What is ASO?

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The heightened interest in mobile apps continues its steady growth: according to the Business of Apps, by the end of 2023, the number of downloads exceeded 257 billion (combined with App Store and Play Market). 

iGaming apps are one of the most lucrative categories. Unsurprisingly, we get tough competition and it becomes crucial to differentiate yourself from the others. In such a challenging environment one of the top approaches to drive traffic to gambling and betting apps is App Store Optimization (ASO). In todays topic by 888STARZ Partners expert team we are going to explore how to use ASO in marketing to boost application visibility and draw in more customers to your product! 

Understanding the basics of ASO in affiliate marketing

In an industry where the iGaming market is so oversaturated, how can one remain afloat and draw in new consumers? To do this, app developers and webmasters should use all available tools to increase mobile app visibility and drive traffic.

This is where App Store Optimization can help you out. ASO is the process of optimizing mobile apps to increase their search ranking in App Store (for iOS) and Google Play (for Android). With the right set of actions, the number of conversions and app downloads increases, respectively.

Total consumer spending and store subscription revenue (for 2023)
Source: DATA AI

It’s crucial to understand that ASO involves using keywords, improving visual components, and responding to user feedback — just like SEO (Search Engine Optimization) does for websites.

ASO and SEO have similar goals of increasing organic traffic, but focus on different platforms. SEO focuses on optimizing websites for search engines (e.g. Google), while ASO focuses on optimizing app pages in mobile stores.

Worldwide app user spending over the last 5 years. While in 2018 the compound annual growth rate was $25 billion in Google Play and $47 billion in App Store, in 2023 it gave at least x2 — $60 billion in Google Play $96 billion in App Store
Source: Sensor Tower

Essential components of ASO include:

  1. Keywords:
    Identifying and utilizing relevant keywords that people use to find apps. It’s important to fill in meta tags and keyword fields for iOS and Android, respectively.
  2. Title:
    The title (or name) of the app is one of the most important App Store ranking factors, as well as Play Market. It should include the main keywords and be memorable.
  3. Description:
    This is a short and complete app description optimization, which definitely contains keywords. It should attract attention and clearly explain why the user should download the app.
  4. Visual part:
    The icon of the app should be unique and catch the attention of the users. The screenshots inside should clearly demonstrate the interface and functionality and the app. It is also ideal to add video previews — short clips showing the essence of the app itself.
  5. Ratings and user reviews:
    Monitoring and managing reviews are important aspects of ASO. High ratings and positive reviews increase user trust and influence ranking in mobile stores.

Here are the main goals that a webmaster should set for himself:

  1. Higher visibility:
    Increased app position in search results and top charts.
  2. More installs:
    Growth in the number of organic app downloads.
  3. Conversion Improvement:
    Turning user visits into downloads.
  4. Growth in ratings and reviews:
    Increasing an app’s overall ASO rating and getting more positive reviews.

And here are the important metrics for tracking ASO successfully:

  1. Number of downloads:
    The number of times an app has been downloaded in a given period.
  2. Install conversions:
    The percentage of users who clicked through to the app’s page and decided to install it.
  3. App rating:
    The average star rating from users.
  4. Keyword optimization:
    The app’s keyword positions in search.

Benefits of using ASO for iGaming

The fact that mobile apps are always a hot topic is confirmed by a recent study from Business of Apps. According to their data, users made 113 billion downloads on Google Play for the entire year 2023. A total of 2.61 million apps and games are available for download. 

As for the App Store, the stats are no less impressive: 2.29 million apps and games as of the end of 2023 (140 billion downloads have been made). For clarity, here is a graph of the market growth:

In the past 5 years, the number of downloads from mobile app stores has almost doubled
Source: Statista

The majority of the market for mobile apps that are available consists of online casinos and betting services. Therefore, proper ASO optimization can significantly impact the success of apps in the Gaming industry. Let’s take a look at the top benefits of ASO:

Increased mobile app visibility

Proper optimization helps apps be more visible in search and certain categories. As a result, the app becomes more visible to a wider range of users, which increases potential traffic and organic app downloads from the store. 

Higher conversions

ASO helps increase app installs and improve conversions through engaging and informative content. Properly designed descriptions and headlines will persuade users that your app is worth downloading.

Improving reputation

Reputation is crucial in the iGaming business. Maintaining high app ratings requires proper user reviews management by answering them and resolving customer issues. Visitors’ trust is increased by good ranks and reviews. 

Budget savings

ASO can significantly reduce the cost of paid advertising campaigns. A well-optimized app attracts more organic downloads, reducing dependence on paid channels. Also pay attention to return on investment (ROI). A higher return on investment and better use of marketing funds are the results of lower user acquisition expenses.

How to evaluate the effectiveness of an ASO strategy

When assessing ASO, it’s critical to take into account certain app performance metrics:

CTR (Click Through Rate) shows how attractive users find your app’s icon and title. If the CTR is low, it’s a signal that you need to revise your visual elements and title to attract more attention and increase installs.

You can use StoreMaven and SplitMetrics to estimate your click-through rate. For example, you can provide thorough CTR optimization in ASO for icons and titles with the aid of these tools.

CVR (Conversion Rate) measures the percentage of installs from total page visits to your app. This number demonstrates how well and convincingly your app page persuades visitors to install it. A high CVR means that the page is performing well and motivating users to download and install the app.

Adjust and AppsFlyer tools are good for analyzing your conversion rate. They will help you track how effectively your app page motivates users to install and provide data to optimize conversions.

