Myths About App Store Optimization

Do you have a smartphone? I thought so... So do I! And, like us, billions of people around the world. What does it mean, then? It means that people need apps. And they pay for them.

This is a huge opportunity that most marketers are using because, c'mon, it is another way to make good money! But there is an insane amount of people that believe in some of the most extended myths about it, and I am here today to show you not everything is black or white when it comes to ASO (App Store Optimization). Shall we?

Is App Store Optimization that important?

Let's see it like this: you have an amazing product, and you really want people to buy it. But all you do is to expose it in an empty street, where nobody can see it, hoping that, as you are selling something, they are just going to buy it.

Offering an App on App Store without any optimization comes to the same end. You worked hard in it, but nobody is going to know it is there! So we need to make sure your target will notice it. But do not worry! There are a lot of ways to show your apps: social media, websites, mouth-to-mouth, newspapers... And you are going to nail it! As soon as you know that some myths are just that: myths.

Myth #1. Change your title several times to adapt it to the hot searches.

Do not do that, please.

The truth is that once you choose a title, you should keep it until the end of the world. Why? Simple: Imagine you are getting some fame, some people already know about your app, and you are getting some reviews. And now, you change the title.

The people recommending your app to their friends or family will not say the right one anymore! And guess what: That is not good for you.

So choose your title wisely, and stick with it. No changes. No adding a comma.

And you may think it is so much pressure! How to make sure you got the right one? No need to panic! Chill! I am going to give you a few tips so you will not screw it up too much:

2.Less is more.

Yes, as you hear it. Make your title short, because what would happen if your title has the size of the Quixote? It will not fit! Nobody is going to read the whole thing, because their app browse screen will not show it.

Here you are losing a download. And like this one, a lot more will come. So let's keep it simple, and short (under 25 characters).

2.Be original.

If you yell the name John in Times Square, a hundred guys will turn around. Let's say if you do not come up with a more unique name, you will be one of those Johns.

If you choose a common name, your app will get lost among a really long list of Johns, and you do not want that. You want to have an original, unique name, that can be easily remembered and recognized.

3.Keep the keywords low!

Do not use too many keywords, but do not skip them, use ASO tools! You have a short space, so if you get excited and think the more keywords the better, it will not be user-friendly at all, and you can perfectly be in the last position.

One or two of them is enough!

Myth #2. Keywords do not matter.

They do!

Do not fill the whole title and description with them, but you surely have to use them: give the user what the user wants.

Keywords have always been important, and they will always be, but with moderation. Like when we are talking about SEO, write for the person, not the machine.

Myth #3. Ratings are the only thing that matters.

Important, but not crucial.

Of course they matter. I would be lying to you if I tell you they do not. Do you rather go to a restaurant that has 4 stars on Google Reviews, or to the one that has 2? It is a fact! But not the end of the world.

Do I have evidence of this? Yes. Inside Mobile Apps conducted a study that, to make it short, says that ratings are not as important as we might think when it comes to ranking.

Is this good news? Maybe, or maybe not. If you got some bad reviews and your ratings are not that high, it means you can still be in a good position. So, yay! And if you have excellent ratings, means that it is not everything, and you cannot relax and forget about optimizing.

Myth #4. I already am in App Store, so people will find me.

Wrong.

Do you know what gets you downloads? More downloads. Yes, it is a circle, and you have to push it a little bit, so you can be seen. People will not find you in an empty street... You have to go to the main one!

How do you get downloads without downloads? It might seem complicated, crazy, or obvious... But use marketing! Let's go the traditional way, and use social media, mailing, content marketing... Everything you think might work!

But be careful if you are thinking of buying fake downloads: they will not end up well. The algorithms used in the stores can detect them, so it will hurt you more than the benefits it can offer. Be smart!

Myth #5. The description does not make a difference.

It definitely does!

Maybe it will not help you get a higher rank itself, but do you know what does? Downloads. I told you! And I told you too that you need to write for the user, not the machine. And that is exactly what the description is for.

If you have a good description, the user is more likely to download the app. How many times have you read a funny description and thought: This must be cool? Exactly. Make it awesome, trust me.