Globally, over 86% of the population now uses smartphones, and this number continues to grow daily. With the increasing prevalence of smartphones, people are increasingly turning to various mobile apps that align with their interests. Consequently, the number of mobile apps available has skyrocketed. According to Statista’s 2022 data, the Google Play Store saw the release of 90 thousand new apps, while Apple’s App Store alone boasts over 1.6 million apps.

This surge in mobile app availability underscores the importance of optimizing the mobile apps you create. In essence, mobile app optimization operates similarly to search engine optimization (SEO). Just as we employ SEO techniques to boost our website’s ranking in search engine results, the same applies to mobile apps in the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store. Apps that appear on the first page of search results tend to garner a significantly higher number of downloads. As the app’s click-through rate increases, so does its overall popularity.

In this blog post, we will explore several intriguing strategies for App Store Optimization (ASO) that can help your app stand out and rank prominently in search results. Let’s get started.

1. Advanced keyword optimization: In the optimization process, keywords are essential. Using standard keyword optimization techniques won’t be effective in the increasingly competitive app store market. In this age of artificial intelligence, using more sophisticated keyword optimization approaches like NLP (Natural Language Processing) will be more effective.

2. Enhanced user experience: User experience (UX) is a key component of App store promotion for your mobile app. A slow, unstable program won’t be downloaded by anyone. Therefore, focusing on offering a top-notch user experience in your app will undoubtedly help you maintain your position at the top of the App Store search results. Design your app to leave an exceptional impression on your consumers by using a clean landscape and vibrant color scheme that captures their attention and keeps them in your mobile app for an extended period of time. It comes as no surprise that giving your users the finest experience will increase your ratings and reviews in the App Store, which increases your popularity with App Store users.

FYI:  Research shows that, on average, every $1 invested in UX  brings  $100 in return. That’s an ROI of a whopping 9,900%.

3. App store ratings and reviews: There is no doubt that the audience in this digital world always goes for a product that has more ratings and reviews. It will work for mobile apps too. The apps that have the most positive reviews and ratings from a huge number of users will automatically rise to the top as per the app store algorithm. As mentioned above, the enhanced user experience will directly reflect on the user review and rating. Guess what? Emotion attracts people well. If your app gets more genuine and satisfactory reviews from targeted users, the win will be in your hands without a doubt.

4. Appstore A/B testing: Making diverse decisions is not incorrect. People’s interests and wants are evolving daily in this dynamic environment. To increase conversation rates and organic installations, it’s a good idea to continuously improve your mobile apps utilizing the A/B test technique. To learn what your audience prefers and requires, all you have to do is run tests with various logo styles, colors, and layouts for your mobile app. You can use the A/B testing tools from the app store or any other third-party A/B testing tools to do A/B testing. Just make sure you are continually improving the user experience of your mobile app with various options by looking into various alternatives to acquire a larger audience.

5. Localization and Personalization: The world is spinning with diverse cultures and languages. Always have a clear idea of your targeted audience and their cultural diversities. Support users with different languages that they can change according to their convenience. Make sure that your UI supports the culture and tastes of the concerned audience. Provide a screenshot of your mobile apps in different languages and a template that your app can adapt. Create trust among users with localized features. When it comes to product sales, personalization is the key factor in making them sell more. Providing personalized elements in your apps, such as personalized pop-up messages and notifications to users, will attract more user attention and automatically increase the number of recommendations for your mobile app. This will effortlessly create backlinks for your app from trustworthy domains, which directly affect your app’s position in the app store listing. Thus, localization and personalization are two crucial factors that largely help your app store optimization process.

Bonus tip: You may consider investing in paid media promotions on social media to effectively reach your desired audience. This strategy can lead to a boost in your app downloads, subsequently improving your ranking on the App Store.

Apart from the strategies mentioned above, there are a few key factors that play a vital role in ranking your app at the top of the App Store search. They include, 

• Easy content in your app. 
• App loading speed
• Indexation
• Right meta titles and descriptions
• Proper brand building
• User sharing rate.

Did you know:  88% of online customers say they wouldn’t return to a website/mobile app after having a bad user experience.

Here is a comparative table outlining the ranking factors for both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store for your reference 

Final Thoughts 

In summary, it’s evident that the daily influx of mobile apps into the Apple App Store and Google Play Store is immense. Consequently, without implementing effective app store optimization strategies, it becomes exceedingly challenging to maintain a prominent position in search results. It is highly advisable to dedicate consistent effort to employ ASO techniques on a daily basis to enhance your standing in the marketplace. Given the intense competition within the app store ecosystem, ongoing diligence is essential for achieving a top-ranking position.