IPM (Installs Per Mille) shows how many installs you get per million impressions (views). This metric helps you understand how effectively your app is converting views into actual installs. A high IPM indicates good appeal and relevance of your app to users.

You can use AppTweak and StoreMaven to evaluate your IPM score. These ASO tools will help you analyze how effectively your app converts views into installs.

Both in-app purchases optimization and user retention are key components of quality metrics. They demonstrate how pleased and how frequently customers use your product. High quality metrics indicate that the app is not only attracting new users, but also retaining them.

WebView and PWA Gambling apps

In order to optimize traffic generation, it’s essential for gambling apps to select the appropriate format. Let’s take a look at two common types of ASO tools — WebView apps and Progressive Web Apps (PWAs).

WebView

With WebView apps, you may create an application shell around your current website. You can immediately enter the market thanks to its speed and affordability. Web content and functionality remains the same on both the website and app, making it easy to manage and update.

This is how it works: the component known as Webview is used to open a webpage within an application. It has a unique link in it that sends ASO traffic from the store to the website. It looks just like a regular browser that opens one website with an offer. During the process, the software not only downloads the content but also modifies it for mobile devices.

However, there can be some issues for users. WebView apps frequently perform worse than native ones, which has an impact on the UI’s (User Interface) responsiveness and speed. Additionally, these apps can’t do as much as they could if they were to have full access to native device functionalities, such push notifications and background runtime.

We provide WebView applications to our affiliates. Experience the convenience and simplicity of WebView solutions from 888STARZ Partners!

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)

PWA is a mobile website rather than a full-fledged application. However, it has all the same features and attributes as a native app — there is almost no difference with WebView. The main advantage of PWAs is their smaller size and their ability to work offline thanks to built-in cache. Since PWAs are installed directly from the browser, this simplifies the installation process for the user, bypassing mobile stores.

PWAs do not require uploading them to the store and can be installed on any operating system. As a result, neither a moderation stub nor a ban risk are necessary. PWAs are independent of internal store policies as they are hosted on independent landings with their own private hosting.

The functionality of PWAs is also noteworthy: they support push notifications, quick login and various native device features such as geolocation and camera. The cross-platform nature ensures a unified user experience regardless of device or operating system. PWA applications are automatically updated to the latest version, ensuring relevance and security.

PWAs may have restrictions in app stores, which can affect their visibility and availability to users. Also consider that on iOS devices, some PWA features may be limited (compared to Android). However, webmasters are more likely to choose PWAs since the WebView market is overloaded, making it harder to pass moderation and occasionally outright banning white-labeled offers.

We have an extensive selection of PWA applications that come pre-configured (with cloaking), so you don’t need to worry about any technical issues. Contact your personal manager for more details!

Common ASO mistakes and tips for webmasters

When it comes to ASO promotion to increase app visibility and increase downloads, especially in such highly competitive niches like Gambling or Betting, novice marketers can make a number of common mistakes. The primary ones are listed below, along with suggestions for avoiding them:

Lots of webmasters may not pay proper attention to keyword research, which ultimately leads to low rankings and no chance of getting to the top. 

If you want your website to get noticed and bring traffic, make sure you do your research and choose the best keyword analysis tools. Focus on queries that are relevant to the application, have high search traffic and low competition. Don’t forget about relevant app localization strategies for the appropriate markets and languages.

Don’t ignore important metadata elements such as title, description, previews, and screenshot captions. These elements play a key role in determining how visible your app will be in the search engine stores. If you don’t optimize them, your app will simply get lost among your competitors and never reach the desired positions. 

Use intriguing content and pertinent keywords as you meticulously concentrate on each component. The primary suggestions are to minimize wasting characters on blank spaces, place the most crucial elements in the title tag, provide more information, prevent the use of stop words and brand names, and avoid duplicating terms.

Ignoring data analysis is an enormous mistake that can undermine the efficacy of your entire ASO approach. If you neglect various app performance metrics, you’re essentially operating blind. 

Without understanding what actions lead to an increase in installations or, on the contrary, to their decrease, you won’t be able to make the necessary adjustments in time. For example, if you don’t track Play Market and App Store conversion rates by keywords or analyze how users interact with your app after installation, you’re missing opportunities for improvement. 

To effectively monitor and adjust your ASO strategy, it’s important to set key performance indicators (KPIs), integrate analytics tools such as Google Analytics, and perform correct user reviews management. With their help webmasters can update keywords in a timely manner, monitor competitors, create dashboards to visualize data, and stay on top of the latest market trends, including Play Market or App Store algorithm updates.

Failing to test is a crucial mistake that can significantly reduce the effectiveness of your ad campaign. Without A/B testing in ASO, you won’t be able to determine which titles, descriptions, and keywords are most effective at engaging users and securing high search engine rankings.

Let’s say you chose keywords or descriptions based on intuition rather than actual data. As a result, the app may not attract enough users, or worse, attract non targeted traffic that won’t bring conversions.

Our unique experience gained over years of dealing with mobile apps is now reflected in our exclusive in-house product! We have created private traffic streams with extremely high conversion rates for seasoned webmasters. Come join us at 888STARZ Partners if you’re prepared to bring in more traffic than you’ve ever had! To learn more, reach out to your personal manager right now.

Conclusion

A comprehensive strategy is needed for proper ASO management, ranging from tweaking keywords to enhancing app metadata and visual optimization for apps. All of these features help to boost the iGaming application exposure and enhance the number of store download conversions.

In order to optimize your traffic investment and secure sustained success, it is crucial to collaborate with experts who possess extensive market knowledge and experience. Visit us to witness the ASO best practices in affiliate marketing used by 888STARZ Partners!