By Hagen Weiss
Every gaming company understands the importance of App Store Optimization (ASO) in getting your game found by customers. In 2020, the Apple App Store had 957,390 games, while Google Play had 385,551 games. To stand out in the sea of gaming apps, you must pay attention to your ASO. Below, we list the top 3 app store optimization mistakes and how you can fix them.
1. Not Having Keywords in Title
One of the main ranking factors for both Apple’s App Store and Google Play is the title. Often, the mistake is to have no keywords in the title – only your brand name is present. While only having a brand title might work for extremely popular games, most other games will have a hard time ranking.
Instead, include some relevant keywords in the title to make it easier for your users to find you. For example, the popular board game “Monopoly” has this for its title: “Monopoly – Board game classic about real-estate!” The extra keywords (i.e. “Board game classic about real-estate”) helps both the users and app store understand better what your game is all about.
2. Keyword Stuffing
Another mistake is to over-utilize your keywords. Just because you found a high traffic keyword doesn’t mean you should use it over and over again. In fact, keyword stuffing can make it awkward for the user. Moreover, it might hurt you in your rankings, or, worse, get you suspended from the store.
The better plan is to use your primary keyword naturally. The reader should be able to read through your app without noticing the repeated usage. In general, use the keyword once in your title and then sparingly throughout – only when it makes sense. Also, choose other synonymous, high-ranking keywords to make it more natural.
3. Not Localizing Your Game
If your game is not localized to a key target audience, you could be losing out on downloads and sales. Gamers are some of the most sophisticated customers. They expect smooth gameplay, quality translations, and more. So, if your game is full of faux-pas translations, they will notice.
Based on your resources, you should decide what audiences you’d like to focus on. From there, consider localizing the following:
● App title
● Subtitle
● Keywords
● Screenshots, images, or graphics
● App description
Localizing your app will give you a better chance of getting featured in the target country. In addition, gamers will have a much better impression when they see your app on the app store. And, we know that the first impressions are key to get your customer to download your app.
iGlobe: Localization & Marketing Agency
ASO can be a huge undertaking. Understanding how the app stores work and keeping up with best practices is crucial for any App Store Optimization strategy. But, if done well, you will have an effective means to reach your target customers.
iGlobe is a premiere localization and marketing agency for gaming companies. We help our clients break into international audiences through our team of expert translators and marketers. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you with your next project!
E-mail：hello@iglobe.ca
Tel：+1 604 355 3023