App Store 2.0 Changes in App Store Optimization

WWDC arrives with big news every year, and this time Apple's App Store is getting a major overhaul. Here the summary points from the App Store iOS 11 revamp, relevant for App Store Optimization:

The Visual Guide to iOS 11

Looking for a more visual review of what iOS 11 means for ASO? Check out our new guide, which includes 6 high-powered diagrams, like this one:

Source: Thomasbcn & Apple guidance.

New Top Charts view, within Games, per Mike Schmid: 

Highlights

• Apple will finally segment featured apps vs games via two new featured tabs.
• Apple is also adding a Today tab, which includes more premium app featurings.
• App names/titles will now be limited to 30 characters (a far cry from the 255 less than one year ago).
• App preview videos will now auto-play on mute when users visit your app's product page OR see your app in the search results page.
• The full description will now be immutable between new app versions (only the promotional text will be possible to change).
• Apple will also begin pulling developer pages, IAPs, and editorial content (editorial stories/tips and tricks/collections) into the search results page.
• Developers and marketers get several new App Store elements:
  • A Subtitle, located below the app title and above the screenshots, with 30 characters of text. An app's subtitle will appear everywhere that an app does. From our research, subtitles are on-par with an app title in terms of keyword ranking strength.
  • Promotional Text, located at the top of your description as a second, separate line, with 170 characters of text.
  • Up to 3 total preview videos, up from 1 in iOS 10.
  • Promoted In-App Purchases, which each include:
    • A name (30 characters, which does rank for keyword searches)
    • A description (45 characters, which does not rank for keyword searches).
    • An icon (1024x1024 PNG or JPEG).
• Apple is asserting more influence over what apps people download by:
  
  • Creating daily stories for select apps.
  • Creating how-tos and tips and tricks or other educational content for select apps.
  • Creating a new apps and games tab to push featured apps.
  • Pushing featured apps into the games and apps tabs.
  • Pushing featured apps into the search results of the search tab.
  • Removing the trending searches section in favor of the more hand-curated, less algorithm-driven today tab.
• By default, all of an app's ratings will show for users; and developers can choose if/when to reset their ratings, AKA ratings will now no longer reset after a new app version is published.
• Apple appears to have done away with top charts as a separate navigation item and top grossing altogether and moved top charts into the apps or games tab.
• Additions to an app's product page:
  • App's best top chart rank, if applicable.
  • Up to 3 preview videos.
  • App subtitle.
  • Larger, more condensed real estate for reviews.
  • Developer moved to below screenshots (below the fold).
  • App Store Editor's notes moved to below reviews (below the fold).
  • Icon hovers at the top of the screen as users scroll down.

Questions for the Future:

• Does the Subtitle rank for keyword searches? CONFIRMED, YES.
• Will the promo text look different than the rest of the full description? CONFIRMED, NO (promo text is regular text, but appears as a second, separate line above the description).
• Do the IAP descriptions rank for keyword searches?
• Will an App's Promo Text rank for keyword searches? CONFIRMED, NO.
• Will the Promo Text be the copy that builds Apple Search Ads? CONFIRMED, NO.
• Will Apple Search Ads offer an IAP-specific ad unit?
• Will developers (or App Store users) have any control over the editorial stories, tips and tricks and lists that will populate the enhanced search view?
• Will there be any change to the way that App Store editors identify and decide to feature apps? UPDATE: check this page out for submitting ideas to the App Store team. – via Moritz Daan
• Will there be any new, badged feature categories that show in App Store browse and App Store search results?

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Incipia is a mobile app development and marketing agency that builds and markets apps for companies, with a specialty in high-quality, stable app development and keyword-based marketing strategy, such as App Store Optimization and Apple Search Ads. For post topics, feedback or business inquiries please contact us, or send an inquiry to hello@incipia.co.