Use Keywords to Optimize and Localize Your App Store

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From the course by University of California, Davis

Advanced Search Engine Optimization Strategies

266 ratings

University of California, Davis

Advanced Search Engine Optimization Strategies

266 ratings

Course 5 of 6 in the Specialization Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

This course focuses on technical, mobile and social strategies for increasing site traffic. Learn how to build SEO for international audiences through content localization, global team alignment and optimizing for local search engines. Discover techniques to optimize mobile-friendly websites, get mobile apps discovered, and leverage social media to drive organic SEO traffic. You will also learn how to identify key SEO metrics and collect, interpret, validate, and report success to your clients and stakeholders.

From the lesson

Make the Most of Mobile and App SEO

This module will provide you knowledge necessary to take advantage of innovations and future trends in the mobile marketplace. You will be able to use a clear process to make your mobile apps easier to find. Identify Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) needed for successful App Store Optimization (ASO) and receive a checklist of best practices. You will use tools that provide insightful data to evaluate and beat your competition. Become mobile-friendly by examining the factors that improve app rankings in Apple iTunes or Google Play app stores, and optimize for social search engines. Gain insight into using and interpreting app data to competitive benefit. You’ll also review case studies illustrating how to generate business results, employ real-world experience, and take advantage of unparalleled opportunities with Mobile and Apps.

Prepare for a Mobile Marketplace3:34

Grasp the Huge Opportunity in Mobile and Apps4:45

Check this List of Mobile Friendly Best Practices7:33

Beat the Competition with Easy-to-Find Apps8:41

Use Keywords to Optimize and Localize Your App Store6:52

Interpret and Use Data to Competitive Benefit9:07

Generate Great Business Results from Case Studies9:08

Take Advantage of Innovations and Future Trends6:34

Meet the Instructors

Dave Lloyd
Senior Manager, Global Search Marketing
Adobe Systems

Hello, again.

This lesson is on keyword research and localization.

You should have some light bulbs turning on now and

know more than most people about what makes apps findable.

In this lesson, we'll dive deeper on the first step in any SEO, keyword research,

in order to identify the best keywords.

We'll cover the differences between traditional SEO and app SEO,

how to test for top keywords, localize them, and

end with an overall workflow for the optimization process.

In this lesson you'll learn how best to use the iTunes keyword property,

common mistakes in selecting keywords, and

gain an understanding of the overall workflow and localization process.

All search optimization starts with keyword research.

These three stages don't change too much from traditional SEO.

We start with gathering, gathering keywords that could be relevant.

You could do this by looking at other competitors, talking to product or

marketing teams, looking at the copy that's been written for this app.

But in some way, you need to start by gathering keywords.

Next stage is to ideate, or to think about how to take those keyword ideas and

begin to filter them for volume, for opportunity, for relevance.

And as you narrow that list, then deciding on which keywords to start with,

looking at ways to reduce and

refine the list to those that are most relevant for this particular app.

Unique to the iOS is this keyword property.

It's not visible to users, but

it's a great way to embed keywords into the platform.

Some traits of this keyword field are that there's only 100 character keyword limit.

I suggest you think in order of priority, and

do this primarily because as you localize these terms, those that are longer

may not fall within the 100 characters as they're translated into other languages.

So put your priority terms first.

You want to think about brand terms, phrases, and

non-brand terms that mark the highest search relevance.

And finally, ensure that these keywords are aligned with your product and

marketing teams to generate the most interest for your end user goals.

Sensor Tower is a tool I'll share more about later.

They have a nice worksheet here on the selection process that includes relevance,

determining those keywords you can get into the top ten, and

taking into account their difficulty score.

Looking at traffic, difficulty,

and the number of apps already trying to rank for that particular keyword.

This can be a great way to pinpoint your opportunity for

a keyword before you finalize them.

Some common mistakes with selecting keywords are looking for

keywords that simply have the highest search volume or traffic.

This is no different than in traditional SEO.

Unless you have visibility and relevance for

those terms, ranking for them may not help you achieve your goals.

Also, adding keywords to the title or description, as we've covered,

except in the case of Google, does not guarantee high rankings.

It simply gives you another portion of the layout in which you can

communicate your content and meaning.

It's recommended that you test your keywords and

you vary them with different launches.

You can do this by examining other apps in your category, testing constantly and

making updates with each new launch, and

thinking about how you want to evaluate the traffic, the difficulty, and

the competition for various terms that you use.

Sensor Tower, again, has a nice platform on how to do this.

Now once you've determined the right keywords, if you'd like your app to be

found in other countries, you'll need to localize it.

Perhaps just for a small handful of countries to start,

but you want to think about translation versus localization.

Any localization agency or someone who's spent time in the world of

translation will understand that context and culture matter, and

that keyword localization should be done on a per geo basis.

You start with an app being optimized, then you're localizing that content.

It's being reviewed by the regional or geo teams, finally validated again by

whoever owns the app store optimization, and then that app is launched.

To do this process effectively does require training and

the buy-in of those committed to app localization to get it right.

Updating of keywords almost requires a process workflow to get it right.

At the time that the app update is announced,

you want to pull the keyword performance from iTunes or Google Play.

You can analyze those keywords using some of the external tools I'll share shortly,

and look at other ranking factors that might help with the analysis.

Have a meeting with the development or product marketing teams,

whoever ultimately needs to approve of the keywords.

And then submit those keywords in the US iTunes Store or

whatever your main country of launch is.

Submit those keywords for translation and localization.

And once received back, also add them to the geo categories that you're

going live in, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, China, for example.

And then schedule keyword performance reviews with the development or

marketing teams.

And coordinate the next time they expect to see the app updated,

whether it's a month or two months out so that you can be prepared for

updating keywords again at that time.

In summary, keyword research is the essence of SEO, and

therefore app store optimization as well.

Every digital search platform operates in a similar manner.

Unique to apps is the refined and limited search property field.

It's really by coordinating your keyword research strategy with your app reviews

and app updates that you make regular progress.

Your keywords should not remain static, but change frequently as you add or

subtract with each new launch based on performance, and

improve your overall marketing approach.

In this lesson we covered how best to use the iTunes keyword property,

common mistakes in selecting keywords, and overall workflow and localization process.

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