Story Based Question
Imagine you’ve launched an online store that sells custom t-shirts. You’ve been optimizing your website’s SEO for months—improving your content, using the right keywords, and building backlinks. Traffic is coming in steadily, but you’ve also created a mobile app to make it easier for customers to shop on-the-go. Now, you’re focusing on your app’s visibility, but you quickly realize that app store rankings don’t work the same way as website rankings. You start asking, “How does App Store Optimization (ASO) differ from traditional SEO, and what do I need to do for my app?”
Exact Answer
ASO (App Store Optimization) and traditional SEO (Search Engine Optimization) both aim to improve visibility, but ASO focuses on optimizing mobile apps within app stores like Google Play and the Apple App Store, while traditional SEO focuses on optimizing websites to rank in search engines like Google. ASO uses factors like app title, keywords, user reviews, and app ratings, whereas traditional SEO uses website content, backlinks, and on-page optimization.
Explanation
Though ASO and traditional SEO both aim to increase visibility and drive organic traffic, they are optimized for different platforms and use different techniques. Here’s a breakdown of the key differences:
- Platform:
- ASO: Focuses on app stores such as the Apple App Store or Google Play, helping apps rank in search results within those platforms.
- SEO: Focuses on search engines like Google or Bing, helping websites rank on web search results.
- Ranking Factors:
- ASO: Includes app-specific factors like app title, keywords, icon, screenshots, app reviews, and ratings. App stores use these signals to determine how to rank apps in search results or feature them in categories like “Top Charts” or “Top Stories.”
- SEO: Focuses on content quality, keyword optimization, backlinks, meta descriptions, and user experience on a website. Google’s algorithms use these factors to decide how to rank websites.
- User Behavior:
- ASO: Users often search for apps by category or functionality (e.g., “fitness tracker,” “budgeting app”). They also rely heavily on reviews and ratings when choosing apps.
- SEO: Users typically search for informational content, services, or products, and their behavior includes clicking on search results from various websites. The goal is to drive organic traffic to your site through valuable content.
- Optimization Techniques:
- ASO: App title optimization, using relevant keywords in the app description, optimizing visual elements (like screenshots and icons), encouraging good reviews, and ensuring fast app performance.
- SEO: Website content optimization, keyword usage in headers and body text, optimizing images, ensuring mobile responsiveness, and building backlinks.
While both are forms of optimization aimed at increasing visibility, ASO is tailored for apps within a specific ecosystem, whereas SEO focuses on general web traffic. The strategies and tactics differ to account for these platforms’ unique ranking systems and user behaviors.
Example
Let’s go back to your custom t-shirt app. You’ve optimized your website’s SEO, so your t-shirt store ranks well in Google search results. Now, you want to apply ASO to your mobile app.
- SEO for Website:
Your website title is “Custom T-Shirts – Design Your Own T-Shirts Online.” You’ve included keywords like “custom t-shirts,” “design t-shirts,” and “t-shirt printing.” Your content is rich with blog posts about t-shirt designs, printing techniques, and trends, which helps your site rank for search terms related to t-shirt purchases. - ASO for App:
For your app, the title could be “T-Shirt Designer: Create Your Custom Tees.” Your app description would highlight key features like “easy design tools,” “high-quality fabric options,” and “instant previews.” You’d also add app screenshots showing users designing a t-shirt, and encourage positive reviews for higher ratings. Your goal is to rank for terms like “custom t-shirt maker” and “t-shirt design app,” while focusing on getting your app downloaded.
In short, the same idea—promoting your product—applies to both, but the techniques and strategies are customized to fit the platform, whether it’s a website for SEO or an app for ASO.