After releasing your app, embracing it can take some time for your potential users. You must be patient at this phase and constantly monitor the marketplace and competition to make necessary improvements. Your app’s visibility plays a key role in boosting app downloads.

This blog will briefly introduce how to master visibility and take your downloads to a new level. You will realize that visibility is one of the cornerstones of having a high conversion rate with your app.

Downloads vs Visibility

There is a clear correlation between the download rates and the visibility of an app. A high visibility will lead to more downloads and vice versa.

Our dashboard shows an app’s visibility score under ASO Intelligence’s Visibility Report feature. This score simply indicates how visible your app is on the market. It scales from 0 to 100, with 0 being the lowest score and 100 being the highest possible score.

You can check one of our previous articles for more information about the relationship between visibility, downloads, and category rankings.

App Profile – App Intelligence

At the early stages of your app’s journey, potential users in app stores will have little knowledge about your app. To boost app downloads to the desired level, the first step you should take is to improve your visibility.

The increasing traffic will transform into downloads when your app is more visible. In the long run, high download numbers will help your app remain visible higher up the category rankings (having a high visibility score).

To learn more about how to improve your app visibility and downloads, you can also check this article.

Category Ranking History – App Intelligence

3 Important Steps to Maximum Downloads

As mentioned earlier, visibility is the key to higher downloads. Now, we will focus on boosting your app’s potential in a step-by-step approach to maximizing visibility and downloads.

• Value Proposition: You can try to make your app relevant in app stores through constant App Store Optimization (ASO) efforts. Still, your attempts would be short-lived at best without connecting with your potential users with a clear value proposition. As a first step, you must have an offering that acts as a painkiller or gain creator for your users.
• App Store Optimization (ASO): Investing in App Store Optimization is the next and possibly the most important step. Even though you have an incredible app that has the potential to be a category killer, you should support your app with a well-defined ASO strategy for the sake of higher visibility and downloads.
• Paid User Acquisition: In the long run, your app’s organic and inorganic downloads will work cohesively to maximize your downloads. Research indicates that a paid user acquisition campaign has the potential to boost your organic downloads up to 17x by improving your visibility. In other words, a paid ad campaign feeds your downloads by providing enhanced visibility.

Boost App Downloads: The Essential Checklist

On the way to skyrocketing your downloads, it can also be challenging to remain visible beside improving it in the first place.

• App Store Optimization (ASO): Again, update your keywords regularly (weekly or monthly), check your App Store’s page-views-to-downloads conversion rate, and improve it with constant monitoring, testing, and iteration sessions.
• Good Reviews & Ratings: Try to collect all 4 or 5-star reviews. Check the language of your reviews to see patterns of what your users like or dislike and make changes accordingly. Also, note that getting negative reviews and ratings is valuable insight to improve your app.
• High Category Rankings: If your app is not visible in the higher-ends of category rankings, it would be difficult to get app downloads. To choose the right category and subcategory for your app, check its relevancy, competition, and potential revenue.
• Localization: Check your international conversion rate to determine which markets will be the most profitable for you to enter and capture.
• Paid User Acquisition: Run additional paid ad campaigns based on the valuable insights from ASO about the marketplace and competition to boost app downloads and visibility further.

3 Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them

Improving your downloads is a shaky road, and you can make certain mistakes. We believe it is also worth mentioning some common mistakes and how to avoid them for your good.

• Lack of ASO: Some app developers forget the importance of ASO for long-term and stable success. As mentioned earlier, ASO can make a huge difference in your app’s visibility.
• Performance Issues: Another important aspect of an app’s visibility is consistency regarding glitches, bugs, and crashes. If your app is constantly crashing, this will inevitably hinder user satisfaction, leading to a lower visibility score. Based on ASO, constantly monitor your user reviews and improve your app’s performance.
• Lack of Industry Knowledge: Sometimes, developers lack enough knowledge of the mobile market and the specific standards for the category they are being ranked in. In today’s highly competitive and turbulent marketplace, making a good app isn’t enough anymore. Make sure to stay educated.

The Bottom Line

Visibility is the key to having higher downloads and vice versa. With its Keyword Intelligence feature, ASO Intelligence by MobileAction lets you get quick and accurate insights. Note that you can get assistance for a higher visibility score by trying various keywords depending on the competition and the marketplace.

Keyword Intelligence – ASO Intelligence

If you want to step up your ASO game, schedule a demo now and get unlimited access to AI-powered organic mobile app growth tools!

The post How to boost app downloads: Mastering visibility appeared first on MobileAction.

For any mobile app developer, nothing is more discouraging than receiving a negative review for their hard work in the app stores. At first, it’s easy to ignore or dismiss such reviews, hoping you don’t accumulate too many. However, negative reviews present an opportunity that, if handled properly, can be turned into invaluable customer insights.

In this blog, we’ll share a step-by-step process for transforming negative app reviews into actionable feedback that results in a better product and stronger customer relationships. By learning to appreciate critical feedback, you’ll soon find that even one-star reviews can help guide your app development in the right direction.

Check out one of our previous articles to learn more about the impact of app ratings & reviews on App Store Optimization:

• App Reviews To-Do List: How to Improve App Ratings Organically
• From 0 to 10,000 Reviews: 7 Tips to Collect
In-App Feedback Like a Pro
• What Happened to the Robinhood’s Ratings?
• How Do App Reviews and Ratings Affect Your ASO Strategy? 

Introduction: Reasons for Negative App Reviews

You should be aware of some common reasons for receiving negative app reviews in order to fully utilize the opportunities provided by them.

There are three main reasons for receiving negative app reviews from an unfavorable user experience.

• UI issues: In some cases, you may come up with an app that has the ultimate potential to connect with your user’s expectations. However, the problematic user interface may prevent your app from reaching its full potential. A weak UI will inevitably mean unsatisfied customers, mostly followed by negative app reviews.
• Glitches, bugs, crashes: Another important factor in an app’s success is consistency regarding glitches, bugs, and crashes. Once again, you may have the ultimate solution for your user’s needs in the form of an app with an impressive, user-friendly UI. Still, if your app is constantly crashing, this will inevitably hinder your user’s satisfaction with the app. If this is the case, expect negative app reviews!
• Lack of customer support: You will make a huge mistake if you think your relationship with your users ends after you convince them to download your app. This is just the beginning of your never-ending interaction with your customers. When there is a problem or situation the customer wishes to be vocal about, poor customer support can translate into negative app reviews.

Embracing Negative App Reviews: How Can They Be Useful

After you learn about the common reasons for negative app reviews, you should do your best to avoid them by constantly improving your app. However, you shouldn’t use your dedication or focus towards your app just because hearing about some unsatisfied customers. You should realize that negative app reviews are hidden gems!

First, you should know that negative app reviews are different from having a bad app. So, there is no need to panic.

All kinds of app reviews will be essential for constant improvement during your app’s lifecycle. While positive reviews will only show that you are on the right track, negative app reviews can guide you through areas for improvement.

