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Introduction to ASO for iTunes!

This Evening… •  My background •  About Grin

•  The need for ASO

•  ASO fundamentals

•  Tools & tactics

•  Questions

Name?

Do you have an app(s)?

Why are you here?

Who is this guy?

Not an expert

•  Brand vs. performance mktg – challenging transition •  Cut our teeth w/ non-paid UA •  Amazing team of life-long learners •  Here to share our experience, invite discussion

Product company focused on mobile in Sacramento, CA

•  Companion Apps for Social Networks •  Interesting Social Apps

Launched in July 2014..

•  Launched 7 apps in 2014

•  Raised an investment round in Q1 2015

•  11 people on existing team, full-time & contractors

•  17 apps in distribution on iOS & Google Play

•  2,000,000+ total downloads

•  ~8,000 DLs a day & 350,000+ monthly active users

$0.00 Invested into Paid User Acquisition

All through organic growth

(less some small test budgets)

Before how… why?

•  LOTS of users, with low $ LTV

•  Nature of our space & user-base •  Social / entertainment vertical •  (14-22 YO Tier-1 countries)

•  Profitable paid user acquisition is a challenge

•  We must rely on non-paid UA to grow

Understanding this… what did we do?

•  Obsessive Research

•  Found Experts

•  Private Group(s)

App Store Discovery

“63% of apps are discovered through app store searches” – Forrester Research, “Mobile App Discovery: Best Practices to Promote Your App”

“For the average app, search actually makes up the vast majority of installs” – Ankit Jain, Head of Search at Google

What is App Store Optimization? App Store Optimization (ASO) is the process of improving the visibility of a mobile app in the

app store.

“SEO for App Stores”

ASO is a fundamental & critical tactic for acquiring users.

Necessary understanding for this discussion

App Record in iTunes

iTunes / App Store

Tools: Sensor Tower

Tools: Sensor Tower

•  Keyword research •  Competitor activity •  Keyword rankings •  Keyword optimization

Tools: Sensor Tower

•  Difficulty: 1-10, how hard it is to compete for a word •  Traffic: 1-10, how much search volume the word gets

scale = logarithmic

Tools: Microsoft Excel

•  Workbook for selecting words •  Keep track of version updates •  Auto-sort by certain criteria

Data on results

Using the process we will share…

Results •  250 à 750 new users a day

•  200% increase

•  Simple tactics to start ranking for keywords

Results •  400 à 800 new users a day

•  100% increase

•  Slow start but as we climbed keyword rankings DLs doubled

ASO Fundamentals

Tactics to improve visibility DIRECT

–  Title –  Keywords –  Edge Cases –  Localization

INDIRECT –  Download Velocity –  Conversions –  Reviews/Ratings

CATEGORICAL –  “3d strategy” –  “best rpg” –  “pvp game”

NAVIGATIONAL –  “Game of War” –  “Supercell” –  “Crossy road”

Types of app store search

ASO Fundamentals

Search on Apple’s App Store

Title

•  255 characters

•  All terms in title

get factored into

search

•  Add 4-5 of your

most important

keywords to the

title.

Keywords

•  100 characters

•  Don’t repeat terms

from the title,

publisher name or

category.

•  Select relevant,

high traffic terms

that you can rank

well for.

Edge cases

•  Will rank for:

•  Publisher name

•  IAP terms

•  Category name

•  Will rank for

singular/plural

forms

Comprised of 3 areas

Keywords & Title

Notes on Keywords & Title

•  Low difficulty is more important than high traffic

•  Research relevant words which you can compete for

•  Track your keyword ranking & research via tools

Process for Choosing Keywords & Title

1.  Build your excel sheet

2.  Use Sensor Tower to research relevant words 3.  Log keywords into excel

4.  Sort the keywords by difficulty, lowest to highest

5.  Optimize word choice in both title & keyword section

Step 1: Build your excel sheet

Build your excel sheet •  Keyword •  Traffic •  Difficulty

•  Add a section for keywords at the bottom so you can test

•  Add a section for App Name at bottom so you can work different scenarios

Step 2: Research relevant words Use Sensor Tower to research relevant words

Step 3: Log keywords into excel

Log keywords into Excel

•  Log as many words as you can find

•  Don’t discriminate

•  The more the better at this stage

Step 4: Sort using excel

Sort by lowest difficulty

•  Low difficulty always most important

•  Shoot for words with a difficulty of 0.0

•  Especially important with new apps w/ no tenure

Step 5: Choose & optimize word selection

Optimize word choice •  Use ST to “optimize” words

•  Add long tail title

•  Avoid duplicates

Choosing Keywords & Title, Process

1.  Build your excel sheet

2.  User Sensor Tower to research relevant words 3.  Log keywords into excel

4.  Sort the keywords by difficulty, lowest to highest

5.  Optimize word choice in both title & keyword section

Edge Cases

Edge Cases Overview

•  Something to consider

•  Publisher name / iAPs

•  Crossy Road as example •  “Fortune Chicken” iAP •  Ranks #1

Ongoing Tracking

Keyword Tracking & Ongoing Management •  Keep track of keyword ranking position

•  Get rid of words which you cannot break the top 10 for

•  Think of it like a ladder: •  As you rank for lower difficulty / traffic words, you gain downloads •  As you grow, you can periodically “rung up” to harder words •  It is a process, like climbing a ladder

Key Points •  ASO is fundamental to organic growth

•  We covered only one portion of ASO: keywords & title

•  Simple process, repeated, will increase organic growth

•  Start small, slowly climb to harder words

•  Use simple tools to track progress

•  Sensor Tower: 2-weeks free + 30 day discount

Questions?