TRAFFIC
… but new ‘sub title’ field
to compensate
While a 40% reduction in the keyword
character limit within the app title feels
like an unwelcomed disadvantage for
developers, this has been offset by the
introduction of a new 30 character
‘sub title’ field that will sit directly below
the app title. With words used within this
field also due to index as search meta
keywords, developers can now enjoy a
6.6% increase in the number of keyword
characters that may be indexed overall
(if we include the meta keyword field,
which is due to remain at 100 characters).
Keyword capacity aside, the addition
of the ‘sub title’ feels like a highly
user-friendly measure to encourage
developers to describe their app’s core
value offering or USP in a way that is
concise and clearly visible. By doing this,
developers can only enhance conversion
rates and their overall ASO.
Changes to editing procedures
But here’s where it gets really interesting.
The app’s long description, which until now
developers have been able to edit by adding
or removing time-sensitive marketing copy
mid release (typically event specific ‘offers’),
will now no longer be editable without a
new app submission/approval.
Figure 2: Updated search results page
12
iGB Affiliate Issue 64 AUG/SEP 2017
However, to mitigate this change,
Apple has introduced a new 170 character
‘promotional text’ field which will appear
at the top of the app description, which is
editable at any time in between releases.
While edits are likely to take up to
24 hours to take effect, this presents
brands with a prime opportunity to display
time-sensitive acquisition offers to new
potential users. video to convert and drive in-app purchases,
brands which have until now felt restricted
by the app store’s solitary 30 second video
limit can now demonstrate a wider range
of game play, features or USPs.
Here, the real winners could in fact be
brands with multi product apps, as these
are likely to benefit from the ability to run
multiple product vertical specific videos
within the app description page.
Search results screen
number increase Incentivised install campaigns 2.0?
Though the number of preview screens
developers may use is due to remain
limited to five, the number of screens
visible on the search results page has been
increased from two to three. While this
will enable users to see more app UI or
design creative, it will result in each screen
rendering more than 30% smaller, meaning
designers will need to pay even greater
attention to text font and image sizes to
ensure they are legible (see Figure 2).
Of greater significance, however, is
the fact that developers now have the
opportunity to run up to three 30 second
app preview videos that will auto play
(muted) from the app description page.
In a measure some feel is clearly
designed to increase Apple’s revenues
from social game developers which use
With the introduction of the top chart
position score on the app description
page, incentivised install campaigns to
drive category rank may come back
into fashion.
Whereas the tactic of buying low
cost, poor quality installs to gain chart
position was once common practice
among sports betting developers around
major events, its popularity has waned in
recent years as levels of organic conversion
from app store chart ‘browsers’ has
fallen away.
However, with the ability for
developers to now show off their app’s
highest chart rank, this could lead to a
revival in developers buying their way
to the top of the charts and could yet
become a key ASO tactic to boost install
conversion rates.