Google Play ASO: Ultimate Guide on App Store Optimization for Android in 2024

Android app promotion on Google Play takes an integrated approach, consistent efforts, and plenty of patience. The RadASO team collected the main promotion methods and useful lifehacks to help you better understand the specifics of ASO for Android and choose the most relevant marketing strategy.

Interesting fact: Google Play has extremely strong competition for users’ attention: according to Statista, in December 2023, the total number of apps on Google Play was over 2.4 million.

App Optimization for Google Play

ASO (app store optimization) is the basis used to promote app on Google Play. Thanks to text and graphic optimization, one can:

• improve the app’s visibility in the store searches;
• increase the impression-to-install conversion;
• and boost the overall app’s awareness and appeal, which will positively affect business metrics.

Text Optimization of Apps for Google Play

Let’s start by figuring out how a user finds an app. Usually, they enter keywords into the search field and tap on the most appealing app in the search results to go to its page. The key role in this journey belongs to the app's rankings for a specific search term. Optimizing text metadata with regard to the relevant keywords notably increases the app’s chances of showing up in the top search positions.

1. Title
This is the most significant part of metadata and has the biggest weight for ranking. The maximum length of a title in Google Play is only 30 symbols. At the same time, it must be easy to understand, reveal the app’s essence, and contain the search term, which will be associated with the app by Google’s algorithm.

2. Short Description
This is a short story about the app for the audience. This field is 80 symbols long and, by its significance, holds second place after the title. Here, you should present the main points that set your app apart from its competitors.

3. Long Description
Although only around 5% of users tap the Learn More link, you shouldn’t neglect writing a full description. Unlike the App Store, this field is indexed in Google Play.

The maximum number of symbols in a long description is 4,000, and Google’s algorithms view the first 200 of those as the most significant ones. Be smart about using keywords in this field:

• choose several search terms to include in the description;
• mind the keyword density – each keyword must be used in the text 3–5 times;
• avoid overspam – the description must be easy to read. If your text is overstuffed with keywords, the app may be blocked;
• use the Google Natural Language (GNL) tool to check your description: it can help you find out the category (for example, “Education,” “Communication,” “Finance,” “Travel,” and others)  Google's algorithms match the app description with.

Further information on text metadata writing can be found in the Play Console Help.

Read more about how textual ASO increased Preply's views by 66% and downloads by 44% in 2 weeks

Graphic Optimization of Apps for Google Play

1. Icon

The icon doesn’t technically affect the app’s ranking, but it’s an extremely important graphic element, as it has a notable impact on conversion. It is the first thing users notice on the app’s page and in search results, which is why it is so important to pay enough attention to its development.

Here is what you need to consider while designing an icon:

• brand name and other brand elements – color scheme, logo, and other symbols will improve brand recognition;
• use graphic elements that clearly convey the app’s essence and functions;
• seasonal specials – many apps and games change their icons to mark special occasions like Black Friday, Halloween, Christmas, etc.;
• the icon and screenshots should have the same or similar color scheme and style. In this way, your graphics will look more unified, which may positively affect conversion. 

Read more about increasing conversion from impressions to installs through graphics improvement – SteuerGo App Case Study.

Use screenshots to showcase your app’s capabilities, features, and characteristics.  Well-designed screenshots will not only make the app more appealing, but also increase the number of installs.

Here is what you need to consider while making the screenshots:

• the majority of users won't swipe through all of your screenshots (you can have 2 to 8 of those). It’s best if you place the ones with the most important info at the beginning of the set;
• never use low-quality images;
• bank on precision and laconism: one thought = one screenshot;

• for aesthetic reasons, don’t let the app’s interface take up the whole screenshot. Instead, show how your game or app will look on the phone mockup.

*A mockup is a full-size model of a structure or device used for teaching, demonstration, design evaluation, advertising, and other purposes.

• add graphics and text to highlight key points;

• seasonal changes (the same as with the icon): pumpkins or tinsel aren’t very relevant in summer, and the same goes for iced drinks in winter;

Example: springtime screenshots’ adaptation

• choose the target countries for your app’s marketing and tailor the screenshots accordingly. Localization should not only include text translation, as the graphics must also be relevant to the cultural code of a particular region;

Example: screenshot’s localization for Shein app’s Japanese market

• Google’s algorithm can index text on screenshots, so you need to include some relevant search terms from the semantic core.

3. App Promo Video

Video on the app’s page in Google Play is an optional element that notably affects the conversion. With its help, you can demonstrate the app’s operation or gameplay. Also, a video can attract extra attention, which will positively impact the user’s decision.

Points to consider while making the video:

• all videos on Google Play are played via YouTube in landscape format;
• don’t make your videos too lengthy – 15 to 30 seconds is more than enough;
• the video and screenshots must look unified and have the same style;
• the Feature Graphic also impacts conversion – this element takes up most of the screen and is mandatory if you have a video on the page.

Details on Google's requirements for graphic content and store listing best practices are available in Play Console Help. 

Read more about graphics in mobile app promotion on the App Store and Google Play (ASO) - how to optimize graphic elements.

