24 App Store Optimization Tools You Should Use This 2021

Smartphone manufacturers continuously upgrade their pre-installed apps in their smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches to enable users to perform certain mobile tasks. However, given how diverse and closely-knit our offline lifestyles are with our online and virtual ones, these primary apps may not always be enough – sparking the need to download more. Thus rises the importance of mobile app development.  

According to recent data posted on app download and usage statistics, app downloads saw a sharp rise in the first two quarters of 2020 with a total of 38 billion downloads compared to Q4 of 2019’s 28.7 billion. That’s a 9 billion increase in downloads from both Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

The numbers for app downloads made during the second half of 2020 are yet to be crunched, but with the rapid adoption of virtual and digital spaces during the recent pandemic, experts say that we can expect the upward trend to sustain its pace.

In the presence of big competition, using App Store Optimization (ASO) tools will help significantly improve your application download count and visibility, in tandem with your app store optimization strategies. 

As an SEO company in the Philippines with years of app store optimization services under our belt, let us help you out.

What is App Store Optimization (ASO)?

App store optimization, or ASO for short, optimizes your mobile apps to increase their rank, visibility, and click-through rate (CTR) in the app store search results. Incorporating the right techniques and strategies from the app store optimization guide will help your mobile apps rank higher, therefore increasing traffic on your app's page. This will then translate into more downloads and users using and downloading your app more often. 

Why do you need ASO?

While the primary goal of ASO is for apps to be downloaded and installed, secondary goals include audience engagement, positive application reviews, and ratings, increased brand exposure, and an additional marketing channel.

Some mobile app marketers, though, tend to use other marketing techniques such as paid advertisements in social media and blogs, to drive potential customers to their app store page. While these techniques are useful, app store optimization is still the best strategy to use to gain organic installs for free. Also, with proper keyword optimization, the chances of your application being found by relevant users are high.

What are the types of ASO Tools?

In line with the ASO trends for 2021, you can step up your strategies and monitor their performance by using app store optimization tools. ASO tools can be grouped into six classifications and are designed to help you optimize your app in the best possible way for more visibility.

1. App Keyword Optimization Tools

Keywords matter in ASO. Properly selected keywords ensure that your app will get displayed on the search results of people who are most likely to be looking for it. Keywords that best describe your apps and their functions help app store search algorithms display them on relevant searches.

ASO tools under this classification can be used to optimize your app keywords so that you can increase the traffic on your app page. Some of the features that these tools include are keyword optimization, tracking, and suggestions, to name a few.

2. App Product Page Optimization Tools

Aside from optimizing your keywords, your app product page or app listing should also be optimized. Factors such as app names, screenshots, compatibility, location, and pricing, among others, should be optimized properly from time to time. 

App store optimization tools for this category are used to analyze and track the performance of these factors for mobile developers to determine if and how they should modify them, to improve their app’s download count.

3. Review and Sentiment Analysis Tools

User reviews and ratings influence potential users on whether to download your app or not. Giving prompt reaction or replies to user comments will help you gain trust and satisfaction from your current app users.

App store optimization tools under this category are designed to help you to better analyze your user ratings and review content. This will allow you to update your app in line with their likes and increase your ratings. Some tools also enable you to reply to all comments efficiently. There are also tools that help decide to whom, when, and how rating prompts should be presented.

4. A/B Testing Tools

A/B testing for ASO is a technique to determine and analyze which version and elements of your app marketing copy greatly impact your conversion rates. It also helps you test two or more app product pages and determine which one gains more download conversion rate. 

5. Search Ads Optimization Tools

Advertising campaigns for your apps will help increase their app store download count. Careful planning, however, must be made to determine how and when ad campaigns should be implemented, to make sure they are effective. To help with this, app store optimization tools in this category will be of great help to you.

6. App Store Intelligence Tools

Efficient marketing planning and competitive analysis are made easier by using app store intelligent tools. These tools show application marketing trends and estimates of your competitor’s performance such as their app downloads, revenue, market penetration, and advertising spend trends. These pieces of information can help you craft your ASO and marketing approach such that it will surely increase your app download count and revenue.

