The document outlines the importance of integrating App Store Optimization (ASO) with acquisition and retention strategies for a comprehensive app growth approach. It emphasizes the need for data-driven optimization and A/B testing to enhance app visibility, user engagement, and retention rates. Key takeaways include the necessity of a cohesive user journey and leveraging insights from acquisition efforts to inform ASO practices.

2. USING ASO TO TIE TOGETHER YOUR ACQUISITION & RETENTION
EFFORTS FOR A HOLISTIC APP GROWTH STRATEGY
An Intro to App Marketing - ASO 360

3. Introduction
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Rishan Weerakoon
Senior Growth Manager
at Yodel Mobile
Experience:
About me: Who we are:
Founded
in 2007..
Operate Globally
- London (HQ)
- New York
100%
App Marketing
Consultancy

4. Areas of focus today:
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The key essentials of ASO and the strategic approaches for various app store elements
The synergies that exist between acquisition, retention and the app stores
Ways in which acquisition and retention activity can inform your ASO strategy

5. There is an Ever-growing Sea of Apps…
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Source: 42 Matters, 2019, AppTweak 2018, Mindsea 2018
+1.8 MILLION APPS
+4200 APPS RELEASED DAILY
+2.9 MILLION APPS
+1200 APPS RELEASED DAILY
…and app behaviours are shifting.
MORE THAN 50% OF
SMARTPHONE USERS
DOWNLOAD ZERO NEW
APPS PER MONTH
97% OF A SMARTPHONE
USER’S TIME
IS SPENT IN THEIR
TOP 10 APPS
IN 2017, 1 IN 5 MILLENIALS
DELETED AN APP
BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T
LIKE THE APP LOGO
65% OF DOWNLOADS
COME FROM
APP STORE SEARCH

6. 6
So what do we do?
A great place to start is
ASO

7. ASO Essentials
7Release notes
Promotional
artwork
Icon
Title (& KWs)
Ratings
Video
Screenshots
Promo text
Long
description
Ratings
Reviews
IAP bundles
Title (& KWs)
Icon
Ratings
Video
Screenshots
Short
descriptio
n
Long
description
Ratings
Reviews
Release notes
iTunes keywords (hidden)

8. Understanding Ranking Impact
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On-page Factors Off-page Factors Off-page FactorsOn-page Factors
Title
Subtitle
Description
Release Notes
Screenshots
Preview Video
Ranking Impact
High Medium Low
Title
Short Description
Release Notes
Long Description
Promo. Text
Developer Name
Developer Name
App Icon
Screenshots
Promo Video
App Icon
Feature Graphic
Avg. App Rating
App Page CVR
Download Velocity
Uninstall Rate
Total Downloads
iTunes Keywords
All-time App Rating
App Page CVR
Download Velocity
Uninstall Rate
Total Downloads
Ratings
Ratings User Reviews
Promo Artwork
Backlinks
Creative Elements Creative Elements

9. Strategic Approaches to ASO
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Data-rich Elements
Apple: App Name, Subtitle, iTunes Keywords, IAP Titles
Google: Title, Short descriptions, Main descriptions
FORMULATION
DISCOVERY
IMPLEMENTATION
EVALUATION
Evaluate the performance for
key, high-efficiency keywords
that drive visibility and
discoverability on the app stores
Visual & Descriptive Elements
Icons, Screenshots, Feature Graphic, IAP Icons, Preview Videos
Visual elements are more
subjective. Optimisations should
be based on industry best
practices and ongoing A/B Testing
for effective data-based
conversion optimisation
BEST PRACTICE
EXPERIMENTATION
Experiment 1
Screenshot Design
Experiment 2
Screenshot Copy
Experiment 3
Splash Screen
A/B
TESTING
LEARNINGS
OPTMISED
SCREENSHOTS ROUND 2

10. 10
But is this enough to succeed in ASO?
Short Answer: No!
We need to think more holistically.

11. Ensuring Success At Every Stage of the Funnel
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Acquiring Users Maximising User Value
Acquire
Activate
Retaining Users
Collecting
Feedback
Goal Conversion
Advocacy
App
Store
Optimisation
Onboarding
App
Review &
Feedback
Management
Mobilisation Social
Sharing
Virality
Discoverability
Owned Media
Media
mCRM
Data Architecture – Single View Analytics
MobilisationGrowthMediaKey
Viral Loop
Viral Loop

12. The App Store Bottleneck
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WEB
CUSTOMER
APP STORE
APP CUSTOMER
ACQUIRED USER
Clicks a link
or
sees an ad
A KEY CONVERSION POINT THAT SEES
TYPICALLY A LOT OF DROP-OFF
We can mitigate this drop-off by:
Carrying out the ASO essentials
Process of test & learn
Aligning our ASO strategy with
our acquisition & retention efforts

13. Synergies: Acquisition, App Store & Retention
Paid Owned
Earned
Your
App
APP STORES RETENTIONACQUISITION
• Increased app store traffic
• Increased # of downloads
• Improved category rankings
• Improved keyword rankings
• Increased visibility & discoverability
• Increased conversion rates
(priming education & rating quality)
• Increased visibility (algorithm)
• Positive ratings & reviews
• Improved acquisition performance as a result
of retention-based optimisation
• Optimised acquisition channels based on behavioural data
• Social Sharing / Referrals driving high intent users
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14. User Acquisition & ASO
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Paid Social Acquisition
Ad Copy Image Copy Call-to-actions
Headlines App TitleCreative positioning
Variant A – ‘Free’ Variant B – ‘100s of games’
Google Play Store Creative Optimisation
+40 %
CTR
28% uplift in
Store Visitors
Transferring
UA learnings
to ASO
strategy

15. Apple Search Ads & ASO
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Keyword specific
performance
(TTR, CVR, CPI)
Ability to bid & rank
for competitor terms
Boost existing
keyword rankings
and category rank
Increase overall App
Store discoverability
Ability to leverage
Search Match
Algorithm for
keyword discovery
*best friends

16. 16
Apple Search Ads & ASO
Optimising for keywords dropping in organic rank Optimising for keywords with increasing CPA
Bid more aggressively
within ASA
Boost within next ASO
Boost within next ASO
Avg.
22-30% rank
improvement on
targeted KWs
17-45 % drop in
CPAs on
generic
KWs

17. App Reviews & ASO
We know that reviews have a big impact on
conversion to install (acquiring users)…
+340% CVR
+540% CVR
+89% CVR
Interacting with customers
proactively can increase 3-month
retention by as much as 400%
But what about retention?
However if feedback is ignored,
more than 50% of people say
they are not likely to continue
being a customer
Example:
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18. mCRM & ASO
8tracks have used mCRM to test tone of voice:
15.0 %
15.9 %
16.4 %
CTR
However, after multiple tests, they found that humour
worked really well at re-engaging lapsed users, but
the tone did not work with engaged users.
With these further learnings, 8tracks have adjusted their
ASO tone of voice to be straightforward, to appeal to all
audience types
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19. Key Takeaways of ASO 360:
ASO should not sit in isolation from your acquisition and retention strategies.
Leverage data where possible (outside of ASO) to inform your optimisations.
Create a cohesive user journey and incorporate learnings to maximise user value and minimise churn.
ASO is not a silver bullet – Test your way to success!
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20. Questions & Answers
Get in touch:
Rishan Weerakoon
Senior Growth Manager
E-mail: rishan@yodelmobile.com
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21. Smokehouse Yard,
44-46 St John Street,
London, EC1M 4DF
@yodelmobile
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