With more than one million apps available on Android’s marketplace, it’s easy to get lost among hundreds of competitors. Here is our advice on how to make your app really stand out.
Photo: Sara Sampsel
Last year, 60% of all downloads came from people browsing in the app stores: this means that if you’re not optimizing your app page, you’re missing out on the largest opportunity to get your product in front of your customers.
Most of the advice applies to both Apple and Google stores, but on the Play Store you will see more of the Google legacy, with searchable descriptions, integrated YouTube videos and more focus on inbound links.
Search optimization cheat sheet
Title: Get the title right and your position will improve dramatically! Have your primary keyword here, ideally within the app name. You can then include one or two extra keywords to get better optimize for the most relevant searches: for example, a travel app might perform better after adding city or guide to the name.
Description: Unique to Google Play is that the app description is searchable too. As a rule of thumb, your keywords should appear about 5 times. Remember that most people will read this on a tiny screen, so keep the description short and informative.
Number of downloads, rating, reviews all improve your rank. Incoming links count, too. While you don’t have total control over this, some traditional PR will help to get people to download and rate your app.
Getting more downloads
Showing your page the maximum number of people is only half of the job: now you it’s time to get them to download. Chances are most people will skim the description and look at the pictures instead, so give them plenty to look at.
– Icons: most people won’t go past an ugly icon, so spend some time in getting a beautiful, creative one.
– Have the best possible screenshots.
– While not mandatory, Google Play now lets you to upload a YouTube video that illustrates the app. Think of it as an opportunity to make a good sales pitch.
One last tip? Make an absolute killer app!
Want to build an app to make more business from your existing clientele? We can help!