In other words, a negative review is an organic opportunity to improve your app to satisfy your users. Rather than a source of demotivation, it is honest feedback based on user experience.

How to Handle a Negative Review

Now that you are confident you should not fear receiving a negative review, we will briefly mention how to deal with it.

With this step-by-step approach, you can learn much from a negative review and minimize your chance of receiving similar complaints in the long run.

Do Not Panic & Take Responsibility

As the blog mentions, negative app reviews should not shatter your dreams, so don’t panic.

After being cool with receiving lousy app reviews, you should be confident about taking full responsibility. In other words, embrace the user feedback without activating an aggressive defense mode.

Understand the Issue & Focus

The next step is understanding the complaint. The negative review is mainly caused by one of the three common reasons mentioned previously. Identify the core problem and focus on the heart of the matter.

Make Research & Solve the Problem

Now that you know the key problem causing negative app reviews, you should research to eliminate it. The length of this phase can change depending on the seriousness* of the issue.

Some UI-based negative app reviews can be more time-consuming than customer support-related problems. Do your research, learn how to improve, and iterate accordingly.

Keep Your Users Updated

After you make specific improvements based on negative app reviews, let your audience know about these new additions. Your users will be more than happy to realize that their feedback is being valued, so keep them updated.

Negative App Reviews: The Silver Lining

As an app publisher, try to imagine a life without feedback. You would be missing valuable, honest, and accurate feedback. With a step-by-step systematic process, you should handle a negative review.

Remember that some of the core reasons for negative app reviews, such as frequent crashes, can also negatively influence your category rankings directly and indirectly.

It is known that Google Play Store hesitates to rank apps with performance problems, even if they have favorable download rates. An app with poor UI or customer support will also have problems keeping and converting users.

Thanks to negative app reviews, you can learn how to improve your app and get better rankings organically. Therefore, it is safe to assume that a negative review is a silver lining!

The Bottom Line

We hope you enjoyed our blog about combating negative app reviews. As you can see, they can provide valuable feedback for your ASO strategy. With its Review Analysis feature, App Intelligence helps you to get quick and accurate insights.

To start leveraging App Intelligence, sign up for free, gain access to valuable insights, and unlock the power of leveraging users’ feedback.

The post How to turn negative app reviews into diamonds appeared first on MobileAction.

Think of it as a long run- a marathon. Thus, the results are not obtained overnight, but if you are willing to invest in it you can get very impressive outcomes.

Since achieving ASO success takes time and a lot of dedication, some do not play fair. Certain individuals exploit grey areas in app store regulations to rapidly progress. Though the app stores inevitably uncover these deceitful tactics, the cheaters can temporarily distort the rankings before being apprehended. In essence, some people cut corners to achieve app store victory more quickly, despite facing repercussions later on.

By the end of this blog, you will be able to understand what black hat ASO is, what makes certain ASO practices black hat, what are the common practices for Black Hat ASO, and how one can counter Black Hat ASO tactics.

What is Black Hat ASO?

Black Hat ASO refers to unethical or manipulative techniques used in App Store Optimization (ASO) to artificially boost the visibility and conversion rates of mobile apps or games. It involves disregarding or exploiting the rules and guidelines set by app stores in order to achieve higher rankings, increased downloads, and improved user engagement. These tactics often involve deceptive practices, keyword stuffing, fake reviews, and other strategies that violate the app stores’ policies.

While Black Hat ASO may provide short-term gains, it can lead to severe consequences such as app suspensions, loss of credibility, and negative user experiences.

At MobileAction, we think the right thing is to not use sneaky Black Hat or Grey Hat tricks. They’re unfair to other apps. And any boost they give won’t last long. Plus they could hurt your reputation and money. But it’s good to know what these shady ASO tactics are. That way you can spot them if others are using them in the app stores. We say stick to legal White Hat optimization. That will give your app lasting success the right way.

What makes certain ASO practices Black Hat?

The Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and all other app stores have policies and guidelines that every developer and company must follow. These rules promote fairness, no matter the app’s prominence. For example, without app relevance and user experience factors in their ad systems, big brands could easily outspend competitors for top placements.

So app makers should gain visibility and success through building a great product and using legal optimization techniques. By playing by the rules, developers can achieve visibility on merit rather than by exploiting loopholes. Ethical optimization helps apps thrive based on quality, not tricks.

To follow White Hat ASO strategies you should take a look at the following resources:

• ASO Handbook 2024: Navigating the Future of App Store Optimization
• A comprehensive guide to App Store Optimization (ASO)
• App Store ASO: Skyrocket your iOS app in Apple charts
• Google Play ASO: Organic Growth Strategy Guide for Android Apps

Common Black Hat ASO Practices

Fake Installs

Faking installs is a common underhanded tactic used by dishonest publishers to improperly boost rankings. It starts with a vendor selling a large volume of cheap app installs.

The quality of these installs varies. For instance, low-cost installs may utilize bots – scripts downloading the app with stolen or fake accounts. App stores quickly detect and punish bot installs.

Real user installs cost more but are harder to identify. Whether real or fake, buying installs in bulk rockets the app’s rankings for particular keywords, gaining organic traffic from the ranking.

To detect this, watch for sudden huge ranking spikes on keywords, especially in established categories. If it seems too good to be true, it likely is. Essentially, some publishers artificially boost rankings through bulk low-quality installs, but app stores try to rapidly catch these deceptive tactics.

For example, below you can see the daily installs of ChatGPT. Since the increases and decreases in ChatGPT’s install numbers follow a normal trend, we can say that they do not use illegal app store optimization methods such as Black Hat ASO.

App Analysis – Market Intelligence

Some common ways of Black Hat ASO for fake installs:
Bot installs – Computer-automated accounts/bots can download your app in large volumes (even 2 million times).

Retained bot installs – achieved by sending messages/emails to companies, typically promising a certain number of downloads of your app.

Non-incentivized search installs – Installs that occur after an influencing YouTuber persuades their followers in a video to search for and download a specific app (e.g. search “pro makeup” and download “lipshades” app).

Incentivized search installs – Installs where users get a reward for searching and installing an app (e.g. “Search and install to earn”).

Bot trending searches – Bots artificially get top rankings for trending searches, driving more traffic, installs, and earnings for the app. This happens by targeting searches users are interested in.

Keyword Stuffing

There are unfortunately some apps that benefit from keyword optimization not legally.

App titles and app descriptions are the fields that have a direct contribution to the visibility of the app. Some Black Hat programmers tend to put a bunch of optimized irrelevant keywords that are already ranking high in the application’s data and/or description that do not mean anything together. It’s a primitive technique, but it works and has been there since the beginning of black hat.

Keyword stuffing and other black hat SEO techniques may provide instant gratification in the form of app store rankings, but they do more harm than good in the long run. While optimized keywords in the title and description are important for discoverability, slipping in irrelevant terms purely for their search volume hurts both users and developers. App store search is meant to smoothly connect users with apps that authentically fulfill their needs – not trick or confuse them with artificially boosted listings.

