My Blog

Author: saqibkhan

  • What are some common mistakes you see app developers make with their ASO strategy?

    One common mistake I have seen app developers make with their ASO strategy is not conducting proper keyword research. Without understanding what keywords users are searching for, an app’s visibility in the app store can suffer. In fact, a study by MobileDevHQ found that using relevant keywords in the app title can result in a 10.3% increase in rankings.

    1. Another mistake I have seen is not optimizing the app’s description. This is an opportunity to not only include relevant keywords, but also showcase the app’s features and benefits. Poorly written descriptions can lead to lower conversion rates, as users may not understand what the app does or how it can help them.
    2. App developers may also overlook the importance of app reviews and ratings. These can greatly influence a user’s decision to download an app, with 90% of consumers saying they read reviews before downloading an app. Encouraging users to leave reviews and responding to negative feedback can improve an app’s rating and ultimately lead to more downloads.
    3. Another mistake I have seen is ignoring the app’s visuals. App icons and screenshots are the first things users will see in the app store, and can greatly impact their decision to download. In fact, a study by Splitmetrics found that improving app screenshots can increase downloads by up to 25%.

    Overall, it’s important for app developers to approach ASO holistically and consider all aspects of the app’s presence in the app store. By conducting proper keyword research, optimizing the app’s description, encouraging reviews and ratings, and improving visuals, an app’s discoverability and downloads can greatly improve.

  • How do you approach keyword research for mobile app stores?

    When it comes to keyword research for mobile app stores, I follow a thorough process that involves the following steps:

    1. Brainstorm potential keywords: I start by identifying the primary and secondary features of the app and thinking of relevant terms and phrases I can use to describe them. I also look at competitor apps and industry trends to identify keywords that are commonly used.
    2. Organize keywords into categories: I group related keywords together based on the user search intent. For example, some keywords might relate to the app’s functionality, while others might relate to its value proposition.
    3. Conduct keyword research using ASO tools: I use ASO tools like App Store Connect and App Radar to check the volume of each keyword and assess its competition. I then prioritize the most relevant and high-volume keywords that have low competition, as these keywords will maximize the app’s visibility and attract more organic installs.
    4. Test and refine keywords: Once the app is live, I track its performance using ASO tools to see which keywords are generating the most traffic and installs. If certain keywords aren’t performing well, I swap them out for new ones and continue to refine the keywords over time.

    By following this process, I have been able to increase app downloads by 30% and improve the app’s overall visibility in the app store.

  • Can you explain the difference between ASO and SEO?

    ASO and SEO are both strategies aimed at improving the rankings of an app or website in search results. However, the main difference lies in the platforms where they are implemented.

    1. ASO is specific to app stores such as Google Play Store and Apple App Store, while SEO is applied to search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo.
    2. The goal of ASO is to increase app visibility and downloads, while SEO aims to drive traffic to websites and improve the organic search ranking of a website.
    3. ASO relies on optimizing app metadata such as app title, description, and keywords, whereas SEO focuses on website content (such as blog posts and product pages) and technical optimization.
    4. ASO involves various techniques such as keyword research, creating appealing screenshots, optimizing video previews, and getting positive reviews to improve the app’s ranking in app store listings. On the other hand, SEO encompasses on-page optimization, off-page optimization, and technical optimization, including tasks like keyword research, optimizing meta tags and schema markup, content creation, link building, and improving website loading speed.
    5. As a result, measuring ASO and SEO success also differs. ASO success is typically measured through app downloads, ratings, and reviews, while SEO success is measured through organic traffic, search engine rankings, and conversion rates.

    In summary, while ASO and SEO have similar goals, they are fundamentally different in their approaches and execution, targeting different platforms with varied tools and techniques.

  • What app store(s) do you specialize in optimizing?

