1. App Store Optimization Plan
Instructions
Identify an app that has poor rankings, and recommend how this app can improve its
position within the search results based on analysis of the app, target audience,
keywords, titles, descriptions, images, ratings, and reviews.
The assignment is split into two sections, with each section having various parts.
SECTION ONE (4 Parts)
Part 1A
Find an app in any industry you like. This assignment may be easier for you if you find
an app that has a lot of competition and isn’t ranking well. This means navigating
further on the app store results page. Download the app and use it. Note the app
name and category.
Part 1B
Identify what you think is an important goal for that app. For example, beyond
downloads, is this website trying to get people to click on ads, buy additional products
or features within the app, subscribe to an email or service in the app or on a website,
or upsell within the app, etc.
Part 1C
Create a free account for App Annie and Search Man.
Part 1D
Using a few of the app tools, perform in-depth analysis for that app. You do not need
to contact the business, simply make best guesses based on what you see within the
app after you’ve downloaded it.
Start with keyword research, identify the following. Identify 7-10 keywords which you
think provide the best opportunity for the example site to rank for.
Identify long-tail keyword opportunities
Identify obvious head terms of brand and non-brand keywords
Identify what other competitors each keyword ranks for.
Explain why you chose the keywords you did.
How do you feel these keywords would help the business meet the goal you
discovered, starting with downloads?
How do you feel these keywords would help draw in organic traffic to the site?
How well do you think the business can effectively compete for this keyword?
2. SECTION TWO (6 Parts)
Part 2A
Using some of the tools, go deeper into understanding what causes that app to rank
how it does.
What other features do you see in competitive apps for this keyword that enable other
apps to rank higher? For example, ratings or reviews, descriptions, or images.
Are there patterns you notice regularly among the competitors?
Part 2B
Choose three other competitive apps for a specific keyword or group of keywords.
Pick those apps that rank well consistently for keyword phrases similar to your first
app.
Once you’ve selected the three apps plus your original, take screenshots of the
following data charts and put in a document or slide deck (as if preparing a research
and competitive audit presentation for a client):
1. Visibility Score (use Search Man app)
2. Download Volume and Velocity (use App Annie app)
3. Ratings and Reviews (use App Annie app)
Use whatever time period and other filters you think is appropriate, as long as it’s
consistent between all four (your original and the three competitors) apps.
Part 2C
Pick two other trends or data points you think worth mentioning (to a potential client,
the owner of the first app you selected) and note those for all four apps as well. This
could be related to Title tags, Images, Descriptions, unique features, anything else
from the tools.
Part 2D
Download each app. Pick two additional features or differentiators noted by the three
apps and the initial app you selected. Make note of what you like and don’t like.
Part 2E
Write a two-paragraph assessment of summary findings - of what you liked and don’t
like about your app’s competitive positioning. Make note of key features or
improvements you might suggest to the app owner. Point out observations that are
obvious without using tools and those that can only be understood using the tools.
Part 2F
Add a timeline of proposed improvements. Include specific factors you recommend
they improve.
3. Iberia Express – Cheap Flights & AirlineTickets
Search your destination and book cheap flights anytime, anywhere, on your mobile app.
Introduction
To finish the 3rd
week of study on the course “SEO Specialization by the University of
California, Davis”, the assignment was to realize an App Store Optimization Plan
for a company of my choice.
I'm living in Spain so I decided to find a Spanish Company with poor rankings on the
Itunes App Store.
A business sector that nowadays has a lot of competition is the travel industry,
especially the airline business.
After the financial of 2007-08 people are very attentive to their costs, and all days
they are trying to find a way to save their money. A keyword that surely use to find
flights could be “vuelos baratos”, that means “cheap flights” in English.
In the first positions of the search results there are eDreams and Vueling. While in the
54th
position there is the app that I choose for this case study: Iberia Express.
DESCRIPTION
Company overview
Iberia Express is a Spanish low-cost airline owned by Iberia (the flag carrier of Spain),
operating short and medium-haul flights.
The company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Iberia, competes efficiently and
sustainably in an increasingly complex market.
Iberia Express began operating in March 2012, the airline has become one of the top
four airlines to fly out of the Madrid Barajas airport. According to the FlightStats study,
Iberia Express tops all other European airlines in terms of punctuality.
The IOS Mobile App
Like the website, the mobile application allow the users to find and book flights,
check-in or manage the reservation, and sign-up or log-in in the Iberia Express
Club. The users that sign up in that Club can enjoy special advantages like lowest
price, exclusive offers and promotions.
4. Goals
1. Improve the position of the mobile app withing the search results
2. Sign up users to the Iberia Express Club
Objectives
Re-develop the app focus on the UX & UI design and add new features like
search hotels & cars
Video presentation within the app store, website and social networks
Re-take the screenshots adding all the features that offers the app
Show the screenshots with a new design
Improve keywords, titles and descriptions
Add a tiny pop-up to download the app when a user is surfing the website from
a mobile device
Add a banner/icon on the website to notify the users that there is available the
mobile app providing the link to the app store
Add a promotional banner of the Iberia Express Club on the above the fold of
the app
Ios App Overview
Name: Iberia Express
Category: Travel
URL Itunes Store: https://itunes.apple.com/es/app/iberia-express/id576383750?
mt=8
Rating – Current Version: 1,5/5
Rating – All Versions: 1,5/5
Reviews – All versions: 74 ratings
Reviews – Current version: 46 ratings
5. PART 1D
Identify 7-10 keywords that provide the best opportunity to rank for:
4. Vuelos baratos - (cheap flights)
5. Billetes de avión – (airline tickets)
6. Ofertas vuelos – (flights offers)
7. Descuento vuelos – (flights discounts)
8. Reservar vuelos – (book flights)
9. Vuelo más hotel – (flight more hotel)
10. Vuelo y coche – (flight and car)
The last 2 keywords “vuelo más hotel” and “vuelo y coche” should be used only if in
the app/website is add the feature to search for hotels and cars.