Developers who engage in keyword manipulation risk app rejection or removal from the app store if their tactics are detected. More importantly, stuffing an app’s metadata with keywords out of context damages the user experience. Someone searching for a specific term expects relevant results, not an app completely unrelated to their intent. Benefiting artificially from high-ranking keywords you don’t genuinely relate to is a disservice that will erode user trust over time. The smarter strategy for sustainable success is focusing organically on the true purpose and value proposition of your app through carefully optimized descriptive elements.

Using Competitor Names

Both Apple and Google strongly advise against using competitor names in your app metadata. While this is a common tactic even top brands use, it can still get your app penalized and lose rankings and reputation.

Let’s look at an example. Say you have an AI chatbot app. Your best keywords should be generic ones that can boost visibility when you start ranking. However, some developers take the easy route of directly targeting top-ranking competitors. For an AI chatbot, “AI chatbot” is fine, but “AI chatgpt” risks action against your app for targeting a competitor keyword.

How do developers hide competitor names? On the App Store, adding them to the unseen keyword field works initially. But review teams often catch these and penalize apps. On the Google Play Store, some leverage A/B testing of long descriptions with low traffic to conceal competitor keywords. This may work temporarily, but Google reviews will eventually uncover the hidden brand names and take strict action.

The key point is that targeting competitor brands in metadata is risky despite being common, since app stores prohibit this and can penalize apps that do it. Generic terms are safer for optimization.

Ratings and Reviews

Boosting organic traffic through App Store Optimization results in different analytics for your app compared to Black Hat ASO. You should keep in mind that ASO takes time. If you constantly check the analytics, you can find out whether the app is using Black Hat ASO or not. If there is a gradual, slow increase in organic downloads, then it is likely ASO. Remember that Black Hat ASO results in only a temporary boost.

To achieve permanent ASO boosts you should regularly your app’s/game’s ratings, the average category rating, and breakdowns for countries and app versions. As seen below, MobileAction can provide this data on a single dashboard.

Ratings – App Intelligence

One important point is users’ trust. We all prefer to read reviews before downloading an app because we trust other users’ feedback. Unfortunately, some companies offer fake reviews to artificially inflate app rankings. They create tons of fake bot accounts to leave positive feedback and temporarily boost ranking. A sudden spike in positive reviews in one day is a clear sign of Black Hat ASO.

Reviews – App Intelligence

The good news is it’s possible to identify fake reviews since they are manufactured. Look at the language – fake reviews tend to be short, disappear quickly, or just give 5 stars without context.

Top Charts Manipulation

Manipulating top charts rankings is an old black hat ASO tactic, though less effective now. Rogue developers try reaching top spots using bots to install their apps. Once at the top, they gain significant browse traffic to sustain their position without more bot installs.

Top Charts – App Intelligence

On the App Store, this rarely works since top charts are hard to access in the current App Store design, limiting browse traffic payoff. On the Google Play Store, it may still boost some unethical developers, though their advanced algorithm detects irregularities for action.

If you see a zero-rated, low-quality app ranking high, consider reporting it so app store reviewers can investigate. While once effective, manipulating top charts now has limited impact, and risks getting caught by sophisticated fraud detection. Ethical optimization based on merit is the sustainable path.

Conclusion

While black hat techniques may provide temporary rankings boosts, they ultimately do more harm than good. App stores have sophisticated systems for detecting fraudulent activity and penalizing apps that violate policies. Rankings based on deception are never lasting.

As an app developer, your priority should be creating great app experiences that genuinely resonate with users. This approach may take longer to see results, but it is sustainable and will serve you well over the long run by building trust with both users and app stores. Rather than taking shortcuts through backdoor methods, have patience and let your app succeed on its own merits.

If you want legal shortcut tactics instead of illegal shortcuts like Black Hat ASO, contact MobileAction experts immediately and take your ASO game to the next level!

The post What is Black Hat ASO? Identifying and countering Black Hat tactics appeared first on MobileAction.

Leading the list is Bumble, taking the first position with its solid performance across ASO, Apple Search Ads, and Ad Intel scores. Following closely is Tinder, which secured the second spot with its impressive ASO score and highlighted its strategic organic visibility. Pure Dating grabs third place, boasting the highest Apple Search Ads score, which is attributed to its targeted keyword bidding and innovative use of custom product pages. Meanwhile, Badoo takes the fourth spot as the highest Ad Intelligence score holder, demonstrating a keen eye for quality over quantity in their ad creatives.

Now, let’s delve into the main highlights, examining how these leading dating apps have managed to surpass their rivals.

Bumble

• Their ASO performance indicates a strong presence, ranking for over 53,000 keywords organically, with 41% of them landing in the top 30. Interestingly, they attract more than 60% of their organic downloads from competitor brand keywords, indicating a smart approach to acquiring users.

Keyword Intelligence of Bumble

• Regarding Apple Search Ads, they are actively bidding on 582 keywords, indicating a proactive strategy to increase visibility. They’ve also introduced 8 custom product pages over the year focused on competitor keywords, highlighting app features, and tapping into seasonal trends or social causes.

CPP by App – Bumble

• They have a very dynamic ad strategy, with over 300 creatives produced in the last month, 191 of which are currently live. They use live footage effectively, generating higher impressions than the category average. Their distribution strategy involves multiple ad networks and DSPs, and while image ads are their top choice, they also create playable formats, offering a unique and engaging approach.

Tinder

• They stand out as the highest ASO score holder in the list, organically ranking with over 60,000 keywords. Notably, they’ve capitalized on over 4,000 brand keywords, with 40 belonging to their own brand, showcasing a strategic emphasis on competitor brand keywords. Remarkably, Tinder drives over 99% of its organic downloads through its brand keywords, underscoring the formidable presence of its brand within the category.

Tinder organically ranked for 60,052 keywords, with 612 of them achieving the top position

• Tinder is active on over 800 keywords for their search result ads, targeting both their own and competitor brand keywords. This proactive approach to keyword targeting contributes to their visibility and user acquisition efforts.

PURE Dating

• PURE Dating stands out with its organic performance that positions, securing organic rankings for over 8,000 keywords. Over 60% of their organic downloads from two competitor brand keywords (tinder & hinge) showcasing effective targeting strategies.

The organic download history of PURE Dating

• They demonstrate a strong presence in Apple Search Ads, actively bidding on nearly 5,000 keywords, including their own brand, generic category keywords, and competitor brand terms. Additionally, they’ve leveraged custom product pages to enhance their paid user acquisition efforts, creating 12 variations tailored to their user base demographics. This combined approach earns PURE Dating the highest Apple Search Ads score in the list.

PURE Dating is currently bidding on over 4,900 keywords for their search result ads.

