4 Advanced Tactics for App Store Optimization

It’s no secret, the App Store is a crowded place. According to Lifewire, at the end of 2016, there were more than 2 million iOS Apps, including 1 million iPad Apps, 10,000 Apple Watch Apps, and 8,000 Apple TV Apps.Luckily, there’s this little thing called App Store Optimization (ASO), which allows app developers and publishers to stay one step ahead of the competition. Similar to Search Engine Optimization, ASO techniques are constantly changing, making it critical to stay up-to-date on the newest trends. What are the latest trends, you ask? Let's take a look...

1. Review and Respond to RepliesUsers are your greatest critics. Utilize the feedback and reviews they post in the app store to make improvements. Following Apple’s latest update, App Store reviews now allow responses from app publishers. This two-way communication allows you to dig even deeper into feedback and let you gain a deeper understanding of your users.
2. Take Advantage of the In-App Ranking MechanismImprove your app’s position in the App Store with the help of the in-app ranking mechanism. Including the mechanism in your app saves users the trouble of visiting the App Store to rank your app.
3. Harness Search AdsApple Search Ads is a cost-effective solution to acquire users. Not only do Search Ads boost your app’s visibility, but it also improves its organic search ranking once the campaign is over. Search Ads also let you include negative keywords. For example, if you don’t want your app promoted to users who don’t make in-app purchases, try adding “free” to your negative keywords.
4. Use App IndexingIf everything goes Apple’s way, apps will replace mobile sites in the future. As such, Google is already working on solutions to provide users with relevant search results within iOS apps. This development is of particular importance to e-commerce companies. By using app indexing, results displayed and promoted in Google search results will link directly to an app itself if a user already has it installed.