Long-tail opportunities:
Vuelos baratos Europa – (cheap flights Europe)
Vuelos baratos España – (cheap flights Spain)
Ofertas vuelos España – (flights offers Spain)
Ofertas vuelos Europa – (flights offers Europe)
Mejores vuelos baratos – (best cheap flights)
Billetes de avión baratos – (cheap airline tickets)
Billetes de avión económicos – (economic airline tickets)
Reservar vuelos baratos – (book cheap flights)
Vuelo más hotel baratos – (cheap flights and hotels)
Vuelo y coche baratos – (cheap flights and car)
Obvious head terms of brand and non-brand keywords:
Iberia Express | Vuelos Baratos – Iberia Express | Cheap Flights
Vuelos baratos desde España – Spain Cheap Flights
Other competitors keyword ranks for:
App Name: Vueling – Vuelos Baratos
Keywords which rank on the first positions: vuelos (flights), vuelos baratos (cheap
flights), vuelo más hotel (flights more hotel)
App Name: eDreams: Reserva Vuelos, Hotels y Coches + barato
Keywords which rank on the first positions: vuelos baratos (cheap flights), vuelos
(flights), billetes vuelos (airline tickets)
App Name: Rumbo – Hoteles y vuelos al mejor precio
Keywords: vuelos, hoteles, mejor precio (flights, hotels, best price)
6. The choice of the keywords and how help to meet the business goals,
increase the traffic to the site and compete effectively
That keywords allow to target the app and the site to a specific audience who want to
save money and find the best cheap flights & offers from/to Spain from/to Europe.
After an analysis with App Annie, Search Man, Google Keyword Planner, Moz, and
Semrush the insight was that users tend to use 2 main keywords “vuelos baratos”
(cheap flights) and “billetes de avión” (airline tickets) + the long-tail keywords.
With the main keywords the business has the opportunity to increase the traffic
because they have a high volume of search. While with the long-tail keywords Iberia
Express can attract targeted users that are surely interested to sign-up in a service
like the Iberia Express Club that allow them to have privileged advantages. And finally
the company can competes effectively because that long-tail keyword haven't a low
volume of search.
Part 2A
Competitive apps like Vueling, Rumbo, eDreams, rank higher due to many reasons,
like:
The screenshots shows all the features included in the app and they are
designed in a way to engage the visitor
Keyword to rank for included in the head title and description
High rating and reviews
Other feature like search hotel & car
The mobile app is well promoted in the desktop & mobile website and in the
social networks
Attractive Landing pages to download the app and sign-up to additional services
that offers the company
All competitors have included a tiny pop-up inviting to download the app for
visitors from mobile devices
7. Part 2B
Competitive apps plus Iberia Express for the keyword: “vuelos baratos” (cheap flights)
1. Visibility Score
2. Download Volume
8. 3. Rating & Reviews
Time period: all versions Iberia Express: 92 total reviews
Country: all Vueling: 1522 total reviews
Data range: all time eDreams: 1533 total reviews
Rumbo: 78 total reviews
Part 2C
Title tags & Images
9. The competitors have well presented the images of the app, with a modern & clean
design where are showed all the features. Last, in the head title, is ever included the
main keyword “cheap flights”.
Part 2D
Competitive differentiation noted by the three apps
Vueling
Pros Cons
Interactive slider on the index of the app Speed on search can be improved
UX & UI Design
Search hotels, cars and transports
eDreams
Pros Cons
Specials offers on the index of the app It's an intermediary, you don't buy the
tickets directly from the airline company
UX & UI Design
Push notifications | Receive last offers
Multiple destinations search
Search hotels and cars
Rumbo
Pros Cons
UX & UI Design It's an intermediary, you don't buy the
tickets directly from the airline company
Search hotels and cars
10. Part 2E
Executive Summary
Iberia Express app is easy to use and offers the fundamental features needed in a
flight search mobile application.
Thinking in the “buyer persona” that wants to save money, the Iberia Express Club
leverages these needs, offering special advantages to the subscribers. However, to
improve the ranking in the search results, increase the traffic and have good ratings &
reviews, the company must do some changes.
First, should need to start from the customer point of view, and understanding what
are their needs. They can be discovered analyzing what are making the competitors,
check-in the reviews, and consider how can be improved the features/services that
are working well.
Finally when there is a clear insight on the customers needs, it can begin to use some
third party tools and see how can be improved keywords, titles, descriptions, images,
find keywords long-tail opportunities and promote the whole, in a creative and
interactive way (video presentations, landing pages, social media marketing).
Part 2F