• In the past month, PURE Dating has produced 34 ad creatives, with 17 currently live across 4 main ad networks. Their ad visuals primarily feature screenshots from the app’s user interface, ensuring relevance and authenticity. While video ads are their top choice, they also incorporate image and banner ads, diversifying their ad format to reach their audience effectively.

Badoo

• Badoo currently ranks organically for over 27,000 keywords. While the majority of their organic downloads come from their own brand keyword, accounting for over 55%, they’ve also managed to secure 20% from a competitor’s brand keyword.

The organic download history of Badoo

• They adopt a unique approach to paid user acquisition. On Apple Search Ads, they focus on bidding for a select few keywords, notably avoiding their brand keywords and instead targeting generic keywords related to the app’s features, such as “meet,” “chat,” and “flirt.”
• Similarly, Badoo’s advertising strategy emphasizes quality over quantity. Despite having fewer ad creatives than the category average, consisting of video and banner formats, their ads significantly outperform others. This approach earns them the highest Ad Intelligence score in the list, highlighting the importance of strategic advertising tactics.

OkCupid

• They currently rank for over 20,000 keywords organically, with 70% of their organic downloads originating from competitor keywords, showcasing a strategic approach to user acquisition.

ASO Report of OkCupid

• OkCupid is actively bidding on more than 300 keywords, with over 35% achieving higher impressions than 10%. Moreover, they’ve implemented a custom product page strategy alongside their default page, resulting in increased impressions. These custom product pages have additional keywords, tailored visual assets, and messaging to enhance engagement.
• OkCupid distributes 17 ads across 4 ad networks, mainly in image format but also including video and banner ads. OkCupid effectively captures user attention and engagement by utilizing live footage in their ads, a common preference among dating apps.

Observations in the Dating App Landscape

Inclusivity and the rise of niche communities are two prominent trends shaping the dating app industry. Dating platforms are increasingly focused on creating inclusive environments that involve users from diverse backgrounds, including race, religion, and sexual orientation.

With the rise of targeted dating apps, a competitive landscape has emerged within the dating category. Understanding your target audience, analyzing competitor strategies, and deciding how to position your app in the market have become essential considerations for maintaining or establishing your presence.

Race and Ethnicity

As part of their commitment to inclusivity, dating apps prioritize representation and inclusiveness for users of all racial and ethnic backgrounds. By introducing features and functionalities that acknowledge and address the unique experiences of diverse communities, these platforms aim to create welcoming spaces where individuals feel valued and understood.

Identify your competitors that are aiming for the same target audience as you by using Keyword Analysis.

By leveraging MobileAction features such as Keyword Analysis, you can identify competitors targeting your selected keywords on both organic and paid sides. Additionally, utilizing the Creative Asset Hub enables you to compare and comprehend how your messaging and presentation stack up against others in the market.

Compare your visual assets to your competitors and understand their messaging strategies with Creative Asset Hub.

Religion

Religious diversity is another key focus area for dating apps striving to create inclusive environments. Platforms are adapting to accommodate users from various religious backgrounds and beliefs, offering features and tools that serve the specific needs and preferences of individuals seeking partners who share their religious values.

By creating spaces where individuals can connect with like-minded individuals within their faith community, dating apps facilitate meaningful connections and relationships.

Custom product pages targeted towards the term “christian mingle.”

To target the appropriate audience and convert them into high-intent users, specialized apps such as those focusing on religion-based dating can utilize custom product pages for their search result ads, displaying precisely what users seek. “Christian Mingle” stands as a widely used and directly relevant search term within the dating market. With MobileAction’s CPP Intelligence, you gain access to a comprehensive list of apps targeting your desired search term, allowing you to analyze their creative arrangements for that keyword. This enables you to identify potential competitors and understand their targeting strategies.

To entice users to return to their apps, religion-oriented dating platforms can capitalize on special holidays and seasonal periods associated with the faith they originate from. By doing so, they can enhance their app’s credibility and tap into users’ desire to find matches who share similar values and priorities in life.

In-App Events created by InshAllah Muslim Dating app around religious holiday seasons of Islam.

Sexual Orientation and Identity

In response to the diverse spectrum of sexual orientations, dating apps are taking steps to ensure that all users feel welcome and represented. From inclusive profile options to tailored matchmaking algorithms, these platforms provide a safe and inclusive space for individuals to explore and express their sexuality.

By incorporating features to the diverse needs and preferences of users across the LGBTQ+ spectrum, dating apps empower individuals to find acceptance, connection, and love on their own terms.

Custom product pages created for keyword “gay” and “lesbian”

To enhance targeting efforts, dating apps catering to niche audiences can develop tailored product pages for keywords they believe their most interested users would utilize to discover their app. Terms such as “gay” and “lesbian,” which hold significant search scores among certain users, are strategically employed by queer dating apps in their custom product pages.

Valentine’s Day Trends: Insights and Expectations for the Mobile App Industry

Valentine’s Day has a strong impact on the mobile app industry. As observed, there’s a significant surge in search volume for keywords related to Valentine’s Day and romance in February.. This trend isn’t limited to dating apps; categories such as photo & video and entertainment also experience notable effects.

Around Valentine’s Day, we observe a notable increase in in-app events and promotional content. Dating apps facilitate connections, while photo & video apps offer tools for capturing and sharing cherished moments. Entertainment apps generate romantic playlists and movie selections, and gaming apps introduce special challenges for players to enjoy with their partners. This surge in activity not only addresses the season’s heightened popularity but also demonstrates app developers’ adaptability and creativity in meeting user expectations during key seasonal times like Valentine’s Day.

In-App Events around Valentine’s Day

As evident from last year’s trends, apps have effectively leveraged this seasonal opportunity, and it’s something we should anticipate seeing again this year.

Let’s take a look at their current initiatives for this year. Hily Dating App has already begun preparations for Valentine’s Day, setting up two in-app events centered around the occasion.

The full view of before, during, and after analysis of Hily Dating App’s In-App Events.

By leveraging Compass’ Impact feature, we can discern a significant surge in their organic visibility, signifying the successful implementation of these in-app events during this seasonal period. Additionally, once the in-app event expires, we can assess the event’s full impact on the app’s visibility throughout its entire duration and after February 14.

Wondering how your app measures up against competitors in the market? MobileAction provides a valuable resource for thorough competitor analysis, allowing you to effectively grasp market trends and refine your strategy. Schedule a demo with MobileAction today to gain additional insights and strengthen your position in the market.

Methodology

The ranking of top advertisers is determined by analyzing ASO Scores, Apple Search Ads Scores, and Ad Intelligence Scores obtained from MobileAction’s extensive dataset.

This in-depth analysis has been made possible through MobileAction’s offerings, including Apple Search Ads campaign management and comprehensive app store marketing intelligence. Our platform actively tracks over 5 million keywords, providing invaluable insights, and boasts a library of 69+ million ad creatives from 50+ ad networks globally. These impactful features strengthen our analyses by tapping into a wealth of data from diverse apps and creative strategies, ensuring a comprehensive and insightful examination of the advertising landscape within the dating app industry.

