Earlier this year, it was reported that consumers spent a whopping 900 billion hours using mobile apps during 2016.  It’s not just time that consumers are spending on apps—they’re spending money, too. App publishers generated around $89 billion in revenue in 2016, and this number is expected to double by 2020. Based on these statistics, it’s not hard to understand why brands are eager to create apps. But, developing the app is only half of the work. Once the app is launched, marketers must get to work to optimize the app to ensure users can find it.

Google Search Results

Websites, images, and videos aren’t the only things that show up in Google’s search results—mobile apps do as well. In the past, Google only included apps in the search results that were already installed on the user’s phone. However, the search engine has evolved over time, and now includes apps that are relevant to the query regardless of whether they are already on the user’s phone or not. This means brands have an opportunity to reach users even when they are not actively looking for an app. However, in order to appear in the search results, the app must be optimized.

App Store Search Results

Most users head to the app store when they are interested in finding a new app, which is why brands also need to consider how to rank high in the app store’s search results. Fortunately, it’s quite simple to optimize your app and improve your ranking in the store’s search results.

Start by analyzing the title of your app, which is what the app store looks at to determine what your app is about. The title of your app should include both branded and non-branded keywords. To illustrate this point, consider the UberEATS mobile app. The official title of this app in the app store is “UberEATS: Food Delivery.” This title contains both a branded keyword, UberEats, and non-branded keywords, food delivery. This title clearly tells the app store what services UberEATS provides so the store can place it in the results of relevant searches.

Brands should also carefully select the terms they want to include in the “Keyword Field” on the app’s description. Choose keywords that are relevant to your business with a high search volume and low to medium competition. It may be a good idea to use the Google Keyword Planner to identify the best keywords. Keep in mind that the keywords you have included in your title do not need to be repeated in the keyword field. Your most important keywords should be in the title, and the remaining keywords that you would like to target should be included here. There is a 100-character limit, so choose wisely.

Following these SEO tips will help you get to the top of the search results so more users can discover your app. Once you’ve made it to the top, don’t forget to continue to monitor your app’s performance so you can make adjustments to your strategy that will help you stay on top.

Author:

Nick Rojas is a self-taught, serial entrepreneur who’s enjoyed working with and consulting for startups. He concentrates on teaching small and medium sized enterprises how best to manage their social media marketing and define their branding objectives. You can follow him on twitter as @NickARojas