Knowledge Base

Knowledge Base: App Store Optimisation 101

Knowledge Base: App Store Optimisation 101

Topic Area: Marketing

Level: Introductory

So what is App Store Optimization?

App Store Optimization is using your app’s store page to help you acquire users for free. Using the right keywords in your description, game title and tags in your submission can push you up the app store search rankings and attract attention toward your game.

Why is it important?

Paid user acquisition is becoming increasingly expensive, and there are hundreds of thousands of apps on marketplaces like Google Play and Apple’s App Store.

While it may not provide the same number of users as a paid-for service, app store optimization will still help attract attention, push you up the search rankings and may end up getting you into the charts, where you can generate further downloads.

It’s a key part of free user acquisition.

Who is this course for?

This course is for anyone looking to improve their app’s store and search rankings.

These resources are ideal for beginners learning how to get downloads, all the way up to experts looking to keep up to date with the latest trends on the app stores.

Check out the Course Content tab above for the full course.

You can also check out the Tools & Services tab for related resources to ASO. And you can browse through Further Reading to consume even more in-depth information about the topic.

Have any burning questions for us to put to our ASO experts? Register on Pocketgamer.biz and let us know in the comments below. We'll do our best to get them answered!

Help us improve this course with new links or suggest a new course you'd like to see to mgu@pocketgamer.biz.

A number of services and tools are available for App Store Optimisation purposes, as well as providing support in other areas of marketing and publishing.

Below we’ve presented a number of these for your consideration.

Know of any other tools or services missing from our list of resources? Email mgu@pocketgamer.biz and we’ll get them added!

App Store Optimisation Services

App Annie

App Annie delivers app data and insights for businesses to succeed in the global app economy. Over 700,000 registered members use App Annie to better understand the app market, their businesses and the opportunities around them. Its Market Intelligence platform lets users identify keywords and when/where competitors are engaging in user acquisition campaigns.

Appromoters

Appromoters is a provider of digital marketing solutions. Its services include ASO, social media campaigns and other forms of mobile advertising. Its app store optimization services include the creation of screenshots, videos and descriptions for apps as well as keyword optimization.

Asotify

Asotify works to increase mobile app discoverability, drive downloads and improve app store SEO search rankings. Its services include a free analysis of apps, help with your app’s name, description, logo, screenshots, categories and keywords, as well as off-page ASO for reviews and ratings, and localised ASO.

ASOtop1

ASOtop1 aims to boost app store rankings via app store optimization and get app ranked in app store search results. The company offers to support app developers with keyword search optimization, app store ranking boosts and other ASO services.

Gummicube

Gummicube provides app store optimisation and app store intelligence software and services to growth marketers and app developers. Its services include full ASO services, live focus groups for immediate feedback for A/B multivariate testing of icons, screenshots and more, and Datacube Software for actionable intelligence to maximise app store visibility.

Mobile Action

Mobile Action is a mobile data intelligence and actionable insights tool that provides usable reports and data you need for any app in the marketplace. Mobile Action provides app analytics, ASO intelligence, market and usage intelligence so developers can get better insights on performance.

Moveo

Moveo is a mobile app development company that offers an array of services including app development for various mobile platforms such as iOS, Android and wearables, mobile apps marketing, app store optimisation and mobile UI design. For its ASO services, the company works with developers on their app title, keywords, app description and screenshots.


NativeX

Owned by Asia mobile advertising company Mobvista, NativeX focuses on helping developers to effectively monetise their apps and acquire users. It offers a range of both reward and non-reward ad formats, including interstitials, Lightning Play video, in-house promotions and playable ads through its SDK. The company also helps boost publishers up the chart rankings with ASO solutions for games and non-game apps.


PreApps

PreApps provides an interactive platform to give developers the opportunity to generate user feedback, get early exposure, traction and increase downloads. The firm supports ASO campaigns by working with apps companies on their keywords, screenshots, descriptions, app title, and will provide an analysis report that also includes keyword analysis.