The post Top 10 Dating Apps on the USA App Store by User Acquisition Performance appeared first on MobileAction.

Leading the way is MyFitnessPal, celebrated for its exceptional ASO scores in user acquisition. Following closely is Fitbod, demonstrating successful metrics derived from effective organic and paid strategies. Securing the third position isBodyFast, showcasing a diverse range of active and successful ad creatives and earning the highest Ad Intelligence score. Peloton also earned a well-deserved spot on the list as they generated a remarkable Apple Search Ads score by leveraging multiple ad placements.

Let’s explore the standout achievements and strategies that have propelled these top apps ahead of the competition.

MyFitnessPal: Calorie Counter

• With an impressive total of over 27,000 keywords achieving organic rankings, 565 of these keywords ranked #1. This success contributes to their commendable ASO Score, the highest for the Health & Fitness category. Notably, a significant portion of their organic downloads originates from a select set of 15 keywords, constituting over half of their overall organic traffic. Furthermore, their branded keywords play a pivotal role, being the primary source of more than 50% of their organic traffic.

• They are currently running search result ads for over 11,000 keywords, and more than 4,500 of these keywords exhibit a high impression of over 20%.
• In the past month, they have executed a comprehensive advertising campaign, producing a total of 88 video-format ads that were strategically distributed across four ad networks. In their US storefront, they are committed to localization by creating 25% of their ads in Spanish. This bilingual approach is aimed at fostering greater user engagement and reaching a more diverse audience.

Fitbod Gym & Workout Planner

• They’ve successfully earned organic rankings for over 4,500 keywords, and among them, 104 boast a search score exceeding 40. Their downloads primarily come from approximately 40 keywords, showcasing their knack for relevance across a variety of search intents.
• They currently run search result ads for 989 paid keywords, with 55 of them having a search score higher than 40. This indicates a solid performance in targeting keywords that carry significant search intent and relevance.
• Over the past month, they’ve actively ran 368 ads, utilizing both video and image formats across four distinct ad networks. Their advertising strategy uniquely combines the app’s UI elements with real-life footage to enhance the effectiveness of conveying the app’s core value. This approach aims to provide users with a comprehensive and engaging understanding of the app’s features and benefits.

BodyFast: Intermittent Fasting

• BodyFast ranked organically for over 4,000 keywords, with 116 of them having  a search score of 40+. A significant portion of their organic downloads originate from 35 keywords. An interesting aspect is that their primary sources of organic traffic include their competitor’s brand keywords.

• Within the last month, they’ve actively launched 316 ads in video, image, and banner media formats.

InPulse – Heart Rate Monitor

• They’ve achieved organic rankings for over 5,700 keywords, with 197 of them boasting a search score surpassing 40. The majority of their organic downloads come from 32 specific keywords, and more than 60% of these downloads are generated through their own brand keywords. This underscores the significant impact of their brand presence on the organic traffic they attract.

• They are currently running search result ads for over 1,200 keywords, and among them, 342 keywords are generating impressions exceeding 20%. In addition to their default product page, they have introduced a custom product page designed specifically to highlight and promote a particular feature that the app offers.
• In the last month, they’ve created and ran 197 ads through 5 different ad networks. These ads, presented in both video and banner formats, prominently feature real-life footage to emphasize the app’s practical applications and highlight suitable usage scenarios.

Flo Period & Pregnancy Tracker

• They’ve achieved organic rankings for over 16,000 keywords, securing the 1st spot for 268 of them. Among these, 18 keywords stand out with a remarkable search score exceeding 80. Their organic downloads primarily originate from 26 keywords, covering brand terms, generic phrases, and even competitor brand keywords. This diverse range of keywords reflects their effectiveness in attracting users across different search contexts.

• They are actively running search result ads for more than 2,800 keywords, and among them, 80 keywords stand out with a search score surpassing 40. Notably, they’ve gone above and beyond industry averages by creating 18 custom product pages alongside their default product page. This impressive number demonstrates their commitment to providing a tailored experience. Leveraging varied screenshots and keywords, they aim to connect with a wider audience in a relatable and engaging manner.

• Over the past month, they’ve developed and launched a total of 144 ads, strategically distributing them across 4 ad networks. What stands out is their preference for the image format, even in the presence of video format options within similar apps in their category. This choice of emphasizing images over videos adds an interesting dimension to their advertising strategy, showcasing a unique approach within their competitive landscape.

Peloton: Fitness & Workouts

• They’ve successfully generated organic rankings for over 12,000 keywords. The primary source of their organic downloads revolves around 12 specific keywords. Interestingly, all of these keywords are either associated with their own brand or the brands of their competitors. More than 85% of their organic traffic is derived from searches related to their own brand keywords.

• They are actively running search result ads for an extensive portfolio of over 42,000 keywords, and more than 20,000 of these keywords has an impression share exceeding 20%. Notably, they hold the position of the top advertiser in the Health & Fitness category for search result ads and rank 2nd overall. Their strategic use of Search tab ads further improves their reach.

• Adding to their strategic approach, they have developed 3 custom product pages in addition to their default product page. One of these custom product pages outperforms their default product page in terms of impressions, reflecting a noteworthy achievement in their advertising efforts.

Interested in evaluating how your app stacks up against competitors? MobileAction offers a valuable tool for thorough competitor analysis, providing insights into market trends and opportunities to refine your strategy. Schedule a demo with MobileAction today to gain additional insights and bolster your competitive position.

Methodology

The ranking of top advertisers is determined by analyzing ASO Scores, Apple Search Ads Scores, and Ad Intelligence Scores obtained from MobileAction’s extensive dataset.

This in-depth analysis has been made possible through MobileAction’s offerings, including Apple Search Ads campaign management and comprehensive app store marketing intelligence. Our platform actively tracks over 5 million keywords, providing invaluable insights, and boasts a library of 69+ million ad creatives from 50+ ad networks globally. These impactful features strengthen our analyses by tapping into a wealth of data from diverse apps and creative strategies, ensuring a comprehensive and insightful examination of the advertising landscape within the health & fitness app industry.

The post Top 10 Health & Fitness Apps on the US App Store by User Acquisition Performance appeared first on MobileAction.

Leading the list is booking.com, the top travel app for user acquisition driven by its impressive Apple Search Ads visibility score. Following closely is Expedia, outperforming competitors with exceptional ASO scores. Hotels.com claims the third spot, displaying robust metrics from both organic and paid strategies. Notably, Agoda earns its place on the list, distinguished by various active ad creatives and holding the highest Ad Intelligence score.

Now, let’s dive into the key highlights, analyzing how these top apps have consistently outperformed their competitors.

Booking.com

• They exhibit a strong organic presence with over 5,800 keywords, with an impressive 54% securing a spot in the top 30 rankings. Most of their organic downloads come from a strategic choice of 10 keywords, covering their brand, generic terms, and competitor brand keywords. This keyword strategy highlights their expertise in optimizing visibility and drawing organic traffic.

