Just like with web pages, youtube videos, or really any searchable media on the internet, there are things you can do to make your product more easily reached. No mobile app is complete without taking steps to optimize it for search in the app store, after all, you want people to actually use it, right? We have gathered a few general tips on optimizing your mobile app for the app store so your next app gets all the attention it deserves.
Tip 1 – Title It For the Searcher
When choosing a title for your mobile app, you may default to the idea that less is more and that your clever app title is all you need to catch the attention of your target audience. That may be true, but it doesn’t matter if they never see it, right? So you need to title your app for search. Let’s use Pandora, one of the Top 25 most downloaded apps of all time, for example. “Pandora” is a creative, memorable title that is great for navigational search (when people search “Pandora”), but the app title is “Pandora – Free Music & Radio.”
This allows those who’ve never heard of Pandora to find it if they search “free music” “radio” or some combination of those keywords. It is also important to keep it on the shorter side, so don’t overdo it. Keep your app title to no more than five words or 25 characters or it will be at risk of suspension for “keyword stuffing”.
Tip 2 – Create the Ultimate Description
There are mixed reviews on whether the description plays a part in your app’s ranking and really it depends on the app store, but that doesn’t mean you should skip it. Regardless of whether or not it helps you rank in search, the description is that little extra help to entice purchase/download. Make sure it is as concise as possible and really drives home the app’s tone and key benefits.
Back to our Pandora example, the first line of the description is, “Pandora will change the way you discover and listen to music.” That sentence is then followed by three short paragraphs on the app’s functionality and subscription information. The mobile app description is essentially the brand’s positioning statement, explaining who it’s for, why it’s great, and the reason to believe it.
Tip 3 – Let Your Icon Do the Talking
If nothing else, stand out visually. Each app interface has its own version of guidelines offered, to help you create a simple, but visually compelling app icon that also works on the platform it’s meant for. Apple’s guidelines ask that you keep things simple, rarely use words, and do not repeat the icon anywhere else in the app.
Google’s guidelines show how an app icon’s anatomy, geometry, and color scheme can be used to create a visually sound design. Let your icon be the representative of your app by taking the most important element of its functionality and simplifying it as much as possible.
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