Guide To Boosting Your App Ranking In Google Play Store
Hundreds of similar Android apps are launched every day; but what makes that one app rank higher in the Play Store beating the others?
Just like website rankings, Google also takes into consideration certain important parameters to rank an app.
If you have developed a new app, and are working to help it get featured among the most popular apps on Play Store, this article will be helpful! Below are some helpful tips that you can use to boost your app ranking.
Number of users
The more the users, the higher is the chance for better ranking. Like Search Engine Optimization, the Play Store also optimizes the application based on the number of enlisted subscribers on the app. It means the higher the number of downloads of a given app, the higher ranking it will get in Google Play Store.
The uniqueness of your app
Thousands of apps are uploaded on the play store every year, but only half are installed and used. There is indeed a neck-to-neck competition when it comes to app development. Thus, the developers should focus on designing visible apps that are capable of getting a higher rank. It can be done by making relevant apps that would satisfy the customers’ needs to the best. It means that the users should get relevant content on the app for which they have downloaded it. As the users download and use the app frequently, it will give a great boost to the ranking of the given app.
App size
It is always recommended that a given app should always strive to have a smaller size (5MB or less) to ensure that it fits on all mobile devices, even in the ones that have a little storage space available. It can easily be achieved by using PNG optimizers, 9patch images, or Proguard. Also, the smaller apps are more capable of drawing the attention of the clientele. It means smaller apps are more likely to get listed on the top ranking of Google Play Store.
App design
Given the competition in the market, developers should give special focus on designing the apps. It should be user-friendly but unique in a way to draw the attention of more users. As the first appearance matters a lot, the unique outlook of an app will attract more customers, which will boost its ranking.
Optimization
You would need to optimize your app for a quick store search. This includes using the app Annie, which involves the developers identifying keywords that should be included in the app. It will reflect as users search for an app of the given genre and will attract more organic traffic. You also need to abide by best practices while naming the app and giving it a title so that it aligns with app optimization in the most seamless way.
Retention time
Another criterion for ranking high on the app is the retention time. It is the duration during which an app is installed on a user’s device. It is the lifespan of an app- if a user finds an app helpful, they will keep it installed for a longer time. Irrelevant apps are deleted faster because they are not able to deliver the desired functionality anymore. It is an important factor that is considered while ranking an app.
Maintenance and updates
For any app to attain higher ratings and better reviews, it must be free of bugs. As an app is released and more people start using it, developers come to know about the issues users are facing with it, and hence they should give timely updates to fix those problems. Also, an impressive performance is expected from the app through its lifecycle; for that purpose, it needs to be updated and maintained regularly.
Compatibility
It is essential for developers to create an app responsive to all android mobile devices and tablets. Google Play Store always prefers apps that integrate properly on all android devices, which means every user, irrespective of the device they are using, will get similar performance from the app.
These are some of the factors that app developers should consider to rank their applications on the Play Store.