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So you've created an app (or you want to) and it's the best thing since sliced bread (or Candy Crush). You're about to toss it into the Google Play Store, but how are you going to get noticed?
Maximizing the potential to appear higher in searches and persuading users to download your app is key. Like SEO, there's a real science behind App Store Optimization (ASO) and getting your app noticed. Right now we'll just look at how to put together a good listing when starting out. Some ASO factors you can't control directly, like ratings and download figures. Hopefully, your sliced bread app will have some say there. Making sure your Play Store listing looks slick and compelling to the casual browser is an important first step. To get a lot of downloads, you need to make your app look worth downloading in the first place. Icon The importance of a good icon can't be understated. While browsing the Play Store the icon is most of what the user will see for your app. Poorly made icons make an app look cheap, while the best ones can become, well, iconic. 
Your icon should be sufficiently relevant that it gives a good idea of what the app does, but also unique enough that it differentiates and identifies your brand. Once you have the idea for the icon, it's worth employing the services of a graphic designer to produce it for you. When you see the quality of those at the top of the Google Play searches, you understand why. Make sure to get a few different candidates drawn up — you'll need them for A/B testing. Title The name of your app is obviously important, both for branding and for searchability. However, it should also be very specific to the function of your app. You've probably thought of it already. Maybe you even came up with the catchy name first, then the idea followed, like a snooker scores application called PotsApp. Just keep it short and memorable. 
There are things you can localize about your app, including the title. Giving your app different names in different countries is a good marketing opportunity. Do your research into what might appeal to the locals. Developer Name This can be almost anything as long as it doesn't breach the Play Store Developer Policy. If you're going to produce more than one app, you'll want to think about your brand, Google ranks apps higher for developers with a positive history. This is one of the other few things a consumer will see in the search results, so keep it relevant. It's also worth including one or two relevant keywords for which a potential consumer of your app might be searching. Feature Graphic This is the image the user sees at the top of the screen when they open your app. You'll want to follow the same kind of guidelines for the feature graphic as the icon. Keep it on brand and professional looking. This isn't the place for app screenshots, it sets the mood for your app. 
If you can make it look fairly slick, you should produce a video trailer for your app. The thumbnail of the video will form the feature graphic, and it's a great opportunity to show the user first hand what the app can do. Keep it short or the casual browser will get bored. If you can't put a good video together, how about producing an animation? Description There are two parts to the description — the short one the user sees when they open the app, and the full one if they choose to click it. Both are important and highly searchable, so make sure to include plenty of relevant keywords for the search algorithm to pick up. The short description is less than 80 characters, so make it punchy — you're summing up the app in a short sentence or two. 
The full description should also get to the point quickly. Make sure the unique features of your app are clear, as well as compatibility information if your app works across various devices. You'll want to finish the description with a compelling call to action pressing them to download your app right now. If they navigate away, you're unlikely to get them back. Screenshots Like the description or the video, the screenshots should highlight the best and most unique features of your app. You can use marketing shots, but some of the screenshots should include actual images of the app in use. Make sure they're varied and show both landscape and portrait views if your app supports both. You can add up to eight screenshots for each supported device type, so get creative. They should be colorful and alluring. After launching It is possible for a new app to climb high in the Play Store search results, but it's going to take time and nurturing. It's important to your traffic and downloads regularly. Play around with your keywords depending on which are working well and which aren't. Reviews are really important for your ranking. You can't remove bad reviews, but you can respond to them in a polite and timely way. Showing users you're listening to their concerns and acting on them plays well. Remember, you can't please everyone. 
You can and should always have A/B testing running on your app. This is a test included on the Play Store in which half of the traffic to your app sees one listing element, and half sees another. All of the users could see an identical listing with a different icon. If you just change one feature at a time, the results will tell you which is more effective. Gradually you can use these tests to optimize your listing.
There are reams of content out there about effective keywords and metadata use. If you've already launched an app and it hasn't taken off, it's not too late to improve your listing. Consumers are always looking for something new. If you're ever low on inspiration, just think back to how pointless Snapchat sounded when you first heard the concept and take heart. It's now worth billions.
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