• On Apple Search Ads, they actively bid on over 10,000 keywords, with 100+ having a greater search score than 40. As expected, they are at the top spot in the search result ads Top Advertisers list and the highest ASA score holder in the market.

• To enhance visibility, they also run ads on the Today tab and Search tab, employing a multi-placement ad strategy. Going beyond the default product page, they’ve crafted 4 custom product pages, each tailored to different features. Notably, one of these custom pages outperforms their default page in impressions. 

Expedia

• They’ve got over 9,000 keywords that they rank for organically, and an impressive 58% secure a spot in the top 30, giving them the highest ASO score on the list. Interestingly, 23% of their organic downloads come from their brand keyword, with the majority originating from competitor brand keywords.

• Expedia actively places bids on over 1,700 keywords for their search result ads. They utilize the power of Search tab ads to boost visibility and drive traffic. In addition to its default product page, Expedia has 7 custom product pages that are uniquely customized and localized.
• They’ve got over 36 live ads that are getting significant impressions.  

Hotels.com 

• Hotels.com has a robust organic presence with over 5,900 keywords, an impressive 56 of them in the 1st position. The primary source of their organic downloads revolves around 11 keywords, including their own brand and competitors’ brands. Noteworthy is their ability to attract significant downloads from competitors’ brand keywords, even when not securing a top 3 ranking for those terms.

• They’re currently bidding on over 1,500 keywords for their search result ads. Additionally, they’re running Search tab ads to increase awareness and traffic. Beyond their default product page, they have three custom product pages that attract a significant number of impressions and feature customized ad creatives targeting their brand keywords, generic category-related keywords, and competitor brand keywords.

Airbnb

• They’re currently ranked organically for over  4,600 keywords, with a notable 63% securing a spot in the top 30. What stands out is that a substantial 76% of their organic downloads come from their own brand keyword, highlighting their strong brand presence in the market.

Vrbo

• They currently rank for over 4,500 keywords, and over 45% of those have a search score greater than 40. When it comes to organic downloads, they mainly generate them from 8 keywords, a combination of their own brand and competitors’ branded keywords.

• They’re actively bidding on over 300 keywords for their search result ads. In addition to their default product page, they’ve created two custom product pages. What makes these custom pages stand out is their targeted approach. They are tailored specifically for their own brand keywords and competitor brand keywords.

• They currently have 26 live ads, each strategically designed to highlight the diverse benefits users can enjoy with the app. To make a compelling connection, they’ve integrated real-life footage, adding an authentic touch to draw in users.

Agoda

• They organically rank on over 3,500 keywords. Most of their organic downloads come from 11 keywords. Notably, the highest download percentage comes from a competitor’s brand- Airbnb.

• They’ve got 14 active ad creatives that are outperforming the category average in terms of impressions. They have crafted a diverse range of ad creatives, highlighting the app’s features and showcasing real-life footage to boost engagement. With these strategies in play, they’ve secured the top spot with the highest Ad Intel Score on the list.

Anticipating What’s Next in Your Category

Special Days & Events Affected the Trends

Exploring the last 90 days through MobileAction’s unique Keyword Trends tool reveals correlations between special days, seasonal events, and ASO trends. Notably, keywords like ‘Burning Man’ and ‘Black Friday’ experience heightened popularity around their events but see a decline afterward.

Incorporating relevant keywords during those periods is a strategic move for apps tied to these occasions. On a different note, the term ‘relocate’ gained traction during the last travel season, making it a valuable addition to your app’s metadata. Keep ahead of the curve by leveraging the insights. 

Implementing New Technologies at the Right Time

Incorporating new product updates into your app keeps you on the cutting edge and may give you a competitive advantage in your category. Take, for instance, Expedia’s strategic move. By examining the product page elements of travel apps through MobileAction’s one-of-a-kind Creative Asset Hub, we observed that Expedia updated its app’s screenshot assets, resulting in an uptick in category rankings.

Further analysis using the App Update Timeline revealed that these changes occurred around the travel season, just before it peaked. Upon analyzing this shift, we discovered that Expedia introduced an AI feature to help users create the ultimate travel plan using ChatGPT,  capitalizing on the buzz around the new AI trend.

Curious about how your app compares to others in the market? MobileAction is a valuable resource for in-depth competitor analysis. It empowers you to understand market trends and enhance your strategy. Schedule a demo with MobileAction to gain additional insights and strengthen your position.

Methodology

The ranking of top advertisers is determined by analyzing ASO Scores, Apple Search Ads Scores, and Ad Intelligence Scores obtained from MobileAction’s extensive dataset.

This in-depth analysis has been made possible through MobileAction’s offerings, including Apple Search Ads campaign management and comprehensive app store marketing intelligence. Our platform actively tracks over 5 million keywords, providing invaluable insights, and boasts a library of 69+ million ad creatives from 50+ ad networks globally. These impactful features strengthen our analyses by tapping into a wealth of data from diverse apps and creative strategies, ensuring a comprehensive and insightful examination of the advertising landscape within the travel app industry.

The post Top 10 Travel Apps on the US App Store by User Acquisition Performance  appeared first on MobileAction.

In this blog post, we’ll look into the use cases of Explore and discover how this powerful tool can help you make data-driven decisions for your app’s success. First, let’s quickly cover what Explore is and what it does.

The Power of Explore

Explore is a key component of Compass, designed to simplify competitive analysis and provide valuable market insights into the app ecosystem. Explore equips ASO experts and UA managers with the tools they need to gain a competitive edge. Users can easily and quickly obtain a summary of the latest updates on their own apps and their competitors’ apps on a daily basis on one dashboard. As an added benefit, it’s designed to ease your “exploration” journey. You’ll see numerous comparisons across various elements, such as in-app events and ad creative impression shares. Rather than trying to navigate many different pages and sources, you can quickly get redirected to the relevant detailed pages you wish to explore with a single click. You also have the option to export your analysis and easily share it with your team without the need to jump between tabs.

 Here are 5 use cases on some of the ways you can benefit from Explore:

1. Competitive Analysis through Category Ranking Analysis

Rankings play a critical role in user acquisition and significantly impact download numbers. Therefore, any app attempting to acquire more users should prioritize its rank position and strategies to enhance it. ASO experts can also better understand their app’s competitive landscape by analyzing category rankings. Benchmarking your app against competitors in your category is essential, as it helps in identifying trends that are crucial for optimizing your app’s performance.

Compass Explore allows you to understand your app ranking by helping you:

• Track Competitor Rankings: Get a unified view, on one dashboard, of your app’s category ranking compared to competitors.
• Identify Trends: Discover which categories your competitors excel in and optimize your strategy accordingly.

