SEO for Apps: How to Drive More Traffic from Your Website to Your App?

SEO for Apps: How to Drive More Traffic from Your Website to Your App

There’s an app for that.?

From social media to fitness trackers and games, smartphone apps have revolutionized the way we live. To keep up with our fast-paced lives, we human beings have become dependent on these mobile apps to help us get things done – and we use them daily.

In fact, according to Finances Online , the total number of app downloads in 2020 is 218 billion, up from 204 billion in 2019, and BuildFire revealed that 21% of Millennials open an app 50+ times per day .

With this increased demand for apps comes an increase in app developers. As a result, the number of mobile applications available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store has grown exponentially over the past few years, currently standing at 1.96 million for Apple , and 2.87 million on Google Play Store .

Although there are many apps within the App Store market, it doesn't stop users from sourcing and downloading applications from search engines. In fact, according to Google’s official data, 27% of users buy new applications outside stores , and nearly one-third of them are found outside stores! This means that SEO helps apps gain visibility in search engines where users are the most likely to find them, and this means more downloads.

So, in a world where there’s an app for everything, how does your brand stand out? SEO for apps may be the answer you are looking for.

What Is SEO?

SEO is short for search engine optimization, which is the process of attracting organic traffic from search engine results by using certain keywords. It's an ongoing practice that helps you drive more targeted, relevant web traffic to your website or app through rankings on SERPs (search engine result pages), which are listings based on relevance and popularity.

SEO is a proven way for brands like yours to increase brand awareness and grow their audience. But where does it all tie in with apps?

Enter: ASO.

While search engine optimization (SEO), is the practice of optimizing your website for search engines, ASO (app store optimization) is the practice of optimizing your app and its presence on Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Both SEO and ASO are essential to your apps overall success, but SEO for apps is a crucial aspect in driving more traffic to your website which can then lead to increased conversions, such as downloads and sales.

How to Create an Effective Mobile App SEO Strategy?

An effective mobile app SEO strategy can help you get more app downloads, build brand awareness, and increase sales. Here are five SEO strategies you can implement for your website to drive more traffic to your app:

• Keyword Research - Keywords are the foundation of SEO, so it's important that you find the right keywords to ensure success. It helps you gain higher visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs) which can ultimately increase traffic to your website or app.

• Sitemap - SEO for apps requires a comprehensive sitemap that includes the link to your mobile app store page, as well as all other pages on your website or blog. This helps Google index and rank more of your web pages over time.

• Optimizing App Name, Title, and URL?- The SEO for apps strategy begins with optimizing your app name, title, and URL which should include the main keywords that you want to rank for. This can be a daunting task because there are limitations on how many characters an app name or title can have, but it is essential to SEO.

• Link Building - This is another SEO strategy that can help increase your website or app ranking over time. Link building involves creating high-quality links from other websites to yours through guest blogging, infographics, directories, etc., which are SEO-friendly activities.

• Blog Content - Your website and app need SEO, so why not include SEO in your blog content? By making SEO part of the writing process, you can help increase traffic to your website over time.

7 Mobile App SEO Tips for Promoting Your App Using Your Website

#1 Optimize Your Homepage

Your website's homepage is your SEO's first stop, so it needs to be optimized to drive SEO for apps. Try using the below tips to get started:

• Clear Call to Action - Ensure that your call to action's main purpose is to download the app. Keep this visible, and add high-intent keywords to it.

• QR Codes - Add a QR code for downloading the app. The end result of this approach is that desktop users will be able to quickly browse the code and get the app without having to go through the store. Once the code has been scanned, a clickable deep link will appear. You may also opt to send them a link to their phone or an email address.

• Use Visual Aids - Make sure users know about your app's new features and updates through visuals. For instance, use a video to elevate the content above the fold so that users won't have to scroll down to watch it. Users almost never scroll all the way down a webpage, so ensuring that your video is on the top of the page will improve its SEO. A must-have tip - show an image of your app on a mobile device to demonstrate the app’s UI.

• Credible Reviews - Add real reviews to encourage the users to continue their journey. Your App Store SEO ranking will improve if you have more reviews from verified users so that Google can trust the credibility of your app page further.

• About Us - It's important to have a clear and informative “about us” page. Since some users will want to learn more about you before downloading the app, make sure to provide a clear overview of your brand. Include images for most important employees (like CEO, CMO etc.) and link to their LinkedIn profile in order to increase authority in the eyes of google. In addition, you should also keep in mind the E-A-T signal. This stands for expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness, and it comes from Google's Search Quality Rater guidelines which became well known after the infamous Medic Update in August 2018.

#2 Optimize the Users’ Journey (desktop)

Your app store SEO adventure doesn't end when you have optimized your homepage. SEO for apps requires optimization of the entire user journey in order to attract more users and drive app downloads.

In order to increase downloads, it would be helpful to create a desktop version of your app. Building a desktop version of your app can open doors to a wider audience, and it can help SEO for apps by increasing your app's presence on the web.

Moreover, as some users will prefer to start the registration process right away, this is a great way to make sure you keep the user engaged. After registration, it would be much easier to make them download the app if they are already on your website.

#3 Optimize Your Blog

Next up, we have the king of SEO - content.

