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App Store & Play store Optimisation - the secret to a trending a Game
How would your game rank among a million games on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store? Believe it or not, the ranking of a game has more to do than just the game itself. Although the steps sound relatively easy to do but have a major impact when done right.
What is App Store or Play store Game Optimisation?
App Store or Play store game Optimisation is the process of optimizing the visibility of your game within the app stores. In addition to ranking higher in the search results of the app stores, the conversation rate is critical as well. It is the number of clicks as compared to the impressions. Just like SEO is for websites, ASO is for mobile apps.
Why is App store/ play store optimization important for your games?
The primary goal of optimizing your app is to increase downloads and the number of loyal players. The first source of downloads is being visible in front of the people – by ranking in the app store/ play store. This is extremely important to rank because the majority of users find games directly by searching on the stores rather than any other medium. And showing up in the top results guarantees a higher number of downloads! Most importantly, without actually spending money on ads.
How to Optimise Games for higher ranking in App store/ play store
1. Pick the right name for your game
The keywords in the game name have the strongest ranking weight. The app title should be relevant to your game. It should be easy to read and unique. If it is appealing the users will remember it and create a desired first impression. The name or title should be 50 characters long on google play store and 30 characters long on Apple App Store.
2. Use keywords in the Game description
The description is the most important factor that determines the rank of your game. The importance of using the right keywords cannot be underestimated. Do initial keyword research like what do your competitors use, what are the unique features, your game’s category, and especially, what do people commonly use. The description should be informative, easy to read and understand. It should be no more than 4000 characters in both app stores.
There are many keyword optimization tools that you can use to get instant recommendations like AppTweak, Gummicube, SEM Nexus.
3. Attractive Game Icon
The logo or icon of your game is a symbolic representation that is stored in the minds of the users. The more memorable and distinguishable it is, the better. The color and logo should be in line with the games’ personality. Read more about the importance of logos here.
4. Put high-quality screenshots and videos of your games
Although screenshots and videos do not directly affect your app store or play store rankings, it majorly affects the conversation rates. Once a user has landed on your app page, they should be compelled to download it. For this, your play store page should have high-quality screenshots and videos that explain the main stages of your game or features. Short videos that demonstrate the game can heavily impact the user’s decision to download a game. It's important to use the correct size and layout requirements provided by the Google play store and the App Store. Remember to tell a visual story.
5. Game rating and Reviews
Feedback from other players is a critical part of app store/ play store optimization. Both stores account for the number of comments and reviews that players have left for your game. Therefore, prompt current players to comment and review your game. This could be done with help of newsletters, social media, and websites. Some companies even provide incentives to players who review games. More than 8-% of gamers read at least 1 review before downloading a game – don’t miss out on this one.
6. Track App store performance
There are several software programs that allows tracking of ranking of your app and downloads over some time. This helps understand what you are doing right and what needs extra attention.
Some of these include
· AppTweak
· ASOdesk
7. Backlinks to your game
Another important way to optimize your game in the app store or play store is getting backlinks to your game. Backlinks are websites directing people to your app. This not only includes your website but also other websites like game directories, listings, etc.
The above-mentioned steps are a good start to optimize the ranking of your game. The overall process of optimizing games is continuous rather than one time. Once you are satisfied with the traffic your game is receiving you can go deeper into the specifics of optimization.
Need help with game artwork?
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