The App Store Optimization is the process of improving your visibility in the search results of app stores. You probably already knew this. And you should also know that ASO is one of the smartest methods to acquire qualified traffic, improve your visibility and decrease the metrics associated with uninstallation.
What you perhaps do not know is that the analysis of competitor apps is extremely crucial for the effectiveness of the ASO strategy. Did this seem weird? We’ll explain it better.
Keep your friends close. And the competitor apps even closer!
The whole ASO process encompasses several factors. And one of those is precisely the analysis of the competition of your app and its performance in the app stores’ rankings.
When analyzing which keywords are used by your seo competitor analysis to climb up the ranking or which application pop-ups when searching the selected keywords, we can strategically identify the terms that will help your app to have a better ranking.
Even if an app has been developed to suit a well-segmented audience or if it addresses a specific niche of the market research, the visibility factor inside the stores is always competitive
The benefits of analyzing the competitor apps
Understanding how competition works inside app stores helps to perceive the importance of paying attention to your competitors. Let’s now show what types of race tend to happen in stores and also the best way to track your competitor’s performance.
Competition by functionality
An app has the same and similar functionality of some other. Naturally, they fight for the same first spots in searches for a particular keyword – usually, the one that better describes the app’s key feature.
An excellent example of competitor apps by functionality is Messenger, WhatsApp and Hangouts. More than competing for specific keywords, such as “conversation,” given the similitude between their features, they fight for the same kind of user.
How to track it?
The most recommended way to track this sort of competition is using the category ranking. By typing the keyword that precisely describes the functionality of the search field, you can enlist the apps that are presented.
Based on this, you have to map the enemy’s territory. This consists of verifying the elements of the app page in the store, analyzing all situations and of course, downloading the app. And then scramble everything.
Competition by traffic
Even if an app has different functionalities, they can compete directly for the very same keyword. A good example is Waze and Google Earth. Despite serving different purposes for their users, they both fight for keywords that they have in common, such as “navigation” or “maps”.
How to track it?
An excellent way to track these competitors is using keyword rankings. Basically, following the terms in which these competitors research ahead of you. Then, use them in your page content. Finding what your competitors are by traffic, and then tracking them carefully, is crucial to work on your app’s visibility.
Hybrid competition: a bit of both
The most common competition (and the most complicated kind) among apps is the one that mishmashes those two mentioned above. A good example of this: transport apps such as 99Taxi and EasyTaxi.
Both have similar functionalities, services, and visual communication. They even use the same family of words in their app stores, which makes them even more alike. This sort of competition is one of the toughest and most disputed when it comes to getting the first spots.
How to track it?
An excellent tip to track and have a better grasp of the competition is to follow four to five apps for a couple of weeks. It’s hard work as it involves the analysis of several pages on a daily basis, checking precisely the impact that this has on keyword rankings whose search index tends to be high.
Now you have all the information to find the apps that are directly competing against yours – by keyword or by users.
By being aware of your competition, now you can start to improve the ASO tactics that have been put in motion. This information is essential to win the battle inside the stores. Our task is to help you succeed this fight for visibility in app stores.
But, more than that, analyzing the competition is quite rewarding for us, as it gives us some guidance, shows us new routes and insights. It makes us think outside the box. And we know that those who believe differently always go further.
Are you ready to take your app to the next level? Try a customized analysis in our tool Enjoy it and check our top tips!
