ASO manager: who is responsible for the growth of application installations

In the competitive world of mobile services, it’s not enough to just produce a good product. In store windows, users see thousands of options and choose those that are more noticeable and understandable. Therefore, a separate person appears in the team — aso manager, who is responsible for how the application card looks and is promoted in stores. After a couple of releases, it becomes clear who an aso manager is in practice: organic traffic and search positions largely depend on him.

In any company where there is at least one mobile application, you need a person who deeply understands ASO (App Store Optimization). He is usually called an aso specialist, although in the descriptions of vacancies there is both the wording "aso specialist" and "ASO manager".

The main task of such an expert is to make the application easy to find, and the page in the store to convince the user to install the product. For this aso specialist:

• Studies the demand and behavior of the audience in app stores
• Works with texts and visuals
• Assesses how changes affect installations

In fact, this is part of the product team, which constantly monitors how the application feels in the google play and app store.

ASO is often compared to SEO. There is also search ranking, key queries and competitors who are fighting for the attention of the audience. But instead of sites, application cards are promoted in app stores, and instead of external links - behavioral signals: rating, reviews, CTR and conversion to installation.

Well-built optimization allows you to get more organic installations without a sharp increase in the advertising budget. This is exactly what any company appreciates: users come from search and recommendations, and not only from paid advertising. Therefore, an aso specialist becomes an important support in the promotion strategy.

To better understand what this person does, it is convenient to analyze the typical cycle of his work - from research to experiments.

1. Analysis of the market and  competitors

First, the niche is analyzed. Aso specialist studies how similar applications describe the product, what key phrases are used, what icons and screenshots show. Specialized services are used to evaluate competitors, the frequency of requests and the estimated number of installations.

At this stage, a list of priority keywords is formed. It is necessary to choose such requests, according to which the application can really rise in the search, and not only those that seem beautiful to marketing.

2. Working with texts and metadata

Next, the card metadata is configured: name, subtitle, short and full description. It is important to maintain a balance here: explain the value of the product for the user and at the same time take into account the requirements of algorithms.

Aso specialist carefully distributes key phrases so as not to overload the text. A few weeks after the release, he looks at which requests worked better and adjusts the strategy. In different languages, the approach may differ, so its own set of keys is selected for localized versions.

3. Visual optimization

The next block  is visual optimization. The application page should be highlighted in the results and clearly show what problem the product solves.

Aso specialist together with the designer prepares options for icons and screenshots, selects frames for preview videos. Then A/B tests are launched: the new version is shown on the part of the audience, the old one is shown on the other part. If the conversion to installation increases, the changes are fixed.

Store optimization —not a separate universe. It is closely related to the product itself and advertising activities.

• If the application changes, new features appear, then the card should reflect these updates. Otherwise, it’s hard for users to understand what exactly they are downloading
• When large advertising campaigns are launched, the page in the store becomes an entry point for a cold audience. If she is unconvincing, part of the budget is wasted
• Indicators inside the application — retention, depth of scenarios, subscriptions — are also important. Stores take into account user behavior, and a failed product can pull positions down, even if the ASO work is done perfectly

Therefore, a good aso specialist works closely with the product manager, marketers and the development team. It helps to see how changes in functionality are reflected in installations and reviews.

The entrance to the profession is relatively open. A person who wants to develop in this direction, basic knowledge of marketing, interest in mobile products and readiness to experiment a lot is enough.

Usually the path looks like this:

• Learning the basics: articles, courses, case studies on store optimization
• Practice on your own or educational application: selection of keywords, updating the visual, analysis of changes
• Work in the company on one or more products, then growth to the role where you need to manage the process and take responsibility for the strategy

Over time, an experienced ASO specialist can move to the position of a broader mobile marketer or become a direction manager whose tasks include team management and process building.

If the application brings a significant turnover, one performer for optimization becomes not enough. A management role appears — ASO manager. Such a manager is already responsible not only for specific texts and screenshots, but for the entire system of working with organic traffic:

• Forms a long-term strategy to increase visibility
• Distributes tasks among team members
• Coordinates priorities with product and marketing management
• Evaluates the impact of actions on key metrics: settings, conversion, revenue

Simply put, ASO manager turns a chaotic set of application card edits into a built-up process where each change has a goal and a measurable result.

Successful optimization is impossible without the participation of other roles. Even the most experienced aso specialist will not be able to update the card qualitatively if he does not understand the features of the product. Therefore, regular meetings with developers and product managers are important in work processes.

The team is discussing:

• What advantages of the application should be put on the first screen
• What user pains the new release closes
• What events inside the product need to be tracked to assess the quality of traffic

After that, participants synchronize plans: changes in the product, marketing activities and card updates are coordinated.

For the company, working with store optimization is not cosmetics, but a serious source of growth.

A properly built ASO gives:

• More organic installations without increasing advertising budgets
• Steady flow of new users from search and selections
• Rating improvement due to systematic work with reviews
• Additional insights about what formulations and visual solutions best "enter" the audience

Therefore, even where there is already a strong marketing department, it is profitable to allocate a separate direction for working with application stores and assign it to a person who is deeply versed in ASO.

Today, aso specialist is one of the key figures in mobile marketing. This person is responsible for how the application looks on the storefront, what requests lead users to the page and how well the card converts views into installations.

A business that takes this direction seriously gets a noticeable advantage: the application grows not only due to advertising campaigns, but also due to smart work with search and visual elements. That is why the role of an ASO specialist and the management layer in the person of an ASO manager become a mandatory part of the team working with a digital product.