The google play store is a crowded and competitive marketplace. With so many options available, it’s no wonder that your App may not be making waves or generating downloads as you had hoped. You might have even given up on trying to rank for keywords because of the seeming impossibility of the task. But don’t give up yet! Implement these latest Play Store Optimization Hacks & skyrocket its download rate. The process of optimizing your App on google play store is called App store optimization (ASO)

What is Play Store Optimization?

Play store optimization (ASO) is the process of optimizing mobile application listings to maximize their visibility in an app store’s search results pages, drive quality app installs, and generate revenue.

In order to be successful, an play store optimization campaign should have a clear goal and target audience. The basic idea behind this strategy is that more visibility can lead to higher rates for downloads in the store – even if it’s just 1% or 5%. The main goal of app store optimization is to get more people to download your application.

(ASO) can be interpreted as a set of disciplines to improve rankings in an app store’s organic (non-paid) mobile search results. App store optimization is commonly associated with the terms “mobile SEO” and “app SEO.” However, these terms are not entirely interchangeable, as mobile search engine optimization considers aspects such as mobile web page speed, meta tags, and redirects.

App store search is dominated by the two major players in the mobile space: Google Play and Apple App Store. It’s worth noting these two platforms hold a combined market share of over 96% in downloads worldwide . The Windows Phone (3%) and Blackberry (0.9%) markets are far from being negligible, but they’re relatively insignificant when compared with the two big players.

How does Google play store algorithm works in (2022)

In the beginning, there were few apps. But as time went on and more and more people started using smartphones, the number of apps available on the play store increased by tenfold. Things got complicated for developers trying to get their App noticed in a sea of competitors. So Google came up with a solution: The Play Store algorithm. To improve your Play Store Optimization you must have a clear understanding how the algorithm works :

A new app is uploaded to the Play Store, and it starts ranked at #200 or so (in relation to all other apps). Your ranking depends on three critical factors.

1. Number of people who are downloading your App
2. Number of positive reviews or negative reviews your App has.
3. How long do people keep your App installed on their phone

That ranking will go down if the Number of downloads goes down or the Number of ratings goes down (which means that potential customers found something wrong with your App). If you’re lucky enough to be ranked high when you upload your App, you’ll stay high. But as already mentioned, that ranking will go down if you don’t have many downloads, negative ratings, or very high uninstall rates.

Google Play Store algorithm states which apps are relevant to the user based on a variety of factors including:

-App ratings and reviews -How many times an app has been installed (install data) -How many times an app has been uninstalled (uninstall data)

-Timing of the installs/uninstalls This is because the algorithm assumes that users who download and uninstall an app quickly are doing so because it didn’t live up to their expectations, which means that it would rank lower than other apps that stuck around longer and thus received more ratings.

-The location of the user who is downloading/rating your App -Previous apps the user has downloaded

-How often an app uses push notifications to promote other apps or attract customers back to it.

So how does your App maintain its position?

At this point, it is essential to mention that app ranking is not based on downloads alone; in fact, it’s about the Number of high-quality installs (not just random people playing around with your App). The quality of installs is determined by various factors, including how long they are using the App when in the day they are using it, where they are when located while using your App, etc.

Finally, the Google Play Store algorithm updates its rankings every hour, so have patience! Your App may be #4 one hour and #7 the next one, but that’s perfectly normal.

Now lets talk about the important technical stuff which you have to keep in mind while uploading your App on google play store.

Top 12 Google Play Store Optimization Hacks for New Apps in 2022

Play store Optimization strategies

1) .Google Play Store keyword research –

So How do you do keyword research on Google Play store?

What is a Keyword?- A keyword is a word or phrase that can be used as input into a search engine such as Google, Bing, Yahoo! Search etc.; in order to obtain information about it. . Why should you care about Keywords?- You need keywords if you want your App to be found by potential customers. If you dont use keywords properly, you’ll be forced to advertise your game/app with Google Adwords, which is not cheap at all.

You can put your keywords in the title of your App or game as well as its promotional description so they will appear on the Product Page itself. So let say you have bakery store and you are planning to launch an app for it so that people can order and design the cakes from your shop using their smart phone. You can use tools like https://keywordtool.io/ to find specific keywords which people use to when they are looking for anything related to cake on play store.

Once you find the keyword which is best for your App then you can add that keyword in App title and description. And believe me if you do this properly your app download rate will skyrocket.

Your App’s targeted keywords should be highly relevant to increase the likelihood of people downloading your App. When you choose a keyword, this word mustn’t seem too difficult for potential customers – they need something easy enough. Hence, as not to turn away any users who may find your product exciting but your choice of words in product description challenging or too technical. You can mitigate these risks by choosing words related to what they type on their mobile device to search for your business niche on the google play store.

2) Add your keywords in App’s title

How do you title an app? Make sure to add your App’s keyword, which you have spent hours researching inside the app title. Your title is the first information people see when they search for that keyword on Google Play Search. Here are a few things to keep in mind while finalizing your App’s title

1. 1).Keep it short and to the point — 25 characters
2. 2).Make it creative
3. 3).Your title must be unique.

3) Follow Google Play app description guidelines to write descriptions that unique to your App

How do you write an app description?

Write compelling and unique descriptions to your App, but never plagiarize or use spammy tactics to rank higher. The goal of having good app store optimization is so that people will naturally find your App based on keywords they typed in, not because you’re artificially ranking for specific phrases through deception.

