What is ASO?

App Store Optimization (ASO), in its most general sense, is the process of optimizing mobile applications to rank higher in search results within an app store. If you have an app and want it to rank higher, you need to make it easily discoverable for users to download quickly. Ranking higher means being more visible to users. As your visibility increases in store searches, your recognition grows, attracting more users and increasing download rates. With rising download numbers, you attract more traffic within the app store. This is precisely the goal of ASO.

What Does ASO Do?

According to research, 64% of apps in stores are discovered through app store searches. Especially with the store listing the most downloaded apps, users tend to download applications from there. If you want your app to be more visible and have a higher download rate through ASO, you can benefit from this optimization technique.

Related Digital has a wide range of products that will communicate with users through digital channels like email to make your app more visible. Users discover apps in the app store or through various marketing techniques. You can discover the most suitable app for you through an ad email that comes to your phone. Related Digital’s digital marketing automations can be one of the biggest discovery areas for users. Since we track most things digitally, digital directions attract more attention. Therefore, marketing efforts in the digital space are crucial. Related Digital has extensive data to select apps that users follow, like, and have a high potential to download, thus reaching the right customers for you.

In every app store, there is intense competition to appear higher. However, ASO is not taken as seriously as SEO. Yet, many of the things we use on our phones, which we spend almost every moment with, are actually apps, and we select and download them from the app store.

What are the Benefits of ASO?

Users select and download applications from the app store. Therefore, it is necessary to present your application to your target audience correctly. If you want to appear prominently, or appear in frequently used or searched sections, it is almost mandatory to perform App Store Optimization (ASO). According to many, optimizing your application is the best marketing strategy for mobile applications or games.

There are many benefits of App Store Optimization (ASO). Firstly, the main purpose is to increase visibility and recognition. It operates in line with this goal. Becoming more visible in the App Store or Google Play is also advantageous for you. Because this leads to more downloads, attracting the right users should be your main goal. Through keyword optimization, you reach the right users searching for your application. As a result, you observe an increase in organic downloads. ASO enables your application to grow organically. New users are real people, and if they like your application, they will probably recommend it to others. This effect can lead to significant success and growth. The long-term impact of this result will also save you from advertising costs.

Advertisements are costly investments. However, the return is often positive. It allows you to grow organically without relying on advertisements. You don’t have to spend a lot to reach new users. If you implement an effective ASO strategy, you also increase the chance of increasing your application’s revenue and conversion rates. Remember that you can achieve this impact not only locally but also globally. If you develop different language options for your application and promote it globally, you will significantly expand your target audience. ASO is a strategic tool that allows you to develop and grow your application in every aspect.

What are the Differences Between ASO and SEO?

ASO, App Store Optimization, is optimizing for application stores. It enables you to stand out among dozens of applications within an application store. SEO, on the other hand, stands for Search Engine Optimization. This means appearing among the fastest results in search engines like Google. Both types of optimization are based on keywords. ASO uses this for mobile applications, while SEO is done for websites. As a general difference, we can mention these two main distinctions. These two main distinctions actually lead us to a similar conclusion, which is that the main goal of both optimizations is to reach a wider audience.

For example, for a search engine like Google, there are many SEO factors. These factors are expanding significantly and continue to expand with the development of technology. Although ranking factors for ASO may seem similar to SEO, they are quite short. The biggest difference between ASO and SEO can be said to be the goals they aim to achieve. In SEO, the goal is how to attract more traffic to a website. In ASO, the goal is to increase the number of downloads for an application.

What are the ASO Ranking Factors?

We mentioned that ASO ranking factors are quite limited compared to SEO. Among these, for example, the application name is an important factor. The application name is the first thing every user sees. Therefore, it is important to choose the name wisely. Being easy to read, having no counterparts, and the number of characters will affect the ranking. In addition, category selection is important. You should choose the relevant category for your application and make the correct connection. The description of the application should be simple and straightforward so that everyone can understand it. The basic purpose of the application should be explained with an attention-grabbing introduction. Images and videos should be attractive to users. The application icon (favicon) is the most eye-catching thing. Just as a brand’s logo is synonymous with itself, you should choose the application icon like choosing a logo. Pay attention to ensure that comments and evaluations sections are open so that users can interact by giving you feedback. You should make updates to the application when necessary. If there are freezing problems or speed issues, you should quickly find solutions to them. The higher the number of downloads, the more credibility and trust will be built among people.

By paying attention to factors like these, you can optimize your ASO and ensure that your application is heard and spread by a wider audience.