2. Competitive Analysis through App Update Timeline Analysis

Staying up-to-date with app updates is essential to understand the performance changes that are triggered with each update. Explore provides an app update timeline analysis that allows you to track both your app’s updates and those of your competitors. By understanding the timing and frequency of updates, you can adapt your strategy and respond with agility to your competitors’ moves.

App updates can significantly impact app performance. Compass Explore enables you to:

• Track App Update Timeline: Monitor your competitors’ app update frequency and analyze its effect on their app’s growth.
• Plan Your Updates: Gain insights into the timing and scope of updates that work best for your competitors and apply these learnings to your strategy.

Examining Temu’s update frequency suggests a strong commitment to keeping their app current, and their strategies seem to be working. When we look at the app update timeline table, it’s not hard to notice that Temu regularly updates its app more than its competitors. These updates enable Temu to provide a better user experience and signify Temu’s commitment to keeping its app stores up-to-date with the latest trends, seasonal changes, and more effective strategies. Compass Explore speeds up the process of gathering all this information about Temu while also assisting in identifying updates that work well and may benefit similar apps in the same category. Considering it is one unified dashboard, it is easier and faster to see and compare all the app updates. 

3. Competitive Analysis through Ad Intelligence Analysis

For UA managers looking to optimize ad creatives, Explore offers a great amount of insights. You can analyze the performance of the best-performing ad creatives of each competitor and correlate them with spikes in metrics like downloads, rankings, etc…. on a unified dashboard. This data empowers you to make informed decisions when creating future ad campaigns and creatives, ultimately improving your app’s visibility and user acquisition.

Here’s an example from the Gaming category, showcasing the ability to view and compare ad creative strategies on a single page with the specific apps we desire. Utilizing ad networks and impression share data provides insight into the kinds of creatives that perform better, offering the potential for implementation without requiring an extensive A/B testing process.

For mobile apps, first impressions matter; therefore, ad creatives have the utmost importance. Compass Explore empowers you to:

• Analyze Ad Creatives: Find out which ad networks your competitors use to spread their creatives and which ones bring higher impressions. 
• Identify Winning Strategies: Discover which ad creatives performed best for your competitors and adapt your approach accordingly.

4. Competitive Analysis through SearchAds Intelligence Keywords Impression Share Analysis

Keyword optimization is a critical aspect of Apple Search Ads. Compass Explore enables UA Managers to assess competitor actions on high-volume keywords that have brought visibility to the tracked app over the past 7 days.

Remember that you can see all your and competitors’ data on a single dashboard? This includes custom product pages as well. This section lets you quickly capture any compared app’s custom product page usage and impression shares and obtain country-specific insights. If you want more data on your app’s or your competitor apps’ custom product pages, you can also check Custom Product Page Intelligence, where you can analyze through apps, keywords or categories. 

Keywords are the backbone of ASO and UA. With Compass Explore, you can:

• Stay Informed: Keep an eye on your competitors’ high-volume keywords over the past week to stay competitive in the app market.
• Take Easier and Faster Actions: You can track best-performing keywords’ paid impression shares, apply these insights easily to your Apple Search Ads strategy, and adjust your bids accordingly using Automations on MobileAction’s SearchAds.com, the campaign management platform for Apple Search Ads.

5. Competitive Analysis through Brand Protection Analysis

Protecting your brand and maintaining a strong presence in the app market is vital. Explore offers brand protection analysis to help you monitor who is ranking for your brand keywords and safeguard your brand’s reputation. By gaining insights into your competitors’ interactions with your brand keywords, you can take proactive steps to uphold your brand’s integrity and ensure its continued visibility.

To enable brand keyword protection, Compass Explore offers insights into:

• Brand Visibility: Monitor your competitors’ rankings on your high-search-volume brand keywords. Track keyword performance to identify if any competitors are outpacing your brand in search results.
• Competitor Data: Discover your position for competitors’ brand keywords and secure your place in their search results. Identify your rankings to understand where you might appear when potential users search for those terms.

Consider the case of Headspace as an example. They’ve secured their position for brand keywords, ensuring that when someone searches for “Headspace,” their app appears at the top instead of their competitors. Maintaining a strong presence for these trophy keywords is a must to retain high-intent customers and convert those actively searching for your brand. Instead of individually tracking your brand’s position for each keyword across multiple storefronts, with a single click, you can switch between storefronts and track your brand’s position against multiple competitors at the same time, on a unified dashboard . This approach facilitates quicker actions and enables strategic brand protection.

Embrace the Future of Competitor and Market Analysis

Step into the simplified side of app market analysis with Compass Explore. Transform your strategy with streamlined, data-backed insights that empower you to stand out in the competitive app market. It’s more than just understanding the market – it’s about reshaping your app’s destiny with informed, bold decisions. 

Seize the opportunity to redefine your app’s success. Begin today by signing up for a free trial of Compass Explore and chart a course toward market dominance.

The post Optimizing Competitor Analysis: A Guide to Using Compass Explore for Market Insights appeared first on MobileAction.

Growth and localization are inseparable in the ASO journey, allowing developers to broaden their horizons by not only making their apps available across multiple countries but also by enhancing their desirability and discoverability. The connection is undeniable; if you’re crafting a mobile user acquisition strategy that will include multiple countries, localization should be a non-negotiable item on your checklist.

But why? Even though English is the most widely spoken language in the world, and an app with all English metadata might have five-star ratings and glowing reviews, it still may not impress non-native English speakers. Consider stumbling upon a fantastic app in the store, only to find its content is not in your language. The barrier becomes evident—understanding the metadata becomes a challenge. Thus, the importance of mobile app localization and extending beyond mere translation to offer a full user experience in the language of your target audience is high.

Innovative translation modules make keyword optimization more efficient, providing users with immediate translations. However, translation alone isn’t always sufficient. It’s essential to adapt your text to align with the specific culture you aim for. Incorporating cultural trends and elements can significantly enhance user experience—people appreciate encountering facets of their culture, fostering a sense of familiarity with your app, such as cultural idioms, events or even visual elements.

In global app stores, aligning your app with local characteristics is not just beneficial—it’s imperative for a successful ASO strategy. Understanding the search behaviors of each target audience based on their language and culture is critical. While mobile app localization may seem complex, the effort and time invested in a perfect strategy yield rewards in boosted download numbers and improved category rankings. 

In this blog post, we’ll discuss the essentials of app localization, unraveling its importance for a detailed ASO and app marketing strategy.

Why is Localizing App Store Presence Important?

Mobile app store presence localization is instrumental in increasing downloads across various storefronts. Google and Apple prioritize localized apps because they provide better user experiences. Both stores grant a significant advantage in rankings, especially in non-English speaking countries. Users are more likely to choose apps in their native language, even if they are proficient in English. Localization of app store presence not only involves translating metadata, it also requires a holistic makeover consisting of adjusting creatives, images, videos, and even measurement units to align with the target market’s culture. Ultimately, localization is the key to elevating conversion rates, fostering user engagement, and driving your business to global heights.Here’s a brief example illustrating how localization operates, which we’ll explore further in the next paragraph. Examining Temu’s updates in Sweden via the App Update Timeline, we notice that on August 13, Temu localized its app name, subtitle, description, and screenshots. Following this update, there was a noticeable rise in Temu’s visibility score in Sweden. At the start of August, it stood at 80.6 out of 100, but by November, it had risen to 86.32. This is just the starting point of the example; hold on tight, we’ll discover a lot more on localization. 