The trick is to use relevant keywords but make sure they are not repetitive. And given the fact that Google allows you to add a maximum of 4,000 characters in your description field, there will be ample opportunities for them! However, don’t just stuff your words with spammy terms. It won’t help improve rankings either; instead, focus on adding relevant phrases and complete descriptions that accurately describe what your App does and how a user can benefit from it.

Make sure the first paragraph is engaging and establishes credibility because that is what a person sees by default. If you’ve got a paid app, make sure to include information about its pricing and feature set.  Follow Google app description guidelines.

4). Upload high-quality images showcasing your app features.

Optimize your images for search engines by keeping file sizes small and adding relevant alt tags to the picture. You may also want to upload separate screenshots of each of your app screens for better coverage of your keyword targets, especially if you’re targeting specific device resolutions. Make sure the images you upload describe your Apps USP visually to your target audience.

Example of good images showcasing your App

Example of bad images for your App

5). Leverage social media to improve your app store search rankings.

How to use social media to increase  app downloads?

Tap into the power of social media to spread the word about your great App and increase its download rate from Google Play Store. The more people who find out about it, the better your chance for improving your ranking in future searches. Make sure you make social media profiles of your App on Facebook to drive traffic from there and increase the hype level among your target audience.

Focus on downloads by using social media to build a loyal fan base. Launch day is crucial for gaining visibility in the app stores, so make your launch count with an aggressive yet genuine social media campaign that will encourage users to download and share your App in significant numbers. If you’ve got the right product and the proper ASO, your App will climb the ranks and generate more downloads.

Keep your page updated regularly! Keep it fresh, and don’t make the mistake of keeping updates to an absolute minimum – it will only hurt your ranking. You can use customer reviews to encourage people to download your App, but make sure you respond and help them if they encounter any issues with the App.

You can post promo videos of your App on Facebook. Hire influencers to promote your App on their Facebook or Instagram videos.

6) . Use promo videos showcasing your app features

What should a promotional video include?

Promo videos are an excellent way to promote App on the google play store.

It is a short video that promotes a new App or game with the idea of using the application. The idea is to get people to watch your video and then use social media, blogs, or other media to publicize them.

You’ve all seen a few of these promo videos; they are a series of images that make up a story about the App’s functionality and features. These types of videos have been used on websites for years but have now started to appear on the google play store so people can see what the App has to offer. It is an excellent way for users to show off their creative side and give everyone an idea of what they are about to download.

If a picture is worth 1000 words, then a video is worth a million words. So use it properly to introduce all the app features to a new visitor.

Make sure the video is made for the non – technical crowd. The idea is to explain all the technical features of your App to the casual audience to understand it easily. Avoid long videos. Keep it short and to the point.

7). Make sure you choose the proper category for your App while uploading.

Choosing the correct category for your App is very important. The App will never be found if you select the wrong category, no matter how good your ASO is. So make sure you choose relevant categories while uploading your App.

8) Research your competitors to find valuable keywords for your App.

Find out what other apps in your niche or category are ranking high for specific keywords or phrases by researching competitors with similar apps. This will help you find words that people use when searching for an app like yours, which means you can use these keywords in the title, description, and even your app icon to get more downloads.

9) . Focus on your app reviews.

Importance of app reviews

Review and rating drive engagement. Reviews, both good and bad, are essential for your app success and play store ranking. So more reviews you get more your App will stay on the good side of the Google Play Store ranking algorithm. But if you get negative reviews all the time, then it will hurt your ranking.

Often your competitors might hire professional agencies to target your App with bad reviews. People who have intentionally rated you wrong won’t reply to you. You can combat this by replying to every bad review and offering the solution to their problem. You can report those reviews to google and get them removed.

10) Pay attention while designing your app icon

The size of an app icon is limited to 16×16 pixels. App icons are like containers for “bite-sized” pieces of information about your application, and these can be either logos or images related to the product in some way. However, putting any other type into them may not always serve its original purpose.

Figure 1Example of good app store icons

It’s essential to keep your icon consistent with the rest of your App. Suppose you have a group of apps that are related. In that case, it is best for all icons in this set to look like each other so users can easily remember which ones go together because they’re familiar with what will come up when one pops up on top (e.g., Facebook Messenger). While designing the App make sure you follow Google Play icon design specifications

11). Use quality backlinks to boost your ranking.

When you make a new website, backlinks are important for its success. The same applies to your new app also. Though backlinks won’t directly improve your play store ranking as it does to your website, it’s an important signal that Google considers while ranking your app over your competition. To get backlinks for your app you can use some strategies.

1. 1). Have some websites and blogs reviews your app and give your backlinks.
2. 2). Make social media pages of your app on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn
3. 3). Hire influencers to promote your app on their videos on youtube
4. 4). Run a google search app campaign using the keywords for which your google play store page is optimized.

12). Use Android vitals to monitor and improve your app’s performance, stability, and size.

No matter how good your app is and how much Play Store Optimization you  do to optimize your google play store page, it wont improve your ranking if your app is not technically sound. Make sure the app runs perfectly fine on android devices from midrange to high range.

Keep your app install size as small as possible. Respond and try fixing technical issues which people are having. If they are mentioning some technical issues on their reviews, always respond to them. Make use of the Android Vital tool to monitor your app performance and health.

Conclusion

It is essential to understand the guidelines that Google has set in place for App Store Optimization. By following these rules, you can avoid any penalties and keep your ASO game strong. Understanding how customers think will help you use words they are searching for when looking for an app like yours; this means using keywords in titles, descriptions, and even icons to increase downloads. Finally, make sure your video introduction is short but informative so users know what features it has at a glance without having to watch long videos or read through paragraphs of text on the screen.