How To Optimise App Engagement To Boost Store Rank

Sometimes claiming the rankings stalls. Your app gets stuck in the store no matter how much work you put into optimising your listing.

Once you have extensively set up the basics and you are running tests, the improvements you make may not be enough to push your app in front of your potential user.

Now it's time to turn your attention to app store optimisation (ASO) leavers that will lift your app. That's where engagement ranking factors come into play. These ranking factors are dynamic because they can change over time.

So we will look at how often people are engaging with your app. How often they're opening and using it? And we will look at downloads and ratings volume and velocity. Plus, the quality of your rating and reviews. Your click-through rate. App updates. Also, how often do people uninstall your app?

That's a lot, I know. But with some work and focus...

... dynamic engagement ranking factors are generally controllable over time

For example, you'll want to keep increasing your download velocity. That means the number of downloads your app gets within a certain amount of time.

The sweet thing here is that you can boost your download velocity and overall ASO with paid media and content marketing. Unlike SEO, an advertising campaign that promotes an app install will increase your download volume and velocity. In turn, that has a positive impact on your app's ranking in the app store.

Therefore, everything that you do to encourage app installs will contribute to a positive result. That may be an email campaign or an article promoting your app, or any other marketing aspect you choose to use and deploy.

The point here is the paid aspect of marketing has a profound effect on organic ASO. You have an instant opportunity to affect your rank by increased download volume and velocity.

In fact, you can use these dynamic ranking factors and engagement when launching your app or game.

To generate a massive surge right out of the traps...

...you can run a complex marketing campaign online and offline with various advertising and promotional marketing aspects in play. That way you will have more control over your organic rankings from the start.

Therefore, it would be wise to launch with an advertising campaign. Plus, content marketing, email, PR and so on to stimulate app installs.

As such, if you have a new release and a high download volume and velocity along with it, the app store algorithm sees that as important. To the app store, it looks like people care about your release. It's as if people have been waiting for the launch or update. Then you push the button, and there is an explosion of excitement.

Consequently, you will see a boost in the app store that continues for a while. That means, once you're reached your advertising spend, app downloads don't simply plummet. So it makes sense to put together a marketing campaign and budget your marketing spend around your app launch and update schedule.

It's clear to see, momentum in the app stores can push your app higher. And some believe the app stores favour new releases and updates for a while. It's like they give your app a leg up. That can last for a few days and up to a week.

Naturally, it will depend on the response to your app. So, if your ranking factors look good in the first few days, they can help push your app in front of potential users for a week or so. From then on, you need to continue that momentum. That will give you the long term benefit in the rankings.

However, there are some cases that no matter how much you promote your app to drive downloads, you won't see a marked improvement in your app store ranking.

App Store Optimisation Engagement Ranking Factors Holding Apps Back

Even when you believe your app should be in the top spot, it's just not consistently reaching the top 10.

You will have optimised all the basic elements. You will be running A/B tests for improvements. Driving downloads and doing your best to keep users, but nothing is working.

Now, major ranking factors are holding you back...

...one big ranking factor is your star ratings and reviews:

• How many people have rated your app?
• What is your overall star rating?
• Are they leaving a review to tell others what they think?
• Are they positive reviews?

Those elements have a profound impact in the users' eyes and in the app stores' algorithm.

The chances are, you're competing with apps that have more downloads and reviews. And their average star rating is higher than yours. So if you have everything else sown up, then ratings and reviews could be the factors holding you back.

There are a few more factors that can dramatically affect your ranking. And I'll get to them in a moment.

But first, you'll need to address your rating and review situation. Dig in to find out what is happening. Is there something that needs fixing?

Unfortunately, a bad experience motivates people to rate an app. They may go out of their way to give you a couple of stars. And there is a good chance they will leave a negative comment when annoyed. So, anything like that needs addressing.

Actually, be proactive at collecting negative views and responses outside of the app store. The more you can prevent bad ratings and reviews from the app store, the better.

So, provide an easy way for your users to vent their concerns. An option within the app is often the best solution to quash negative ratings and reviews.

On the other hand, encouraging people to leave positive reviews can be difficult. You have to work hard to get them. So, you'll have to work out when the best time is to nudge them into giving you top marks and leaving a review.

If you use apps, there's no doubt you've had a request to rate an app. Most of us have had that experience. Usually, you are in the app, and it says something like, "Are you enjoying [the app]? Please. take a moment to let us know your experience". 

It works, so make sure you encourage your users to rate your app and leave reviews.

In fact, don't leave all the work up to the app. If you have other means of contacting your users, use those channels too. If you have their email address, send them an email. If you have a phone number, give them a quick call.

Whatever it takes because an overall top rating and glowing reviews can give you the edge over your competition.

Required User Behaviour

Finally, you'll have by now cottoned on to user behaviour as the key to app store success. You'll need to monitor how often your users engage with your app. What are they doing, and how can you keep them stimulated to come back for more? Is your app performing better than your competition? Regular engagement will affect your app ranking across the app store.

If your users are opening your app, that's an indication that you can retain them. If they are not uninstalling your app, then you could get the edge over your competitors. You could see your app ranking best in the search results, category list, or getting recommended if users download and use your app.

On the other hand, you could see the opposite if people download and uninstall right away. Or if there is a mass user exodus to uninstall.

All in all, endeavour to gamify your app and inject a little dopamine now and then to keep your users engaged.