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It has become a known fact that the majority of desktop users have migrated to smartphones. This is not a surprise. The market is going through a race to make the best strategies to connect with the mobile audience. Of course, the end goal is to make a profit from it.

Now, as the name suggests, ASO – App Store Optimization has a lot of similarities with SEO. When you make an effort to improve the position of the apps in the popular download stores, is known as app store optimization.

Again, the idea is to drive as much traffic as possible by enhancing the visibility and also optimizing the conversion. Thus, your goal is to increase the visit-to-install rate. Similar to SEO, there are a lot of strategies and instructions available for ASO.

However, the ASO strategies are updated constantly. Thus, if you are a part of the ASO genre, you have to stay up to date with the changing market. This will help you in increasing the visit-to-install conversion.

Source – sensor tower

Why ASO is a vital marketing strategy?

There are more than 2 million apps on the major app stores. Therefore, getting your app right in front of your target audience amidst such competition is a major issue. A simple app store search drives 65% of the app downloads. Thus, ‘search’ in the app stores has become a common method to discover and download new apps. However, if the app store page is not optimized well, then it will not come up in the relevant searches. Thus, you will lose hundreds, maybe even thousands of possible downloads.

If your business has got an app, then you have to get familiar with ASO, especially when the app is directly related to the success of your company. To start working on ASO, you have to be aware. On desktop, most of the people are concentrated on a single determinant – the Google search. However, in the mobile world, the distribution is much more fluid. Every platform has got its own set of rules and regulations.

The major players are Google Play Store and App Store. It is followed by the Amazon App Store and the Microsoft Store. The good news is, the basic instructions are shared between the different platforms (like interesting screenshots, good ratings, attractive icons, and more). This is a relief for those who are starting now. A little time and effort to improve and update the app store will help you reap the benefits and ensure continued organic downloads.

Here are some reasons why it is high time to add ASO to your digital marketing strategy right now.

1. More chances of global app download

Did you know that 65% of the global app downloads come from searches? To make sure that your app becomes a successful one, it is very much important to know your audience. If you want to rank for high-volume and relevant search terms, then you have to know about the user search intent.

Thus, keyword research is a core pillar of ASO. You have to master it. Get rid of the belief that ASO cannot generate high volume. According to a survey by Sensor Tower, the overall global app downloads in Q1 of 2019 were 28.1 billion. This number increased to 33.6 billion in the Q1 of 2020.

Thus, it is clear that the number of app downloads is increasing exponentially.

2. ASO helps with better (& cheaper) user acquisition

Almost 70% of the app discovery comes from searches. Thus, it is a vital channel for customer acquisition. All the conversion rate optimization process involved in ASO helps app developers in increasing the conversion rates. Thus, it permits lower bids because most traffic sources’ algorithms weigh this variable for relevance and delivery. Therefore, it results in cheaper costs.

Let us share an example. There is a mobile game in Google Play Store. It is called Respawnables. In 2018, Digital Legends Entertainment (the company that owns the game) started working on the ASO. The number of organic downloads in the Google Play Store increased from 9K to 35K per day. See the following image below.

Source – digital marketing conference

3. Timing

This is a vital reason to consider ASO in your marketing strategy. With the pandemic, most consumers are spending 20% more time every week on apps than the previous years. You have to take advantage of this trend. Optimize your app content, broaden your market size and reach out to new users.

4. Get ready to be a part of the 5G wave

Be prepared for massive growth in the next 2 years as 5G technology will take off across the world. Internet speeds are already fast and with 5G blazing fast internet speed, customer expectations will be higher for the mobile users. If you have plans to globalize your app and fine-tune the ASO strategy, you have to begin it right away. Just like SEO, it is future-proof. The reason is, you have the scope of continuously improving the CTRs by optimizing the recommendation engines, features apps, app rankings, and media.

Source – statista

5. Smarter algorithms on the app stores

Search has improved a lot in the App Store and Play Store. Finding new users is now easier than ever. With Google and Apple tweaking their algorithms for preventing black-hat techniques, organic ASO strategies will take a lead. Know this, your competitors are already using ASO. It is the time to get the ranking that you deserve. Thus, with a long-term app store optimization strategy you can improve the credibility of your brand and lay a strong foundation for the launch of another app.

6. Higher engagement

ASO affects the visibility of the app through different marketing channels offered by the app stores. These include Top chart, Featured, and App Store Search. An aggressive ASO strategy can increase the total downloads of your app by 10X times.

The churn rate is the number of app users who leave your app. This can happen either by uninstalling it or by not using it for a long period. Therefore, it is a critical factor for your app’s ranking. When you pay regular attention to the ASO activities, it helps to keep up with the user feedback and drives engagement.

Looking forward

App Store Optimization, which is also known as ASO is overlooked by many developers and marketers. Once the app development is done, and the app is uploaded to all the primary app stores, the mobile marketers shift their attention to other marketing techniques.

You need to know that mobile apps have the power to get the highest quality of users if you focus on the organic search funnel as a part of your marketing strategy. Optimizing the funnel needs high-volume keywords targeting relevant users based on mobile search data.

With an optimized organic funnel, you can reach and convert many users interested in the niche of your app.