Top App Store Optimization Tools for 2021

To guide you on ASO, here are the best app store optimization tools you should be using this 20201 The following apps are sure to push your app to the top of app store ranks:

1. Mobile Action
2. Meatti
3. Sensor Tower
4. PrioriData
5. ASOdesk
6. SearchMan
7. TheTool
8. Keyword Tool
9. AppCodes
10. AppTweak
11. AppFigures
12. Gummicube
13. Apptentive
14. Appbot
15. AppFollow
16. SplitMetrics
17. StoreMaven
18. Raise Metrics
19. TestNest
20. SearchAdsHQ
21. SearchAds by Mobile Action
22. adAhead
23. App Annie
24. Apptopia

Read more about the features of each tool below.

1. Mobile Action

Aside from being a useful app keyword optimization tool, Mobile Action is a mobile data intelligence tool useful for gaining reports and information for any app on app stores and the marketplace.

 Key products and features:

• ASO Intelligence: Included in this product are four complementary tools highly useful for keyword optimization: Keyword Tracking, Suggestions, Keyword Intelligence, and Competitor Tracking. These will help you track keywords and keyword ideas that even your competitors use for vital metrics. This tool displays live rankings of certain keywords on a multi-purpose dashboard. You can use it to see suggested keywords you can use against your competitors or you can spy on them and see which keywords they target. Then compare these with the keywords you are planning to use.
• App Analytics: This feature not only updates you with the category rankings of applications but it also analyzes your reviews based on the average rating, rating distribution, review keyword density, and comprehensive download and revenue history of your apps and your competitors’ apps.
• Market Intelligence: This feature is helpful in determining your app’s download and revenue estimates. Using their own algorithm, you can determine how many users you need to acquire to be able to beat your competitors.

 You can sign up for free to use this tool’s basic features. If a premium plan priced at USD59/month will give you access to all its premium features.

2. Meatti

This is an AI-based app store optimization tool. You can use this to gather keyword suggestions and analyze them. Meatti uses a review analysis technique by identifying keywords that appear on app reviews frequently used by app users who are likely to download the type of app you offer. This tool also produces ASO blogs for additional information that ASO strategists may use for their optimizations. 

You can avail of their 7-day free trial to determine if this is the right tool for your business needs. A premium plan costs USD29 per month.

3. Sensor Tower

Mobile app developers who want to gain competitive insights on the mobile market economy use this app store optimization tool. Note that this tool is currently built primarily for iOS, but Android features are being added. 

Key products and features:

• App Intelligence: A bundled product for ASO with tools to view and analyze reviews, app analytics, category and keyword ranking, detailed competitive analysis, and localization analysis.
• Store Intelligence: A product that enables you to see insights into your app downloads and revenues as well as competitor research.
• Ad Intelligence: Used to get insights on campaigns made by other app developers.
• Top Charts and Leaders: Used to gain insights into the top applications that have received the most number of ratings or have been recently updated in different categories, devices, and countries. 
• Keyword translation: A feature that helps target local keywords.
• Keyword spy
• Competitor tracking

 The Top Charts and Leaders product is free; availing of the premium plans of Sensor Tower will greatly help your business. For small businesses, it costs USD80 per month; for the business plan, it’s USD400 per month; and for the enterprise plan, there is custom pricing.

4. PrioriData

Another helpful tool you can use to improve your app store optimization strategies is PrioriData.

Key product and features:

• Keyword Intelligence: Determines which keywords should be used on the app’s metadata as well as in optimizing the app store page.
• App Intelligence: Monitors how apps and their competitors perform on different app stores in different countries.
• Market Intelligence: For analyzing the trends in specific app categories across countries.
• Usage Intelligence: Used for conducting research on trends in the app market.

PrioriData’s Starter plan starts at USD100 per month, the Business plan for USD500 per month, and a customized price for the Enterprise plan.

5. ASOdesk

This tool has three ASO-specific products for keyword optimization: Keyword Analytics, Keyword Explorer, and Keyword Charts and Competitors. The unique features of this tool include app analytics and “organic intelligence” used to gain a deeper understanding of search traffic in-app store searches.

The Start-up plan starts at USD42 per month, the Plus plan for USD127 per month, the Business plan for USD250 per month, and the Expert plan for USD417 per month.

6. SearchMan

SearchMan has huge data on over 4 million apps and 1.5 million keywords. This makes it an ideal app for keyword optimization. You can also use this tool to determine how your apps rank in app stores vs. your competitors’.

Availing of SearchMan’s premium services for USD25 per month will enable you to receive specific app insights and recommendations, to boost your app store optimization strategies.

7. TheTool

This app store optimization tool is effective for making the right app store optimization strategies based on data from 93 countries.

Having a wide source of data, this tool is good for conducting powerful keyword research. It is also good for tracking app installs (organic and not) and present the conversion rates and other important details that influence an ASO strategy.

