Want more ASO Tips?
Contact Us
To create an app that makes money, mobile app publishers and developers need a validated idea, and a plan for acquiring and monetizing users. We have covered user acquisition in various posts, from optimizing an app store listing to paid Facebook campaigns. Here, we will explore common monetization methods for mobile apps and trends likely to impact how apps make money.
After some limited volatility in the App Store in mid-July, there were lots of theories as to not only what happened, but if there were some longer-term implications to Apple’s App Store ranking algorithm. The primary claims was that Apple was penalizing apps with long app titles.
Is it better to try and rank for 1 or 2 targeted keywords, or to rank for 100's?
Help!
A common request from our mobile marketing, agency and app publishing clients is for a forecasted app store rank and/or expected install volume increase (or decrease) metric. This desire for data is understandable and frequent enough that I felt a short post here could add some insight into how we view providing these types of metrics. We have opted against forecasting the increase of rank or install volume inside our software. There were several reasons for this decision, but the most important one was that this kind of representation is almost always disingenuous.
"I have an idea for an app" - this statement
The primary place an Android app is listed is in the Google Play app store.
The name of an app in a Google Play app listing is called the app title, and plays a big role in how Google indexes an app for appearing in search results. Other components of a Google Play app store listing that impact how an app ranks and for which app store searches include the short description and the full description.
Before a potential user sees an app's description, screenshots, video or ratings, users see an app's icon. Used as sort of an app logo - the app icon's primary role in app store optimization for Google Play is in conversion. There are many theories on app icon design, from which colors to use to the use of text vs no text. Generally, the goal should be to efficiently communicate the app's main features or otherwise align to them. "Efficient" app icon design in this case means "simple". Because of the impact of the App Icon design on app conversion, we we recommend asking potential users, via a
UPDATE: Google Play Screenshot best practices have changed over the years. Read our updated post in the Google Play Screenshot best practices for 2020. Those following along with our other posts on Google Play app store optimization will know that many elements of an app listing, the metadata like the Google Play app name and descriptions, are directed by which features are most sought after and differentiate an app. Creating an app listing that targets specific searches from a specific audience even impacts creative elements including app icon design and Google Play screenshots.
Update: See how Google Play Short Description best practices have changed since this article was written. Using the pyramid analogy from our post on naming an app, the short description has limited space and as such, carries more weight in the indexing of an app on Google Play when compared to the bigger "full description" field. Those familiar with SEO might equate the short description to a combination of the indexation benefits of using headers (H1, H2 etc..) and the conversion benefits of the meta-description field. Number 2 below shows where the short description is displayed in the Google Play app listing from a mobile device. 
The Google Play description, or more specifically, the full