Contents
Introduction
In the field of app stores, mastering App Store Optimization (ASO) requires a deep dive into understanding not just your app but also those of your competitors. Conducting thorough competitor research is akin to discovering insights that can significantly impact the visibility, appeal, and success of your app. This article then discusses how to conduct competitor research for a successful ASO. First, it is important to identify the right competitors. Then, you should define which keywords you should use from the findings of your competitors and discover the trends and patterns in the creatives in your app/game’s category. Please join this journey through the realms of successful competitor research for ASO, where knowledge becomes a power in the pursuit of app store success.
Identify the Right Competitors
The first step for competitor research can be identifying whom you should research. To do so, it is easy to look at the apps/games in the same category as your service. Visit the category ranking of your category and start your research with the TOP 50 apps/games. However, categories of the app stores can be broad and may not perfectly capture the genre. Your game may be categorized as “simulation” but has tower defense as the main game content. In this case, the TOP 50 “simulation” games may not be the most relevant competitors.
What you can do here is to search with a core keyword that best describes your apps/games and analyze the search results. Study at least twenty of the apps/games; analyze their keywords, discover if there are any frequently repeated keywords besides the brand keywords of the apps/games, and analyze their creatives.
You can do this research on the target app store or use an ASO tool to do it more efficiently.
In summary, you can identify competitors through the following steps:
- Study the TOP 50 apps/games in the same category as yours
- Search with the core keyword (it can be the main content of your app/game or the genre of it)
- Study at least the top 20 of the apps
Define the Right Keywords
Now we have competitors to analyze and you can start by studying their keywords. Take a look at the metadata of the first 20 apps/games you found when you searched the core keyword on the app stores. One of the things you can do with the metadata is to find frequently repeated and common keywords among the twenty apps/games, and the next step can be analyzing the keywords by their search volume, chance, and difficulty. It is important because not all keywords with high search volume and frequency among competitors would work for your app/game. This can be a good starting point for your keyword optimization. For a more efficient analysis of the competitors’ metadata, you can consider using an ASO tool.
Discover Creatives’ Trends and Patterns
When you analyze the metadata of your competitor, it may be helpful to analyze their creatives (mainly their screenshots and icons) too. Studying the competitors’ creatives may become a relevant reference for your next updates. When analyzing, take a close look at whether there are patterns; for instance, you may want to consider adding graph elements if the majority of the competitors use them. Yet the priority is whether it fits your app and its function or not, rather than merely following the patterns you found.
Outro
In the field of marketing, competitor research becomes significant. It sometimes becomes a great hint for success as a reference and benchmark.
This article discussed how to conduct competitor research for a successful ASO. It may be general information, but it will make differences.
By understanding your competitors, and their strategies, and refining your approach, you can effectively position your app for greater visibility, increased downloads, and improved user engagement. Remember, ASO is an ongoing journey, and continuous analysis and adaptation based on competitor insights will be key to maintaining a competitive edge and achieving long-term success in the dynamic app market.