Sensor Tower

Sensor Tower has numerous services for mobile marketing including its app intelligence platform to drive organic growth through ASO, details on how rivals are performing on the app store and Google Play, and an app intelligence platform to analyse competitors’ ad campaigns to see where they target spend, and which of their creatives are most effective.


Tapaso

Tapaso helps developers work on organic channels to maximise their number of downloads through services such as app store optimisation. It offers keyword research and data on the trending services for iOS, as well as an array of other ASO services.


The ASO Project

The ASO Project provides ASO solutions for developers around the world and has integrations with analytics providers like AppsFlyer, Adjust and Kochava. Its services focus on app icon visibility, keyword analysis, title analysis, app descriptions, screenshot recommendations, preview videos, ratings and reviews, and localisation.


Tune

TUNE builds products to help marketers drive better results and offers services in attribution analytics, app store analytics, in-app marketing and business intelligence. Through its app store analytics offerings, it works with developers to track keyword rankings and generate suggestions, compare install estimates by keyword and top chart ranking, track competitors’ app store performance and changes to their app store assets and A/B testing for app store assets.

Know of other services that you use or provide to app developers to improve their app store optimisation? Send your suggestions to mgu@pocketgamer.biz.

As well as what we’ve included in our course, there are a wealth of in-depth guides to App Store Optimisation across the internet. We’ve selected a few of the best ones for you to learn from below. Enjoy!

Got anything you’d like to share that you’ve found useful? Email mgu@pocketgamer.biz and we’ll get it added to the list!

The complete App Store optimisation checklist: 2016 Edition
When it comes to going through the ASO process for your app, you can tick each stage off as you go with this handy checklist from Sensor Tower to make sure you don’t miss anything.

App Store Optimisation: The Definitive Playbook
App Annie offers key insights into discoverability through ASO, testing your listing and expanding to new markets.

8 essential steps to make your app discoverable
App Annie offers insights into the top ASO techniques to drive app installs.

Demystifying ASO for Google Play: A close look at the top 10 apps in each category
Sensor Tower investigates Google Play’s top apps and disseminates the methods they use for ASO.

Get discovered on Google Play search
Google offers advice on building a comprehensive store listing, using images and additional search factors on Google Play

Create a great listing on Google Play
Google offers advice on graphics and imagery, icons, screenshots, videos and more for your Google Play store listing.

Extensive guide to app store optimization (ASO) in 2015 – Part 1: Apple App Store
Trademob provides a comprehensive guide on enhancing your ASO for your App Store listing.

Extensive guide to app store optimization (ASO) in 2015 – Part 2: Google Play Store
Trademob provides a comprehensive guide on enhancing your ASO for your Google Play listing.

What is ASO and how we got 1,000,000 downloads because of it
This three-part series by Appromoters introduces readers to ASO, picking keywords and how to convert those reading your app store listing into players
Part 1 – Introduction
Part 2 – Keywords
Part 3 - Conversion

How testing everything can double the effectiveness of your game's app store listing
AppAgent co-founder Peter Fodor discusses how developers can increase conversion rates from 15 percent to 30 percent without spending money on user acquisition.

How to experiment with your Google Play store listing
Google discusses how to use Google Play's store listing optimization feature to accrue more installs for your app, as well as how to test different graphics and test to discover the best performers.

How to improve your App Store and Google Play search ranking
NativeX’s extensive whitepaper on app store optimization. Registration is required.

Making the most of free UA opportunities
Tribeflame’s Torulf Jernström provides an overview of the opportunities available in free user acquisition.

Video: App Store Optimisation 2015
Tune’s Patrick Haig discusses 2015’s trends in iOS and Google Play algorithms and effective ASO tactics

How to market your app on a shoestring budget
A free eBook by Big Ideas Machine gathering together useful tips from dozens of app launches between 2010 and 2015.

Help us improve this course with new links or suggest a new course you'd like to see to mgu@pocketgamer.biz.