TheTool offers a free 14-day trial. Its price starts at USD69 per month.

8. Keyword Tool

This tool generates keyword suggestions based on an app store’s autoc-omplete function. This enables you to discover hidden keywords that may come in handy when optimizing your apps.

There is a free version of this tool. The Premium plan starts at USD48 per month.

9. AppCodes

This app store optimization tool offers a keyword prediction tool that highlights your competitor’s choice of keywords to determine keywords that have a high competition rate. Moreover, this tool will also help you predict the specific position of an app on the app store rankings for a given keyword so that you will know which keywords are best to use for your app. 

This tool is available for USD14.95 per month.

10. AppTweak

This tool aims to increase the number of your app’s organic users through its tools and algorithms by maximizing the potentials of your App Store visibility.

 Key products and features:

• ASO Reports: This feature gives an overview of your app store optimization strategy performance. Your app’s metadata elements are scanned and scored with actionable recommendations you can follow to improve your app page. With this feature, you can also perform a competitive analysis of your competitors.
• Keywords: This feature has three tools: keyword picking, analysis, and monitoring. With this, you can see the performance of certain keywords over time as well as other metrics important for keyword optimization.
• Mobile App Analytics: This enables you to track the overall performance of your app over time, get the data of download, conversion rate, and revenue estimates.

 AppTweak gives a 7-day unlimited trial then €49 per month for continuous access.

11. AppFigures

AppFigures is an app store optimization tool that has the power to compile all your app data and turn it into customizable comprehensive reports useful for your ASO planning.

Key products and features:

• Track your sales, downloads, and in-app purchases.
• If a user gives a review, an email will notify you so that you can check and respond.
• Monitor you and your competitor’s app performance with their hourly updated ranks. 
• Monitor the usage of your apps by active users and any crash incidents as well as other useful data.
• Track the performance of your ads and revenue across different networks, apps, and countries.
• Determine which apps top the ranks in different categories in any country.

AppFigures offers a free “Starter” plan with limited features and app tracking. You can access all its features for USD4.99 a month with a 14-day trial.

12. Gummicube

One of the leading app store optimization tools known for its app store intelligence software and services, Gummicube offers a wide variety of products to help businesses with their app store optimization strategies.

Key products and features:

• ASO Service: A full ASO service designed to make businesses focus on developing their apps while Gummicube does all the ASO strategy.
• DATACUBE Software: This software is designed to understand the search intent of users when searching for apps on app stores, to maximize app visibility and downloads.
• Live Focus Groups: This feature is a focused group testing designed to give feedback for split multivariate testing of design features on app pages such as icons and screenshots to determine which is more effective.
• Gnome Escape: A community where apps can be featured and reviewed by users of this tool.

 Gummicube is a paid tool with a monthly flat fee.

13. Apptentive

This is customer feedback and analytics tool is used by app developing companies to improve their app ratings and increase engagement with users. Using the data from customer feedback, this tool helps companies get a glimpse of customer-centric decisions, sentiments, even hidden issues to promote brand loyalty to their customers.

 Custom pricing is available for this app store optimization tool.

14. Appbot

This tool comes in handy for monitoring application users’ feedback. It tracks your app reviews on app stores and different platforms so that developers are made aware of all praises and issues users may have with the app.

 Appbot is available for a 14-day trial. To continuously use this tool, a purchase has to be made.

15. AppFollow

This reviews management tool supplies analytics to mobile app developers based on reviews and search result positions. Another unique feature of this app store optimization tool is the ability to reply to all received user reviews via email and other integrations and give automatic translations of each review which helps increase user engagement.

AppFollow offers a free plan with limited access. You can use all their tools by availing of a premium plan for USD29 per month. An enterprise plan is also offered for a custom price.

16. SplitMetrics

This tool allows mobile app developers and marketers to optimize the conversion rates of their apps on app stores. A special feature of this tool is its ability to allow developers to experiment on their creatives for their app’s marketing copy and pages on app stores on varying demographics.

This tool can be used to split test all features from icons, videos, and colors to help motivate potential users from hitting that download button.

Price for SplitMetrics is available upon request.

17. StoreMaven

This app store optimization tool is used to make app store testing fast, accurate, and affordable.

Key products and features:

• StoreMaven has a dedicated design studio where you can conveniently create designs for your various app store pages.
• You can also analyze the impact of your design, features, and placement to measure how these affect the conversion rate in your app. These features include icon, title, ratings and votes, screenshots, video, and description, to name a few.

