A hard lesson learned about App Store Optimization
In early February, I decided to optimize my App Store listing page - tweak the title, subtitle, and keywords, etc to get a better ranking of my app.
I used AppFllow and AppRadar which analyzed my listing and made suggestions on what to change. I improved my scores in AppRadar from < 60 to > 90. I published the changes and moved on.
2 weeks later, my user growth flattened then started to drop. I looked at my data and found that 3 days after I changed my keywords, the organic viewers of my app dropped by 66% !!! This must be 100% the result of ASO changes because no code changes would affect how Apple/Google ranks the apps.
That's how I learned the hard lesson that these ASO sites are only guessing what works and their scores aren't good indicators of the effectiveness of your App store listings. I am glad I didn't pay a premium for their "BEST PRACTICES".
I've reverted the changes and will see how it goes in the next few weeks.
If anyone had success with ASO, I'd like to learn more though. I might be using the tools wrong :-p.
About 70% of app store visitors use the search feature of the app store to find their needed app. Not only that but 65% of downloads made in app stores are a direct result of a search.
Optimizing your iOS app keywords is among the most effective keys to achieving your goals in the Apple App Store. Ignoring it would be detrimental to your app’s success.
Here a leave a link for an article that offers 15 quick tips for app store keyword optimization: https://metrikal.io/blog/how-to-optimize-app-store-keywords/
Best!!
I have also noticed that if you over optimize it, it gives opposite effect. Although keywords play a huge role, you should make your listing appear as natural as possible.
I have used AppRadar and found it quite helpful. Obviously there are changes you can make that would not benefit. There's also a chance that your changes coincided with internal changes in the app stores themselves, as I've been seeing tremendous organic growth in 2020 but I haven't made any ASO changes since November or December. I have no way to explain what I'm doing beyond continuing to update the app when needed, and doing other content marketing and SEO stuff.