporean's enthusiasm for shopping online through mobile apps.

Considering the digital business landscape in Singapore, business owners ought to see that App Store Optimization may hold the key to optimal visibility in app stores. To understand the concept better, check the following guide.

What Is ASO (App Store Optimization)?

App Store Optimization is a method to improve a mobile app’s visibility in an app store. It’s like SEO for app stores. Hence why people often call it app store SEO, ASO optimization, or ASO marketing.

Its ultimate goal is to push an app to the top of the app store’s search results and urge users to download it. Additionally, App Store Optimization can encourage users’ engagement, increase brand awareness, and help gain reviews or feedback for the app.

Though similar to SEO, ASO has particular aspects or keywords to target. Business owners can put targeted keywords in the app title and description to optimize its visibility. ASO also has specific metrics to pay attention to, such as downloads, ratings, reviews, and updates.

Benefits of App Store Optimization

One main benefit of ASO is the increased conversion rates. When an app appears at the top of the store’s search results, users will likely tap in and download it. This organic search can bring in more downloads.

But, there’s more to the App Store Optimization than meets the eye. Through a meticulous strategy, an app’s discoverability can increase significantly. Business owners can get relevant users from around the globe without adding more to user acquisition costs.

ASO allows organic growth, which helps ensure a mobile app can stand on top without leveraging paid ads. With the right app store keywords, the app can sustainably achieve good visibility.

App Store Optimization Keyword Research

Before getting into the ASO keyword research, it’s important to understand the scope of the optimization. Typically, the App Store Optimization includes the product page metadata, textual description, seasonal keywords, localization, keyword expansion, review management, and virtual asset optimization.

By considering the scope, finding ASO keywords can be a focused journey to tackle with the team. For a Singapore business, the optimization must rely on localized keywords to reach the intended audience within the country first before going global.

To get the right keyword for your App Store Optimization, consider important aspects like search volumes, keyword relevance, and keyword difficulty. Then, you’re ready to conduct your research with the systematic procedure below:

1. Compile Relevant Keywords

To boost an app’s visibility, business owners should use the right keyword on the title, the product page’s metadata, and the description. For example, adding “coffee subscription” and types of coffees to the app’s description can improve the visibility of a coffee store app in app stores.

2. Conduct Competitor and Market Analysis

If you want to compete, you have to compare. It’s best to include competitor analysis in your keyword research. List all the relevant competitors that appear on top of the targeted queries. Note which app ranks the highest and filter the keywords you want to target.

3. Use an ASO Keyword Research Tool to Gain Insights

After listing the keywords you find from the previous analysis, you can use an ASO keyword research tool to gain more insights. The tool can help you find the number of search volumes, keyword difficulty, and long-tail variations you can use to optimize the app’s relevancy.

ASO Optimization for App Stores

The App Store Optimization includes several steps to take. It also differs between the App Store and Play Store. Here are the instructions you can follow:

1. Optimizing Title and Subtitle

One of the strongest ranking factors in app stores is titles and subtitles. The use of characters is limited here. Therefore, you require strong copywriting to hit the targeted keyword effortlessly while attracting users at the same time.

2. Adding Keywords to the Description

This step is intended for Apple’s App Store. Below the title, the App Store provides a description field for your mobile app. You can only enter 100 characters or fewer with each keyword separated by commas instead of spaces.

If you provide your product in the Play Store, you can add a short description amounting to 80 characters and a long description of up to 4,000 characters. Both of these descriptions play important roles in leveraging the app’s rank. As for the App Store, the long description that can fit 4,000 characters doesn’t work as a ranking factor.

Regardless of the role in the ranking consideration, each app must provide the necessary information to help users understand the service it provides. A compelling and informative description can positively impact users’ interest.

3. Using Persuasive Visual Elements

When it comes to App Store Optimization, visuals matter just as much as keywords. If you’re done with placing the right keyword in the designated field, you can start adding compelling visual elements. Images or videos of the app give a visualization of what it offers and how it works. It’s worth noting that the App Store and Play Store have different requirements regarding visual elements. Here are the different sets of rules applied in each app store:

Apple App Store

• Videos from in-app content only.
• Display up to 10 visual elements.
• Use 10 slots with the right image sizes for different devices.
• Optional use of evergreen text overlays to make the content relevant.

Google Play Store

• Screenshot images for all devices.
• Up to 8 visual elements, including a video with a 30-second long duration at most.
• The video must be in the form of a YouTube URL without paid ads and monetization.
• Visual elements should help represent the user experience.

4. Updating App Regularly

Keeping the app fresh is a part of App Store Optimization. When you update an app regularly, the app store will see it as an improvement. To get positive engagement, you should take note of user feedback to fix bugs and provide new features.

Conclusion

That’s all about the App Store Optimization strategy you can apply to your business. As a city of innovation, Singapore is brimming with potential in digital business. Applying ASO can help your mobile app stay visible on the app store’s search results.

If you need a professional ASO service provider, you can use SEO services by cmlabs. As a part of our optimization efforts, our ASO can help you optimize your mobile app and increase your chance of achieving more downloads. For more information, you can contact our marketing team. Let’s gain more visibility at the app store with us!