Hello, community! More and more affiliates are choosing funnels where traffic is driven through mobile apps. That’s why these apps need to be promoted first and foremost. For this reason, we thought it would be appropriate to talk about what ASO is and how to use it to get more traffic.
Before we dive in, let us remind you that we’ve already written about why affiliates need an app. Highly recommended!
What is ASO?
ASO is used not only in affiliate marketing but in digital marketing in general. ASO (short for App Store Optimization) is a method of promoting mobile apps through optimization. Essentially, it’s SEO — but in the context of apps.
However, there are still quite a few differences between ASO and SEO. Primarily, it’s about how apps are ranked in stores versus how websites are ranked in search results. While SEO considers many factors like page load speed, keyword density, headings, and lists, ASO is more limited in this regard.
Still, there are many parameters that require attention during optimization. If you approach them with care and professionalism, you’ll increase the chances of your app reaching the top of the store rankings. As a result, you’ll get traffic not only from ad networks but also from organic search.
What affects ASO optimization?
The goal of ASO is to push your mobile app as high as possible in the App Store and Play Market search results. To do this effectively, focus on the following:
- Build a semantic core — similar to how it’s done for websites. Analyze your competitors for key queries and aim to outperform them.
- Choose an app name that includes a keyword. This significantly increases the number of users who will see your app.
- Write a description with all necessary keywords. This makes your app easier to find both within the store’s search and via search engines in general.
- Work on the visuals — many users choose apps based on how they look. A well-designed icon grabs attention, and the images and videos in the description have a direct impact on conversions. If they’re high quality, downloads from the app page can increase by 30–50%.
- Optimize the app itself. For example, how fast it loads can influence its position in Google’s Play Market.
- Adding paid features can also improve the app’s position in search results.
It’s also important to consider the specifics of each app platform. Even though they focus on similar parameters — like the app’s content and appearance — their requirements for reaching the top differ.
Example: the App Store barely considers the short description during ranking and allows up to 170 characters, while Play Market limits it to 80 characters — but it plays a much more significant role in search. The full description can be up to 4000 characters on both platforms, yet in Play Market it has much more influence compared to the App Store, where it doesn’t bring as much benefit.
The human factor in ASO
Another key difference between ASO and SEO is how users affect ranking. In SEO, the human factor is mostly about how long a person stays on a page. For apps, user reviews and ratings play a major role.
It’s worth investing real effort in managing reviews — this is practically a full-blown retention marketing strategy. Even negative reviews won’t be a big problem for rankings if you respond to them and help users resolve the issues they encountered while using your app.
But if your plan is to just fake reviews without caring about the actual content, you need to be careful. For example, based on observations, if an app has a suspiciously high rating (4.8–5.0), this could even lead to a shadow ban — especially if those ratings are artificially inflated.
Speaking of manipulation, some affiliates simply buy search traffic to boost their app’s ranking. The task is to enter specific keywords in the store, find your app via those keywords, click it, and download. This also boosts app rankings — but be cautious and discreet to avoid detection.
Conclusion
ASO optimization tools are a way to improve your app’s position in digital marketplaces. But don’t count on miracles: even if you craft the perfect semantic core and write an amazing description, that doesn’t guarantee your app will reach the top.
In reality, the most significant results come when you thoroughly work through each of the criteria we discussed today. Only then can you expect traffic to start flowing to your app naturally.
What do you think about ASO? Do you consider it an effective method of app promotion — or is it as overrated as some webmasters say SEO is? Share your thoughts in our Telegram community!
Sincerely, Your Geek!