Once you’ve finished beta testing your app and you’re ready to release it into the wild, you might be thinking that the hard work is done. Unfortunately, getting people to download and interact with your app is even tougher work than developing it in the first place. Naturally, you will want to advertise your app, promote it to your existing customer base and perhaps even use influencer marketing to spread the word, but one of the best ways to start is by writing a great Google Play Store description for your app to ensure your software’s seen organically.
App Store optimisation involves improving the visibility of your app on the Google Play Store, similar to SEO and its impact on your website. Although the vast majority of ASO is centred around keyword research, we’ve put together a more comprehensive look at writing a listing for your app on the Google Play Store to ensure it’s seen by as many people as possible.
The chances are that you’ve already given your app a name – perhaps it’s something short and sweet like Deliveroo or maybe it’s an extension of your brand, like Amazon Instant Video. Whatever you’ve chosen, it’s important to remember that your App Title does not necessarily have to be the same as your app’s name.
Google uses your app title in the same way as your app description, and so we recommend adding one or two relevant keywords to your app title to ensure it A) describes the functionality offered and B) maximises the number of potential keywords you could rank for. For example, if your Android app offers virtual whisky tasting sessions and your app’s called Whiskers, your app title could be Whiskers – the Whisky Tasting app for Whisky Lovers.
You incorporate a couple of keywords and users will immediately know what to expect before they download your app from the Play Store.
Google allows up to 50 characters in your app title, but research has found that the first 19 are the most visible, so make sure they’re well-optimised and descriptive of your software.
As we’ve already touched upon, it’s vital that you conduct keyword research when you’re putting together your Google Play Store listing for your app. Researching current search trends can ensure you’re tapping into lucrative audiences.
The good news is that there are free tools on the market to help with your Google Play Store keyword research – Keyword Tool is perhaps the most well known. Type in your industry or a keyword you want to rank for, and it’ll break down the number of similar keywords, the search volume, trends, and competition.
In an ideal world, you want to choose keywords with a high search volume and low competition – if that’s not possible, try to strike a balance between the two. For example, you’re unlikely to rank ahead of Uber for terms like ‘taxi app’, but you might rank ahead of them for more localised terms such as ‘Edinburgh taxi app’ or keywords with more search intent, such as ‘taxi app for single women’.
You can use as many of these keywords in your app description as you want, but remember that you’re writing it for humans, not Google. Stuffing in keywords will reduce the readability of your description and perhaps lower download rates as a result.
We recommend putting yourself in the shoes of your ideal customer when writing your Play Store description – think about the issues they’re facing and the pain points your app could address.
Google offers two descriptions on the Play Store – the short description is a short, 80-character preview and is shown on search engine results pages. Keep it short and sweet and sell the benefits of your app. Incorporate one or two keywords in this short description but don’t overdo it – the key here is to persuade potential customers to download your app.
The Full Description is where the good stuff happens. Here, you’ve got up to 4,000 characters (that’s up to 650 words, on average) to sell the benefits of your app and add more of your chosen keywords.
On iOS, your app’s description has little impact on search engine results positions, but with Google, it really does, so consider your longer app description an extension of your website and use all of the SEO techniques you’ve learned to optimise it.
In the world of apps, users typically make a decision on whether to download or scroll on very quickly, so include the most important information above the fold. For the longer-form content, it’s recommended to space it out into 3-5 paragraphs, outlining the main features of your software, highlighting any award wins and perhaps offering a few use cases.
It’s also a good idea to include contact information at the end of your description so users can get in touch if they have any questions, and if there’s space, perhaps even a short FAQs section.
The truth is that you won’t get your Android app description perfect on day one, and like with SEO, you can continue to optimise and tweak your page as your business evolves.
Whatever stage you’re at, whether you’re ready to launch your app or you’re still thinking about getting started, the team at Zudu can help you. Call us on 01382 690080 to find out more.