Working with app’s ratings and reviews on Google Play

While ranking an app, Google’s algorithm takes into account its user ratings and reviews. High ratings and positive reviews can persuade users to download the app, while negative comments and 2-star ratings usually don’t inspire confidence and drive people away. 

Ratings are especially critical for Google Play, as users can apply a rating-based filter to their search results. That’s why you need to consistently keep your app’s rating at 4.5 or higher.

How to get more reviews and ratings:

• Use App Rating Prompts to show in-app messages to your active users asking them to rate your app and leave a comment in the store. You need to carefully choose the right moment for App Rating Prompts – usually, that’s after users perform some action or reach a new level in a game.
• Reply to the comments and analyze them. This is the best way to understand the pain points of the users’ real-life experience with your app.

Google Play Tags

Google uses tags to determine the app’s category so that it can show it to users who are searching for that particular app type. 

In Google Play, you can select up to 5 tags to display on your app’s page and in search results. 

Mobile App Promotion on Google Play

Promotion Strategy

Start with research and goal setting. Define the app’s target audience, how strong the competition is in the niche, what advertising tactics are used by the competitors, and which markets are in high priority. Then, formulate the goals you need to reach, for instance, by the end of the year. All goals must be measurable, so that you can later track whether the KPIs have been achieved.

While building the marketing strategy, be guided by the product’s life cycle. If an app or a game is only about to be launched on the market, you can stir up the interest of your potential users with promo-teaser content. 

Launch is the most crucial moment when you can make the loudest statement about yourself. 

Or, let’s say, the app has been around for a long time and consistently has a decent number of installs every month. In this case, the toolset for its promotion may be different.

Localization

Localization is essential for a naturally-feeling in-app experience. This process implies working with text, graphics, and app content adaptation to linguistic and cultural peculiarities in different countries.

Thanks to localization, the app becomes more accessible to users, which improves customer satisfaction.

Read more about how proper localization led to a 452% increase in impressions and a 1600% increase in downloads in China.

Targeted advertising

With social networks, one can reach their relevant audience all around the world. This tool’s key advantages are precise targeting adjustments and the amount of traffic it brings to a webpage from social networks.

When you launch your ad campaign, tailor it according to your goals. The algorithms will show your ads to the target users who are inclined to perform a certain action (e.g., watch a video, like, comment, register, buy, etc.).

In social media marketing for apps, it is best to use Meta services (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp), TikTok, Snapchat, and the Google UAC service, which was created specifically for mobile app promotion.

Incent Traffic

Incent is traffic with the involvement of real users performing specific actions for a reward. Usually, those are installs or generating search traffic using certain keywords. All these actions are aimed at getting an app to the top of the search results.

App’s Webpage Promotion

A landing page can help you turn visitors into users. Here is how you can make the app’s landing promotion even more efficient:

• ensure that the page is mobile-friendly and easy to browse on a small screen;
• use call-to-action: buttons with clear and short calls like “Download now” will persuade users to perform a desired action – go to the app store;
• add Social Proofs: reviews and user-generated content will showcase the in-app experience and inspire trust;
• perform А/В testing for different elements of your page (buttons, colors, etc.) to find the most effective ones.

SMM

Growing the app’s brand page or a community for your game takes a lot of effort and investment. However, it can yield certain results: the more users interact with the content, share it, and participate in prize competitions, the more popular the app becomes and the more installs it gets.

Promo Video

This is a truly universal marketing tool. You can post a promo video on your web page or on social media, add it to your in-store app’s page, use it as a video advertisement, etc. 

In-app Advertisement

In-app ads allow you to find relevant audiences in other apps. If your audiences have similar interests, like cooking or apps for kids, you can place your ads in apps with similar content.

There are various formats of in-app ads:

• rewarded video – these ads offer to watch a promo video in exchange for an in-app bonus or prize;

• in-app banners – these ads stay on the screen while a user interacts with the app. That’s the same principle as on web pages;

• interstitial ads –  these ads overlap the app’s interface. Usually, they pop up when a user moves from one action to another;

Source: Google

• mini-games – these interactive ads demonstrate and allow users to test certain features of a promoted app or game.

There are services specializing in in-app ad placement that will offer you a pool of apps with a particular theme.

PR activities and Collaborations With Influencers

This includes integrations in popular blogs, posting articles about the app or game in thematic media, participation in offline events, QR codes on billboards, etc. There are a plethora of options!

A Checklist For Google Play Store Advertising

There is no universal way to promote Android app on Google Play, so you will need to find the one that works best for you. Try all methods, monitor the store’s updates, and, most importantly, never quit. Below, you’ll find a checklist by the RadASO team with the main steps:

• Identify your app’s target audience and the markets you will promote it in.
• Analyze the competition.
• Build a semantic core.
• Prepare text metadata and localize them for each target country.
• Design the icon, screenshots, feature graphics, and video (if possible).
• Create the app marketing strategy based on the specific KPIs we want to achieve and the current stage of the app’s life cycle (pre-release teaser, launch, or maintenance – promoting an existing app).
• Analyze this iteration’s efficiency and plan the following actions.