Phone applications they are taking over the world. Both the statistics and our daily observations are proof of this. I have about 20 apps installed on my smartphone. And in 2024, almost 7 million people will have mobile devices. As we increasingly rely on our phones and apps for work, play, shopping and dating, it’s given rise to a new promotional battleground: app stores.
App Search Optimization (ASO) explained.
App Search Optimization (ASO) involves optimizing various elements of a mobile app such as title, description, screenshots and ratings to improve its visibility in app stores and increase organic downloads
App stores have the potential to be as powerful as Google. Google, Apple, and every other app store have specific rules about how particular pages or apps outperform their competition. These rules are worth exploring. If you’ve ever wondered why some apps appear at the top of search results over others, it’s because of App Store Optimization (ASO).
When this trend emerged, I decided to apply my data optimization skills by working as an aa search engine optimization (SEO) specialist in the mobile application scene. In this post, I’ll talk about ASO, why it’s associated with SEO, and what makes ASO different from SEO.
What is ASO?
ASO refers to the strategic process of increasing the visibility and discoverability of your app in app stores. It involves optimizing various elements such as app titles, descriptions, screenshots and ratings to increase organic downloads.
Keyword research services are crucial in ASO as they help identify relevant keywords that potential users can use to find your app. Sounds like SEO to you? Your train of thought is going in the right direction. This is where the ASO and SEO processes overlap.
DOG vs. seo
You’ve probably heard a popular saying that “ASO is SEO for mobile.” However, there is more to this cliché than meets the eye. So what is the difference between ASO and SEO? Are they twins or cousins? For me, they come from the same team but have different mentalities. And here’s why.
Broadly speaking, SEO is about optimizing websites for search engines. ASO is about achieving the same goal, just in a different environment. ASO aims to optimize an app for the search algorithms of the app stores. The two notions are often understood as similar because they optimize for keywords. But the similarity pretty much stops there. Now, let’s dive deeper into how ASO and SEO are different.
ASO focuses on optimizing mobile apps for better visibility in app stores like Apple App Store and Google Play. SEO aims to improve visibility and website ranking in search engines like Google and Bing.
ASO works with app listing elements on the page, such as app titles, keywords, descriptions, icons, screenshots, ratings, and reviews. However, SEO factors they are much wider. They revolve around website content, meta tags, backlinks, domain authority, page load speed, mobile responsiveness and user experience.
For SEO, semantics is not the only priority, as it also considers technical ways of website optimization. ASO, on the other hand, is primarily about keyword research. Also, ASO relies on relevant keywords that cater to specific app functionalities, while SEO uses keywords that align with user search queries on the internet.
ASO metrics include installs, uninstalls, and app engagement in app stores, while SEO takes into account click-through rates, bounce rates, time on page, and other behavioral signals of users to websites.
ASO and SEO share a similar goal: optimization. Both are based on user search intent and keywords. However, their objects and environments are different. Specialists in both fields use similar approaches and logic to keyword research. But website optimization requires more steps from a technical point of view.
What does an ASO specialist do?
What do you usually do when you find a good video editing app? Go to the app store and type “video editor” in the search bar. Think the apps at the top of search results just got there by chance? bad A good ASO specialist has been working hard to make this happen.
So what exactly does a good ASO specialist do? Here is a short list of responsibilities:
Make sure the app meets the official App Store and Google Play requirements.
Conducting in-depth competitor analysis based on placements, keyword research for ASO, and metadata criteria exploration for develop the ASO strategy.
Fill out application forms in the market and prepare technical tasks for other team members (designers, content writers, etc.).
Studying the results to see what was effective and what wasn’t.
All of these responsibilities build the foundation for creating an exceptionally strong (yet flexible) ASO strategy. That being said, great ASO professionals should focus on staying on top of mobile marketing trends, which always involve a non-stop research and implementation process.
Should you switch from SEO to ASO?
There are a few factors that make a good argument for those looking to make a career change to ASO from SEO. AI is not taking over SEO and websites don’t go away. Instead, it is better to consider the change from the point of view that you now have more options to apply your skills. And if you’re more into apps than browsers, even better.
A lot of things are done through apps, not websites anymore. More than 3,000 new apps appear in the app stores every day. There are even so-called mobile-first countries where people prefer tablets and smartphones to computers.
Users are increasingly making search queries through app stores. Some of them don’t even search in the browser. All of this increases retention on apps, not websites. This trend is obvious.
ASO and SEO will exist in the future. However, AI will likely replace web search and SEO specialists must adapt to the new challenges. Ultimately, it won’t diminish the role of content optimization specialists, but it’s something to keep in mind.
Who says you can’t? It will double your chances of success.
Why ASO and SEO are useful
At the end of the day, app marketers should know how to do SEO and ASO to promote apps through as many channels as possible. Many applications initially come with websites that require search engine optimization. If you want to work specifically with apps, consider ASO because it’s all about apps. If you think beyond the app market, SEO is guaranteed to give you more options to work with. Everyone and everything comes with a website now.
With this in mind, you might think that ASO career markets are not as tight as SEO. Soon, they may be the same. So it’s about your passion: apps or websites.
Despite the differences in strategies, SEO and ASO will have you working on nuances such as user-friendly design, keywords, meta tags, high-quality content, and link building. If you’re an SEO specialist with a strong interest in apps, consider ASO because you already know how to work with semantics. So this change will feel natural to you.
