This document summarizes a webinar about mobile app SEO and conversions from web to app. The webinar featured presentations from Ethan Smith, CEO of Graphite, and Mada Seghete, Co-Founder of Branch. They discussed how SEO can help drive organic users to apps and increase app downloads and engagement. They also presented strategies for personalizing banners and messages to match user intent and incentivize users to download apps or take actions within apps. Measurement of cross-platform user behavior was highlighted as important for gaining full visibility into user journeys.

1. Mobile App SEO Webinar
April 30, 2020
Ethan Smith, CEO, Graphite
Mada Seghete, Co-Founder, Head of Marketing, Branch
We will get started shortly!

2. Important moments
Born in Romania
2001-2005 Computer Engineering
2005 -2012 Engineer + Product
2012 Mobile App Designer
and Marketer + MBA
2014 Branch Founder
Mada Seghete
Co-Founder at Branch
@mada299

3. Important moments
Born in Los Angeles 🌴
2005 Computer Science,
Psychology, Design
2014 Advisor @ Thumbtack
2014 Advisor @ MasterClass
2017 CEO @ Graphite
Ethan Smith
CEO at Graphite
@ethan_l_s

4. Why mobile SEO + app is a winning
combo

5. Web acquisition is more efficient...
Capturing a user with
a web ad costs
5x
less than driving
an app install.
When in need,
87%
of people still
turn to a web search
engine first.

6. ...but app conversion is more effective
Native mobile
apps drive
3x
more sales than
mobile websites
66%
of mobile
transactions occur
within a native app
In-app transactions
are increasing by
48%
year-over-year

7. Click-to-Purchase Rate by Acquisition Channel
The silver lining - organic users are better!

8. The silver lining - organic users are better!

9. SEO by Intent

10. Target by intent
Build topical authority
Design UX to fulfill intent
Create premium content to fulfill intent
Drive users to convert on their intent
Intent
SEO by Intent
Authority
UX
Content
Conversion

11. Volume
Intent
Learn
Buy
Target by Keyword Intent
Browse
“how to apply liquid eyeliner”
“kat von d liquid eyeliner”
“eyeliner”

12. Websites Authority UX Content Conversion
Sephora
Cosmo
Macy’s
Nordstrom
Ulta
SEO is ranked
among next best
alternative

13. Target by Keyword intent
Intent Topics Key Phrases
Browse Product
LCD TVs
Homecoming
dress
Eyeliner
- Best LCD TVs
- LCD TV reviews
- New LCD TVs
- LCD TV 2019
- Black homecoming dresses
- Red homecoming dresses
- Black homecoming dresses near me
- Junior homecoming dresses
- Eye liner liquid
- Eye liner make up
- Eye liner pencil
- Eye liner

14. List
List
List
List
Article
Article
Design user experience to fulfill intent
Google is increasingly favoring editorial content over auto-generated pages
Article
Article
Article

15. Create content to fulfill intent
Sub-Topic Long Form Media

16. Google: “fennel”
SEO by Intent | MasterClass
Health Benefits, Recipes, Seeds

17. Conversion by Intent

18. Each Decision Is Based On Cost & Benefit
● Users download apps because they want to, not
because they have to
● Users assess cost and benefit to decide whether to
download an app
● Small details have large impact
● Reduce cost by reducing friction
● Increase benefit by giving the user what they wanted
Cost
Benefit

19. Volume
Intent
Product
Profile
Home
Prioritize App Growth by Volume & Intent
Category
Article

20. Frame Download As Fulfilling Intent
App Generic Framing Intent Framing
Instagram Use The App View Photos In App
Doordash Continue Order Delivery In App
Poshmark Open In App View Dress In App
Tik Tok Download Watch Videos In App

21. See this community in...
Conversion by Intent | Web → App
Play On Spotify

22. Choosing content using data analysis

25. Compilation
1. combine all historical, competitor and brainstorm keywords, dedupe
2. get all search volume, keyword difficulty, CPC from SEM rush (double checked search volume against Google
keyword planner data, general trend was the same)
3. based on search volume, select top keywords (>200 annual search volume) - chose >200 b/c SEM rush only allowed
500 keywords to track ranking on
4. looked up ranking for top keywords
5. group keywords into groups and themes
6. scoring for top groups & themes (see scoring methodology)
7. research topics based on top theme/group's keywords
Scoring Methodology
1. get the avg count of keywords, avg rank and keyword difficulty from SEM rush
2. manually review keywords to determine relevance score and competitor urgency (competitor urgency is based on
how many competitors are ranking above us for a specific keyword. If we're top ranking, urgency would be low, if
we're below all competitors, urgency would be high)
3. Normalize the scores to a scale of 100
4. Formula = ((Relevance score*40%)+(competitor urgency*25)+(keyword difficulty*20%)+(avg rank*15%))/count of
keywords
Formula %
Relevance 40%
Avg Rank 15%
Competitor Urgency 25%
Kw Difficulty 20%

26. Bringing users to your app

27. Banner personalization matches user intent to a CTA
Incentivizing download
with app-only discount
Small prompt for
lower-intent users
App upsell after first
web conversion
Not disturbing user
deep in funnel
Targeting logged-in user
who already has the app

28. Banner personalization matches user intent to a CTA
Targeting traffic from
high-volume referral sources
Welcome message
for a new visitor
Customized message
for a referral
Stronger messaging for
repeat visitors
Basic top banner
(works on AMP too!)

29. Sephora | Web → App Simple banner to convert web
visitors to loyal app users
powered by

30. Sephora | Email → Web → App
powered by
Stronger interstitial combined with email,
to direct engaged members into app

31. OfferUp | Web → App
Different banners
based on page
Deep links through install, directly to content in app

32. Vueling | Text-Me-The-App + Smart Banner
SMS widget embedded into
desktop web check-in flow
SMS link does not deep link if
app is already installed

33. Vueling | Text-Me-The-App + Smart Banner
Smart banner promises better
in-app user experience
Loading message builds confidence that the
app is 'working correctly' on first launch
Deferred deep link directly to itinerary
powered by

34. More advanced banners lead to improved results

35. Aggregate data on web banner performance
“Average”
Fashion Marketplaces
Fashion RetailersNote: Data is for unique = TRUE

36. Online Marketing Specialist,
OLX
“Branch’s Journeys exceeded our KPI
expectations and empowered us to
convert casual web users into high-value
mobile app users with almost zero
technical effort on our side.”
Ricardo Avelino
10X
conversions from web
75,000
installs in 2 months

37. Product Marketing
Manager, Tokopedia
“Branch is critical to our mobile web
strategy. The marketing team can
independently run campaigns on the
mobile website without hassling the
developers.”
Prashant Mahajan
3X
increase in app downloads
28%
growth in total MAUs

38. Measurement needs to be cross platform

39. How traditional solutions work

40. Where traditional solutions break

41. Old way: siloed platform-specific systems
WEB VISITORS APP USERS
LIMITED TO
LOGGED-IN
USERS
Hurts user experience
Adds significant friction
Leads to data inaccuracy

42. WEB VISITORS APP USERS
Branch: unified insights for full visibility
CROSS-PLATFORM
PERSONA GRAPH
Seamless user experiences
Eliminated friction
Attribution accuracy

43. Thank you!
webinars@branch.io
@branchmetrics