SEO is a strategy aimed at enhancing the online visibility of websites and content in search engines like Google. It involves optimizing web content, site architecture, and on-site metadata to make them more attractive to search engine algorithms.
One of its goals is to drive higher quality and quantity of traffic to a site or directly to websites through organic search results, improving discoverability and user engagement in the mobile landscape. Not only webs but also apps benefit from this as marketers can use SEO to improve web-to-app by linking to a website that drives app downloads.
Diving deeper into the interplay between App Store Optimization (ASO) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) from a mobile or app perspective reveals a nuanced relationship that's crucial for the success of mobile apps in the digital marketplace.
Similarity in Objectives: Both ASO and SEO aim to maximize visibility and attract organic traffic. For ASO, this means optimizing an app's presence in app stores to boost installs. For SEO, the goal is to enhance the visibility of app-related web content to drive traffic and indirectly increase app installs. Central to both strategies is understanding and aligning with user search intent—knowing what potential users are looking for and optimizing content to meet those needs.
External Factors: SEO heavily relies on external factors like backlinks, social signals, and online reputation to gauge a website's authority and relevance. While ASO also considers external factors, such as the volume and sentiment of user reviews, its emphasis is less on external web presence and more on in-app store metrics and user engagement data.
Performance Measurement: Both ASO and SEO require ongoing analysis and adjustment based on performance metrics. ASO analyzes app installs, engagement metrics, and user feedback within the app store. SEO focuses on web traffic, engagement rates, conversion metrics, and keyword rankings, utilizing tools like Google Analytics to track performance.
SEO employs on-page and off-page strategies to improve web rankings. On-page SEO optimizes website content and structure, while off-page SEO builds the site's reputation through backlinks.
Search engines assess websites using algorithms that consider relevance and authority, determining their rank in search results.
Here are some of the SEO strategies that you can apply:
SEO is vital for apps because according to Airbridge research, 60% of all brands’ acquisition campaigns send users to the web first, even though mobile apps are their main product service. As a result, it increases the visibility of app-specific content on the web, such as promotional websites or app install pages, through organic searches. This not only drives traffic to these web pages but can also lead to more app installs. To learn more about why web-to-app campaigns are crucial, please visit this whitepaper.
Furthermore, with the integration of app indexing, SEO strategies can directly influence an app's presence in search results, facilitating direct engagement. By combining SEO with ASO, app developers and marketers can create a well-rounded digital marketing approach, ensuring maximum visibility and user acquisition across both web and app store search environments.