StoreMaven offers a free 30-day trial. Afterward, you can opt to purchase either StoreMaven or StoreMaven Lite for custom prices; so that you can continuously perform your split tests.

18. Raise Metrics

With this tool, you can test in advance different features of your app’s store page such as icons, screenshots, videos, and descriptions before a user installs them in their gadgets. With this tool, you can also experiment, as you create your visual assets for your app to increase your conversion rates.

19.TestNest

Another A/B ASO tool you can use is TestNest. It allows you to create a number of experimental pages, to determine which will yield an increase in traffic and downloads in your app store pages. You can send your own traffic to the experiment landing page you made to see if it lives up to your expectations. Moreover, you can also gain insights into how visitors interact with your app store page.

The monthly subscription for this tool starts at USD149.

20. SearchAdsHQ

This is an Apple Search Ads Optimization platform by SplitMetrics. With this tool’s help, app marketers can launch ad campaigns on a scale while effectively monitoring both the buying attitude of users; the ad performance ensures ROI growth.

 The price of this tool is customizable and available upon request.

21. SearchAds by Mobile Action

This app store optimization tool is created for Apple’s Search Ads. This tool provides you with everything you need for creating and managing Search Ads campaigns to promote your apps that bring revenue and maximize your budget.

Aside from reports on how your campaigns perform, you can also track your competitor’s Search Ads activity.

22. adAhead

This app store optimization tool is an Apple Search Optimization Platform that provides GEO reports and COHORT analysis to understand your break-even point, custom ad scheduler, duplication option for ad groups, and keyword rank monitoring.

Key products and features:

• Multiple accounts dashboard that can accommodate up to 500 Search Ads accounts.
• Single dashboard for all metrics in one place.
• Timezone filter for non-US traffic within US storefront campaigns.
• Optimization of in-application events, ROI, subscriptions, etc.

23. App Annie

This app store optimization tool helps business owners and digital marketers better understand the app market landscape by providing application analytics and market data. 

 Key products and features:

• App Analytics: A free product for you to track your app’s performance in relation to usage, downloads, and revenue.
• Store Stats: This is also a free product used for basic ASO where you can access your data metrics, including historical rankings, keywords, ratings, and reviews for apps.
• Market Data Intelligence: A premium product designed to give you detailed insights into your user’s behavior and demographics. This will also give you market data metrics for available major mobile apps.
• Advanced search filters
• Keyword and competitor tracking
• Keyword rankings analysis

 While the first two products are free, signing a premium will give you access to the last unique product offer of App Annie.

24. Apptopia

To help make quick and wise decisions about business strategies based on the mobile app economy data, business owners and digital marketers use Apptopia. 

 Key products and features:

• Download and Revenue Data: Get information about your daily download data containing information about your app’s performance as well as revenue breakdown acquired from paid downloads, in-app purchases, and advertising revenues.
• Daily and Monthly Active Users: Track how often users open and use your apps and those of your competitors. 
• Assess all app markets and determine consumer trends.

To access all the data needed when planning your business strategy, you can avail of their plan starting at USD1,250 per month.

Various application store optimization tools offer similar services but maybe owning unique features when it comes to keyword optimization and market intelligence. Depending on the size of your business and marketing goals, you can find the right app store optimization tools that are perfect for your needs and budget.

Key Takeaways

Applications are important to people for them to skillfully use their smart gadgets. Knowing the apps you develop and business goals well will help you choose which app store optimization tools you should invest in to effectively plan and implement ASO strategies and therefore generate more conversions and income.

1. Using ASO tools will help you save both time and money.

These tools also offer suggestions that help you determine how to scale your ad campaigns, which keywords to use, and which app store page design is more engaging and appealing to your potential customers. Based on the insights these tools offer, you can determine what actions and budget you need to do and provide to gain more conversion.

2. ASO tools keep you up-to-date with the changes in the app store landscape, the demographics of your potential customers, and their reaction towards your app.

App store trends are monitored by some ASO tools. The data they provide is important for marketers to determine optimization strategies based on competition and trends. Strategize this, in line with your target customers. 

Viewing and replying to customer reviews also help you build trust with your customers, as you make changes to further improve your apps and ASO.

3. ASO tools give you insights into what your competitors are doing.

Several tools let you spy on your competition about their choice of keywords, search ad campaigns, and other significant insights that will help you stay above the app ranking competition in app stores.

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