The Future of Search

App Store SEO

Ophenia LiangNov. 2011

Content• App Stores market landscape• Mobile users• Entrances to your App• 8 SEO tips for Apps• Wrap-up

App stores market landscape

Data source: comScore Report June 2011

•The rapid raise of Android• iOS steady growth

App stores market landscape

Australia, 2011 Quarter 1

• Apple – close to 40% market share

• Android – near 30%, expected to be same as Apple at the end of 2011

• Symbian – down to 22%

Source: IDC Australia

Mobile Users• More percentage of Australians use smart phones across age groups• Development implications

Mobile Users• It is competitive, but not impossible.

Entrances to your App

8 Tips for App Store SEO

Tip 1: Make a good App

•What problems are you solving for users?

•Is the user experience good enough?

•Who are the competitors in your category?

•What are the existing apps in this space?

•How can you be better than them?

Fast track to top ranking...

Tip 1: Make a good App Case study: Sketchy

Tip 2: The basics are the same, yet different • App stores are search engines

• SEO principles are the same

• Keywords are important

• Different algorithms

• Ranking factors are different

Tip 3: Ranking factors

• App Title

• Category

• Keywords

• Description

• Number of Downloads

• User Ratings

• Filters in search

• and more...

Tip 4: SEO elements for iTunes App Store and Android Market PlaceRanking factors iTunes App Store Android Market Place

App Title Most important Most important

App Description Does not show up in app search results

Appears in search results

Keywords submitted

Relevant in search No such option

Category Important Important

Developer name Relevant None

Downloads & Rating

Important Important

Semantic Understanding

None Yes

Tip 5: Keyword research

• Pick the most relevant keyword to your app

• Emphasise your unique selling point

• Select keywords which give you the edge

• Be aware of word limits in title

Case study: Maserati Tip 5: Keyword research

Case study: Maserati Tip 5: Keyword research

Tip 6: Optimise your App store page towards search engines • Google index iTune App Store pages & Android Market Place

• App description contains the most keywords

• The keywords you submit to iTune App Store won’t be feed

into the page meta tag

• User ratings will be feed into Google search result

• The first 165 character in Android App description matters

• Building links to your App Store/Market Place page

Tip 6: Optimise your App store page towards search engines

Case: Pulse News

Tip 7: A strategy is essential

• Uploading an app is not the end of story• Plan a marketing strategy before you enter app stores

Tip 7: A strategy is essential

Tip 8: Keep other factors in mind

•Country and language variance

• App page displays differently on phones and computer

• Tablets are raising

• Social media plug-ins

Resources Good read• App Savvy, by Ken Yarmosh• Ourmobileplanet.com

Analytics trackingAppFigures

Experts to followCindy KrumReseo

Taking away...

• A good app sells itself

• Spend time on deciding the App Title

• iTune App Store & Android Market Place have different rules

• Optimise the app store page towards search engines

• Prepare a marketing strategy

Thank you.

Ophenia LiangNov. 2011