The Beginner's Guide for App Store Optimization (ASO)

Today making an app for android and iOS is really a task of kids and there are platforms available to create an app without even knowing the basics of coding languages.

However, this doesn't mean that you can have a huge business with making your first app and uploading that app to app store or Google play store. There are millions of apps available on these stores and every day hundreds of new apps are being uploaded.
The Beginner's Guide for App Store Optimization (ASO)

Now the question is, how we can get our apps to rank higher in app stores on different smartphones and areas of the world so that we can get thousands of people to know about our app and install it to check what we are offering.

If you are in the same train like other new app-developers then here I am going to explain some basic things for ranking your app higher in app store searches and getting more people to try your app without spending money.

App Development

Before hitting the gas pedal at app store optimization, the very first step is to make sure your app is ready to hit the stores and able to catch people with happy playing moments.

Some developers just develop an app and uploads without testing it or making sure that app is ready. But if you are really serious about making your app and looking to have a business around that application then test it with many smartphones you can.

For easy testing you can install android simulators on your PC and test your app with:
  • Samsung mobiles
  • Google mobiles
  • Nokia mobiles
  • and other smartphones with android operating system
You can test your iOS apps on the same simulators and also ask your friends and team members to install the app on their smartphones and test it at-least for a week.

If everything is fine or it needs touches then do that and perform the tests again. If passed then here's the guide to make sure everybody in a particular industry know about your app.

Keywords Optimization

After completing your app development the first step is to generate some keywords around your app niche and industry or you can say its category.

As there are millions of users and hundreds of categories in stores. You should pick the most relevant category of your application so it becomes easier to rank it on high places. So how to generate related keywords?
  • Use App Store keyword generator tools
  • Go to app store and search for relative words to your industry
  • Note down what top apps are using in their description for many times
  • Try brainstorming about what you will search for the same app
The best way to generate keyword ideas is to use Tools available on app store and also on websites. You can also make use of Google Ads keyword tool for easy searching with data and complete information.

However, the searching is not enough. You have to make use of keywords in your app description, title and wherever possible. Here are key places to put your keywords for a better app store optimization:
  • In title: App Name - highly searched keyword
  • In description: Long tail keywords
  • On app screenshots (images): eye-catchy keywords
This is how some top apps are ranking higher in search results at android play store and iOS app store. If you use keywords in title and description with a strategy then you will be able to easily rank your app and the strategy is:
  • Always try to add broad keywords and use one keyword in title
  • Stay around a number of keywords for same audience don't go for every keyword
  • Just describe your app in description and let people know why your app is better
The only way to add keywords is staying around a category and industry. For an example if your app is about fitness and the topic of app is to get 6 abs in a month which is representing some exercises on daily basis then you should add keywords like:
  • Get flat belly in a month with daily small exercises
  • 30 days to get fit with 6 abs
  • Learn how to get 6 abs in 30 days
And don't add keywords like health tips for young people or install our app to get fit in 30 days. You should explain what really your app is offering so that people will be in know. This way you can easily get some installs.

Responding to Reviews

As nobody is perfect on the planet earth, nobody can build an app with every perfect angle and there are people who will write excuses on not using your app or will show their anger about what they hate in your app. There will be some rating your app with 5 stars.

All you have to do is just give your response to every new rating on your app. Don't blame your app store optimization technique when you are not listening to the people who are leaving rating and their reviews. Even if someone give a bad review you should ask that person to wait for the next update and give your email address for letting that person write more about the problem with app.

Same applies when someone leaves a good review of your app, you should thanks that person and ask the same questions that how you can further improve the app or what that person would like to have as a feature in next update.

This way you can easily take your app to the next levels with each rating your receive and people will engage with you more.
For now this is enough and I understand that keyword optimization for app store optimization is the only key to success for now.
So, how's this ASO guide?

If you want more play store optimization tips learn more about app store optimization best practices then stick to this article as I will link my most advanced and fresh ASO tips on this article so that you will be able to learn app store optimization for Google Play Store and iOS App Store at the one place.

There's no need of using app store optimization tools or hiring experts. Also I will guide you to optimize your apps without app store optimization template and watching hours of tutorials which are useless.