ASO Factors for Google Play Store ranking
Where your app appears in search results has a large impact on how many potential users find your app in a search. Maximizing the ranking for specific search terms improves where the app ranks in its category as well – leading to even more organic discovery. How then do app publishers and marketers impact better app store rankings?
Google Play Store ranking:
Google has recently shared ranking factors and tips, specifically calling out the importance of ratings, reviews, downloads, and the copy used in the app listing. In the same post, Google provides additional tips about regular updates, engaged users, acquiring ratings, and responding to reviews. As web and mobile app terms start to converge – specifically Google changing “visitors” in their Google Analytics service, to “sessions” – some of the models known to be used when indexing the web surfaces in the Google Play Store ranking algorithm. The rate at which a web site converts a user to a web page view (searcher clicks on a link in search results) is a basic conversion rate that is also used in the app stores. Similarly, web metrics like bounce rate, time on page, and the number of pages visited corresponds roughly to app opens, time in-app, and retention (the app remains on the device). Armed with this general framework for the Google Play ranking factors, let’s review 5 ASO Factors Android Store ranking
- Improve Conversion Rates: The rate at which an app converts an appearance in a specific search result in an install. If users find your app a relevant result and attractive option at a greater rate than other apps relative to its position in the results – Google will increase your ranking for that specific search all else being equal. Improving your app’s conversion rates improves installs and the app store ranking, and also provides a greater opportunity for acquiring ratings and reviews (our next tip).
- Get Proactive with Acquiring and Responding to Ratings and Reviews: The volume and quality of ratings and reviews have always played a big part in an app’s Google Play ranking. Among the differences between Apple and Google, better ratings are more closely associated with the top apps in Google Play than with Apple’s top apps.
- Optimize for Engagement and Retention: The best Android ASO ranking advice – Make a Great App. Not super helpful or actionable. What’s a great app and how would one measure that? Google incorporates similar metrics in their web rankings, so it should come as no surprise that these factors are also weighted in the Play Store algorithm.
- Backlinks: This is the catch-all term that describes social signals like a blogger mentioning the app and people sharing on Facebook or G+, to mentions by the press. Anything that generates a link back to the Google Play store listing.
- Focus on Your Best Features: App store data consistently show the majority of app store searches are features-based phrases. The app title and short description provide much of the guidance to Google for the specific features of your app, while the category and full description add context and support.
CONCLUSION:
Most of these tips are related to each other and have a synergistic effect when optimized. A better system for prompting and managing ratings and reviews makes efforts around conversion rate optimization more rewarding. A better app drives more positive reviews and better engagement and retention. If you are looking for ASO Factors Google Play Store ranking of your business app, Contact us and we’ll help.