    As an ASO specialist, I have experience optimizing apps across both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. In my previous role at XYZ Company, I optimized a productivity app for iOS which resulted in a 50% increase in organic downloads within the first three months of implementation. This was achieved by conducting a thorough keyword research and strategically placing relevant keywords in the app title, subtitle, and description. Additionally, I optimized the app’s visual assets, including the icon and screenshots, to make them more appealing and informative to potential users.

    On the Google Play Store, I optimized a travel app that saw a 70% increase in organic downloads within the first six months of implementation. This was achieved by optimizing the app title, description, and visual assets such as screenshots and graphics. Furthermore, I conducted extensive A/B testing to optimize the app’s listing, including experimenting with different app titles, screenshots, and app descriptions until I found the optimal combination that resulted in increased downloads and engagement.

    1. Can you walk us through the process of conducting keyword research for an app?
    2. What strategies do you use to optimize the app’s visual assets such as icons and screenshots?
    3. How do you evaluate the effectiveness of your ASO efforts?
    4. How do you optimize for different languages and geographies?
    • What are some common mistakes app publishers make when it comes to ASO?
    • Can you give an example of a successful ASO campaign you have led?
    • How do you stay up-to-date with the latest changes and updates to app stores’ algorithms and policies?

    Overall, I have a strong understanding of the different ranking factors that go into ASO for both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. My experience has shown that a holistic approach to ASO, including keyword optimization, visual asset optimization, and listing optimization, can result in significant increases in organic downloads and engagement for an app.

  • What qualities are required in order to be effective in an SEO role, in your opinion?

    This is a question requiring a subjective answer, but you might want to think through all of the different skill sets required to be good at this kind of job. An SEO professional must have good research skills, for one thing, as well as strong analytical skills. An ability to spot trends and adapt to change is also important. As you think through the answer to this SEO interview question, consider your own strengths as an SEO professional. Could you weave those into this answer?

    The SEO questions listed above are aimed towards professionals with about a year’s worth of experience. They’re likely transitioning into SEO as part of establishing a digital marketing career and perhaps have only a certification and not a reputed track record. For those with more experience, read on for advanced SEO interview questions.

  • What is the relationship between SEO and SEM?

    SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and SEM stands for Search Engine Marketing. The biggest difference between the two is that SEO is free and SEM is paid. SEM includes pay-per-click advertising and display ads that are purchased. Despite the major difference between the two, they work best in unison.

  • What are some black hat SEO practices to avoid?

    Ideally, you won’t interview with an organization that condones any black hat SEO practices, but it might be a trick question to make sure you wouldn’t use them either. Cloaking, keyword stuffing, copying content from another site, exchanging or trading links, buying links, hiding text, and using a link farm are all underhanded techniques frowned upon—and penalized—by Google.

  • What is on-page vs off-page SEO?

    This gets back to the question about the factors that are outside of your control. On-page SEO includes the factors you can control, such as keywords, content, page structure, internal linking, load time, etc. Off-page SEO includes those factors you can’t control, such as backlinks.

  • Which SEO factors are not in your control?

    The biggest SEO factor not in your control is Google! How exactly Google ranks websites is unknown. The company does not make public the search algorithms it uses, although SEO professionals have determined the best practices we adhere to in order to achieve results. However, Google doesn’t like young domains that aren’t yet tried-and-true, and you can’t control that if you’re launching a new site. Nor can you force people to link to your site, share your content, spend more time on your site, or come back to your site for another visit. Google looks favorably on all of these factors and ideally a marketing department is working hard to create content and user experiences that will make these happen, but these factors are beyond the control of the SEO person.

  • What is the difference between a do-follow and no-follow and how are they used?

    “Nofollow” and “dofollow” are attributes used in HTML to control how search engines follow and index links.

    A “dofollow” link is a regular hyperlink that allows search engine bots to follow the link and pass link authority from the source page to the target page, potentially improving the target page’s search engine ranking.

    A “nofollow” link, on the other hand, instructs search engines not to follow the link and not to pass any link authority. It’s often used for user-generated content, paid links, or to prevent link spam.