More than half of the downloads in app stores are conducted through a simple search in the store, so you should remember that your target audience will simply browse various apps to find what it is looking for. All your efforts, costly tools and a team of professionals will be useless if you don’t concentrate on direct promotion and optimization. That is why you should learn more about such terms as SEO and ASO, their areas of use and how they may influence the number of your downloads.
If you have decided to conquer the app market and expand your business, you should be ready to face certain difficulties, like number of competitors, duration and the cost of the development process. According to Jon Card, the price for your app may reach hundreds of thousands of dollars, so it is important to be sure that it is exactly what you need.
And don’t forget that you may need solid investments after launching the app. For example, you will definitely need a budget for optimization. While Search Engine Optimization (SEO) concentrates on promotion of web sources, App Store Optimization (ASO) is created to satisfy the needs of the app market. Below is comparison information, which may greatly help you to build your promotion strategy and boost downloads.
Similarities of SEO and ASO
It is impossible to overestimate the importance of optimization and promotion, especially for the new generation of millennials, as Arya Bina, CEO of Kob Digital, claims. According to her data from the HuffingtonPost interview, optimization has become a key point in the development process and will continue evolving in future. That is why every app owner and developer should master the tools of optimization and know the difference and similarities of various methods.
The first similar point you should notice, when learning about SEO and ASO, is the fact that these two terms end with the word ‘optimization’. According to the dictionary, it is a process, which makes something better, more functional and effective. Both SEO and ASO specialize in focusing the attention of the user to the app or website.
Another important similarity is that they both use keywords to promote a project and, of course, they are based on organic trafficking.
However, there are more differences than similarities and you need to have a clear understanding of them if you want to develop an effective and winning strategy to attract more users and downloads.
Differences between SEO and ASO
It doesn’t matter whether you are an experienced developer or a novice with an original idea. Choosing a promotional method may become your strongest weapon or your biggest failure. That is why you should have a clear understanding of what method to use in your particular case. Here are the key features, which distinguish ASO from SEO:
- Simplicity: While SEO requires processing of multiple factors, like authority, backlinks, page speed and so on, ASO only requires keywords in the name or the title of the app. It makes ASO more flexible and targeted. However, app ranking depends on more complicated data, such as ratings, competition and so on;
- Methodology: The ways to increase discoverability are quite different. Google, for example, pays careful attention to the description and keywords, while ASO is more brief and laconic;
- Search semantics: Users in app stores expect different results than users who are browsing the web. For example, app search concentrates on various simple keywords or the name of the brand, while website browsing aims to find information on a certain subject or data, without any details about the company searched for. That is probably one of the main differences, which makes enterprises hire professional companies;
- Speed: ASO shows results faster, so you will be able to see the number of downloads increase more quickly than you would with SEO. However, if you have both a website and an app, you should choose a combination of both methods.
You should always remember that you need to apply all the tools thoughtfully, considering your personal demands and requirements. This doesn’t mean that you should only use SEO or ASO: they both have tools to boost your audience or downloads and achieve your goals.
Experienced marketers, however, always advice business owners or individuals to consider all possible options and choose the one which best serves their particular project, considering the goals, deadlines, budget and the target audience.