From our experience, usually, almost all organic keywords are branded. So, in order to rank for more “generic” keywords, create a blog, or optimize an existing one.

Provide professional information and educate your users on different topics related to your app, based on keyword research. For example, if you’re providing payment solutions for businesses, create articles helping the users understand their different options, one vs another. You can even educate them about a general topic, like:

• “How to choose the best payment method”
• “X mistakes freelancers make that you should avoid”
• or “Understanding how discount fees impact your business”

It can range from the top of the funnel content to the bottom of the funnel, where the users are ready to take action and download your app.

More ways to optimize your blog include:

• Consistent Posting - Post regularly to signal Google that you’re providing fresh content and you’re up to date with the latest industry trends. This way, the Google crawlers will learn to visit your site regularly. Keep in mind that they should always be informative and interesting!
• SEO Optimize Your Articles - Create longer articles with proper headings (H1, H2..). You should also ensure that you include images and a CTA (download the app). Google tends to push longer articles - so make sure you're writing some great insights for your users. Golden tip - include the author of the article and link to their profile page to increase the authority.
• Link Up - Link your blog and product pages to one another in order to make it easier for Google to scan the site and reach those pages.

#4 Remove Anything That Loads Slowly

Believe it or not, your page load time affects your SEO. It's true, and it's partly why your page may experience a lower bounce rate. The longer it takes your site to load, the more likely it is for people to leave - that's if they even make it to your homepage.

We've already established that SEO for apps is largely dependent on the users' journey. However, it's worth keeping in mind that an average user won't wait more than three seconds before leaving your site. Slow loading times can push your SEO efforts down, and affect the user experience in a negative way. On top of that, Google will also factor quality into its ranking algorithms - so make sure you're not drawing it away with slow load time!

#5 Optimize Page Speed

How important is page speed for SEO? Well, very important. In fact, optimizing page speed is one of the most powerful SEO ranking factors. According to Google, if you want to keep your website relevant and maintain a high page rank, it's crucial that pages load within two seconds or less.

If they don't do this, then users might not visit anymore as there are many other choices out there for them. Plus, according to SEO experts, Google is using page speed as a ranking factor - meaning that websites that rank higher are those with faster pages.

Starting in February 2022, Google is also going?to take into consideration the desktop page experience within their CWV rollout . From February 2022 onwards, Google will take into consideration desktop page speed and user experience to rank your pages, so you must focus on both aspects when improving SEO for apps. Ensure that you target all crawlability issues and response codes within your website before then, in order to rank high in app store SEO.

#4 Carry Out a Site Audit?

A website audit is an SEO technique where you analyze your site and identify its strengths and weaknesses. It can help you to identify SEO issues such as broken links, duplicate content, and crawlability problems that prevent Google from crawling your website correctly.

SEO audits also allow you to improve link-building techniques, which will all ensure that Google deems your site relevant and authoritative when it comes to organic SEO for apps.

#6 Write Evergreen Content

Evergreen content SEO is one of the most effective SEO techniques for your site. It basically means that you focus on creating pieces of SEO-optimized content that are not time-sensitive and won't lose their value over time.

For example, if you write an article about SEO best practices or how to choose the right SEO agency, it will still be relevant five years from now. SEO rankings and results don't change that quickly, so writing evergreen content is a great way to ensure your website stays highly ranked for many months or even years ahead!

H2: How to Drive Traffic to Your App From Other Channels??

The SEO process takes a lot of time and effort, so it’s important to have a plan B for getting traffic. SEO is not the only thing you can do in order to increase your app downloads; by using other channels like marketing automation, amongst many others, you can reach more users.

• Social Media - Social media is the most-used channel for driving traffic to apps. By creating an SEO strategy that optimizes your app pages, you can drive more users’ attention towards them - which will then result in higher conversions and downloads.

• Implement a Strong ASO Strategy - Another way to drive more traffic is through ASO. In order to optimize your app SEO, you have to ensure that the keywords in your ASO strategy are relevant and optimized for each platform - so make sure they’re represented accurately in your metadata. This will not only increase the page rank of your app but also help it perform better overall.

• Apply for App Awards - Winning an app award can give your marketing strategy a huge boost. Awards are a great way to get publicity and attract users who may not have heard of your app before. Plus, being recognized by experts in the industry will help to increase the trustworthiness and authority of your app.

• Record a Podcast - Another SEO strategy that you can use to optimize your app SEO is creating a podcast. In this case, SEO experts recommend that you record both audio and video content, as they help SEO rank your app higher on Google.

• Google and Facebook Ads - By driving more SEO traffic to your app, you can also use Google or Facebook ads. These are great ways for reaching a large audience of users who are interested in your industry and might become potential customers.

Our Final Word

If you’re looking to improve your company’s website and app presence on mobile devices, the combination of SEO, ASO, and other strategies can help. When you work with a team that has experience in these areas, it will be easier for them to provide solid guidance about what needs improvement or how best to approach new initiatives going forward.

At R Consultancy, we have helped multiple organizations across industries achieve their goals by combining our expertise in all things digital marketing-related. Whether you want more traffic coming from Google search results or higher rankings for specific keywords, we can help!?

It's time to level up your SEO and ASO strategy. Reach out today to schedule a free consultation with R Consultancy!