The Effects of Localization on Temu and AliExpress’ Regional Success

Let’s go over an example showcasing how the importance of localization manifests through Temu and AliExpress. Both are shopping apps with nearly identical audiences, providing similar value. Consequently, both apps closely monitor each other’s App Store Optimization activities.

The comparison map at the beginning shows different visibility scores for these apps across various regions. This may indicate active utilization of ASO for localization, facilitating their app growth in diverse locations. 

A closer examination of each app’s localization tactics further confirms this trend. MobileAction’s Localization tool reveals that in Romania, Sweden, and Greece, Temu has localized its subtitles and descriptions, while AliExpress retained theirs in the original language. This distinction has yielded tangible results, with Temu achieving higher visibility and top category rankings than AliExpress in these regions.

However, taking a contrasting perspective, AliExpress localized its subtitles and descriptions in Ukraine, leading to an immediate impact. AliExpress secures a significantly higher visibility score and category ranking in this case.

The detailed visibility map below provides a comprehensive comparison.

As evident from the data above, app localization is pivotal in enhancing visibility within specific regions.

It also affirms the hypothesis that customers tend to prefer products with information available in their native language when faced with similar choices. This underscores the crucial role of localization in influencing consumer decisions.

Localize Like a Pro with MobileAction’s Localization and Translation Features

MobileAction’s Localization tool offers an overview of an app’s localized ASO elements (title, subtitle, and description) and its performance across active countries. It allows you to uncover effective localization strategies, identify potential geographies for future localization, and gain insights into competitors’ global strategies. You can analyze localized content, understand top-ranking countries, and refine your app’s localization strategy by comparing different apps’ approaches to strengthen your market position.

You can also use the Keyword Translator tool to support your localization efforts. A part of the localization comes from translating your ASO elements for the targeted countries. By leveraging Keyword Translator, you can effortlessly translate your metadata keywords (more than 20 keywords simultaneously) in 22 languages —titles, subtitles, and descriptions—for an international audience. Tracking each keyword’s character counts and search scores is also possible to optimize your metadata effectively and adapt your strategy quickly.

Initiate your localization journey today, whether you’re looking to strengthen your strategies, merge localization into your ASO endeavors to expand your user base, or seek comprehensive guidance. Take the first step by scheduling a demo with MobileAction, where experts will help you explore the path to your app’s global success.

The post ASO and Localization: The Dynamic Duo for Expanding your User Base appeared first on MobileAction.

Taking the lead is JD Sports, crowned as the top shopping app for user acquisition, propelled by an impressive Apple Search Ads visibility score. Following closely is Very, securing the second spot with a variety of active ad creatives and positioning them as the holder of the highest Ad Intelligence score in the list. Farfetch claims the third position, showcasing strong metrics from both organic and paid strategies. Not to be overlooked, ASOS earns its place on the list, outshining competitors with exceptional ASO scores.

Let’s take a look at the highlights of how the top apps managed to outperform others.

JD Sports

• JD Sports has an impressive ASO score, with 61% of their organic keywords ranking in the top 30. 

• JD Sports actively bids on 180 keywords in their search result ads. Impressively, more than 25% of these keywords exceed a search score of 40. Their paid keywords cover their own brand, competitor brands, and generic terms, demonstrating their planned and comprehensive keyword strategy. Notably, their success in enhancing app visibility is attributed to leveraging the Search tab ads. These strategies have made them the highest Apple Search Ads score holder on the list.

Very

• They have a collection of 1,432 organic keywords, and a notable 56% of these keywords have found their place comfortably within the top 30 rankings. It’s important to highlight that most of their organic downloads originate from their own brand keywords, accounting for 86% of their overall organic traffic.

• Currently, they do not have any live ad creatives. However, throughout Q3 2023, they’ve introduced 24 unique ad creatives, generating significant impressions and leading them to achieve the highest Ad Intelligence score among retail apps in the UK market.

Farfetch

• Farfetch has 776 organic keywords, and 10 of them drive most downloads. Of those top 10, just 3 are branded terms. This shows Farfetch’s strength in ranking for high-value generic and competitor keywords, attracting searchers not specifically seeking their app. Their influential presence for generic and competitive terms gives Farfetch an edge over fashion app competitors.

• To boost App Store visibility, Farfetch bids on 101 keywords and utilizes 1 custom product pages that outperforms their default page. This combined paid search, and optimized product page strategy enables Farfetch to get their app in front of more motivated users and drive conversions.

Boohoo

• Boohoo has an organic presence with 1,375 keywords, over 66% of which place them in the top 30 rankings. This organic visibility includes high rankings for competitor brand keywords, enabling them to intercept searches even when users aren’t looking for their brand specifically.

• Boohoo’s Apple Search Ads strategy stands out on two key fronts: a  collection of 167 keywords for their search result ads and leveraging to create custom product pages exclusively for competitor brand keywords. 
• While they’re not currently running any ads, the 4 they created last quarter have delivered great impressions.

By Rotation

• They have a pool of 623 organically ranked keywords, and their standout achievement is generating over 95% of their organic downloads from competitor brand keywords.
• At the moment, they have 156 live ads, a standout achievement when you consider the category average. What sets them apart is their blend of diverse strategies in crafting this impressive creative portfolio.

ASOS

• ASOS currently has 1,571 organically ranked keywords and a solid 75% securing top 30 positions. Most of their organic downloads flow from 14 keywords, spanning generic, brand, and competitor terms, securing ASOS the highest ASO score in the market.

• Currently, they do not have any live ads. However, throughout Q3 2023, they’ve introduced 124 unique ad creatives.

Curious about how your app compares to others in the market? MobileAction is a useful resource for in-depth competitor analysis. It helps you understand market trends and fine-tune your strategy. Book a demo with MobileAction to gain additional insights to strengthen your position.

Methodology

The ranking of top advertisers is determined by analyzing ASO Scores, Apple Search Ads Scores, and Ad Intelligence Scores obtained from MobileAction’s extensive dataset from Q4 2022.

This in-depth analysis has been made possible through MobileAction’s offerings, including Apple Search Ads campaign management and comprehensive app store marketing intelligence. Our platform actively tracks over 5 million keywords, providing invaluable insights, and boasts a library of 69+ million ad creatives from 50+ ad networks globally. These robust features empower our analyses by harnessing a wealth of data from various apps and creative strategies, ensuring a thorough and insightful examination of the retail app advertising landscape.

The post Top 10 Retail Apps on the UK App Store by User Acquisition Performance appeared first on MobileAction.