I have been in the ASO business a long time — and seen a lot of the same mistakes. Learn from the errors of other ASO newbies to start your career off on the right foot.
When you’re new to app store optimization, you are bound to make more mistakes than a seasoned aso practitioners. It is not that difficult line of work, but you really cannot be good until you have that significant experience.
Most often than not, you won’t even know that you are making a mistake when you do it. There is just so much to learn in this business and so much history.
I wrote this post to help out the undergrads of ASO. Here are the six biggest mistakes that I’ve noticed ASO newbies make and how to avoid them.
1. Not Knowing What They Don’t Know
Good ASO practitioners are aware of one undeniable truth: It’s a non-stop learning process.
This technical discipline requires constant education.
Why? Because App Store and Google Play store usean algorithm to determine how apps or games get ranked, and you can’t count on that algorithm to stay the same.
Your ASO efforts that got you to the top of the app search engine results pages in 2015 may be less effective in 2016. You also could find that your existing apps or games perform the dreaded “iTunes or Google Play store dance” — that is, they shift around in the search results because of algorithm changes.
What do you know about the latest algorithm changes? If you don’t know the answer, then that’s what you don’t know. Change that by keeping up with the changes, which are documented frequently.
Also, if you’re just starting out in ASO, be sure to do your research online or read from authoritative sources about how to successfully rank an app or game. Specifically, pay attention to what works and what doesn’t work from very recently published posts. It’s entirely possible that a ranking strategy that was popular just three months ago doesn’t work that well any more.
When I first started in ASO, I read every post I could on App Store Search Engine Land, ASO Professional, Gummicube, you name it. But I still didn’t know half of what I know today. If you are new to ASO, it is essential to bear in mind that you don’t know it all yet. It is okay to ask questions to superiors or tell a client, “I will need to research fully that and get back to you.” In most cases, the client will respect you for that.
2. Not Directly Addressing Bad Results
When the numbers are bad, you need to inform your client about it and explain why they are bad. If it is not due to incorrect strategies, and instead is due to something that broke on the client’s app or game, or a technical issue, you need to be clear about that, too.
When it comes to ASO, it does no good to dance around issues of poor performance. Issues need to be addressed right off the bat. If it is not your fault, exlplain yourself. If it is, you need to take ownership of the issue and find solutions to fix it.
Also, if you’re strategy is not working, it’s time to try something else. It’s possible you’re attempting an old ASO strategy that’s no longer working. Even worse, you could be trying a risky strategy that App Store recognizes as an attempt to manipulate its algorithm, and your app or game could be penalized.
For example, if you are still getting the low amount of traffic or downloads and expecting your rankings to go up, you’ll be disappointed. You will probably get some rankings for a few months and then leave the app or game with a terrible penalty.
Bottom line: If the results are bad, be honest about it. If the result is bad because you don’t have the right strategy, you should reach out to an expert. I’ll talk more about ASO strategy in my next point.
3. Not Focusing On Important Stuff To Improve ROI
In ASO, it’s tempting to focus your efforts on ranking apps with “easy” keywords, even if those don’t contribute to top-line growth as much as others. Reminder: Avoid plucking low-hanging fruit just because you want to make your job a lot easier.
Make sure you are doing the following:
Focus on keywords that will yield a significant enough return.
Do not waste time with ASO strategies that do not matter.
Create weekly strategic plans that are tied directly to the business goals.
Good keywords, title, descrption are the most important elements — never forget that (That is, as long as nothing is technically wrong or broken on the app/game, which happens a lot).
4. Sticking Too Close To Your Contract
Yes, you have a contract with your client that spells out certain specific ASO responsibilities. It lists a series of “Do’s” and “Dont’s.”
Just consider it a guideline, rather than a mandate. Well, not the “Don’ts” part… that is the mandate.
But please bear in mind…
When a sales representative sells an ASO deal, they do their best with the services. Often, they do an excellent job. But it is your job to deliver the ASO services and execute them properly. Moreover, if they are not the right services, it is your job to strategize, improvise, so that they are the right services.
Also, I have no issues with additional services here and there if the client needs them. We call it client remarketing.
5. Not Seeking Help Until It’s Too Late
Although good ASO takes time, it shouldn’t take that long. Your efforts to boost the rank of an app or a game should be apparent within six months (depending on the app and keyword you’re trying to rank).
However, if you’re not noticing any results at all after a few months, it might be time to ping a more experienced ASO professional for assistance.
You see, the owner of the app or game that you’re trying to rank will be checking the app search rankings (ASRs), as well. If he or she doesn’t see any results after a while, then you could find yourself quickly dismissed. We don’t want that, do we?
Always monitor the app keyword rankings on a weekly basis to check if there’s movement, even if it’s ever so slight. If it looks like the trend is your friend, then you can be sure that your efforts are having an impact.
However, if the app or game doesn’t seem to be moving, then there’s something wrong with your strategy. You’ll need to ask for help or do more research to get the job done.
The important thing here is to be constantly vigilant when it comes to delivering results. Avoid waiting too long to seek assistance, or it could be too late.
6. Your Client Is Not Forever
As an ASO professional, you’ll figure out that there are few things in your life that are more valuable than a client. That’s why you should bend over backward, jump through hoops, and do everything to keep your clients happy.
If you want to know how valuable they are, start by calculating the cost to get one. You’ll find that it’s cheaper to spend a little more to keep that client than it is to find a new one.
The key here is to practice World class customer service so that your clients are always happy with your work. That way, you’ll keep them and probably secure a few more with referrals.
So go the extra mile when it comes to providing your clients with an outstanding experience. They’ll thank you with long-term revenue. Remember, going the extra mile is always rewarded.
If you lose a client, it is crucial never to leave them with a bad taste in their mouth. Always do your best to end on the right foot.
You will most likely run into them again in your professional life. The main point here is, even if something goes wrong, and the relationship ends, do your best to be a moral human being. You will probably see them again.
Wrapping It Up
If you’re an ASO newbie, you’ll likely make mistakes. However, you don’t have to commit those that we’ve covered here.
Give your career an early boost by learning from the errors of others, rather than your own. Good luck with your ASO rankings!
