How does the search for applications on Google Play. Abstract
The article describes some of the features of the work of search applications in the Google Play store.
Google rarely discusses its search technology publicly, but in 2013 at the Google I / O 2013 conference, it said it affects the ranking of apps on the Google Play store.
Our team made a summary of this speech with their comments and examples from practice. Video in English on the link , data management guide for Google Play .
Google Play is a store where mobile apps, books, music, movies are available.
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The stated development vector is store personalization. Google Play aims to show content that is of interest to a specific user in the store. Based on past experience, preferences, context of use and recommendations of friends.
This concept combines several scenarios when a user finds and discovers new applications on Google Play:
1.1. Ratings (lists) of applications on Google Play (Top free, Top paid, Bestsellers, Top new free, Top new paid, Gaining popularity).
1.2. Personal recommendations. Blocks with applications that Google Play generates based on the recommendations of your friends.
1.3. Related / cross-selling. Blocks "More applications from the developer", "With this application install", "Similar applications".
Here we do not consider manual compilations from the Google Play team, in slang called "fichering."
Choosing the right category for the application is important. For example, a user using the category viewer wants to find an alarm clock. He does not enter an “alarm clock” in the search field, but goes into a category. In which? Instruments? Miscellanea? Health and Fitness? If the user goes to the Miscellaneous section, and our application is in the Tools section, he will not find it. Therefore, when choosing a category, it is advised to think as the user thinks.
Many people underestimate the second source of installations - directly search. It can be divided into 2 categories.
2.1. Category search
When we know which category the application we want to find belongs to. For example, an application with recipes, reviews of restaurants in a particular city, free or multiplayer games.
The user enters into the search category of the application that will solve his problem (for example, "meat recipes", "excursions in Moscow").
2.2. Navigation search
In this case, we know exactly what we are looking for. For example, a friend told us about the application or we heard about it somewhere. We enter the name of this application and find it (for example, “Engry Birds”, “Facebook Messenger”).
- Every day, 12% of active users return to the store and look for new applications.
- During the week, 50% of all active users return to the store and look for new applications.
- In a month, users enter more than 6 million unique search phrases.
* Note that this is 2013 data.
A unique and creative name is encouraged. The name should say what this application is about.
The name significantly affects the visibility of the application when searching (affects ASO - App Store Optimization). Therefore, many developers are trying to put in the title of the main keywords that users will enter when searching.
The application description is divided into 2 blocks. Short and basic description. The main message must be placed in a brief description.
A brief description significantly affects the visibility of the application. When compiling the main description of the application, Google recommends using the recommendations for optimizing websites for search engines (SEO).
Then we will talk about how to use the application page to make user experiences even brighter and not to deceive them.
The screenshots should show exactly what the user sees after installing the application. It is important not to deceive expectations. If the screenshots and the application are different, there is a risk of a negative reaction.
The video can show users what the application is. Game developers say that video helps a lot to explain game content to users.
We made videos for our non-game applications, but this did not bring any tangible effect on promotion. Video can be a nice addition when doing a review.
Of the minuses: the application interface can change, so the movie will have to be redone every time. Often there is not enough time for corrections, so the interface to the video and the interface in the current version of the application may differ significantly!
To create a video you need a budget. And when the video loses its relevance in a month, this money is a pity.
On the application page, the user has the opportunity to evaluate the application and / or leave a review. For Google Play, a high score is a very serious signal.
Google Play ranks apps based on a number of factors. One of the main ones is the number of application installations. The more installations you have, the higher the application in the issue in the store.
The peculiarity of the search by application is that Google Play takes into account not only the number of downloads, but also how many people this application was later removed (statistics available in the Google Play Developer Console). The fewer users have deleted the application, the better it solves their problem. So, ranked higher.
Often on Google Play, you can see how an application with a lower rating and fewer installations ranks higher than other applications that have higher ratings and more installations. In this case, just such a factor as the ratio of installations and deletions of the application is taken into account.
Google PLay distinguishes when a user deletes an application right away and when he does it over time (the so-called “long delete”).
If the application was used and then deleted over time, Google Play does not consider this a negative factor. For example, the user has completed the game, and so that the application does not take up space on the phone, deletes it.
The next important factor is user engagement. How much time a person spends in the application, how often he uses it, etc. This takes into account the category of need that the application decides.
If this application with weather information, a few seconds in the application is enough to solve the user's problem. For gaming applications, these can be minutes and hours. In the case of a game, the longer a user spends time in an application, the higher the involvement.
Therefore, Google Play does not say that one application is bad and another is good. The application task and need category is taken into account.
We had a new application, which, due to a small number of installations, had a very good ratio of installations / deletions. The score went on hundreds of installations, the rating was 5.0 (again, due to the small number of installations). Given these figures, Google Play on low-frequency queries gave out this application higher than the rest, which had hundreds of thousands of installations. Then the performance deteriorated, and the application went down in the list below.
Google Play also builds rankings based on other factors. It takes into account user preferences in a particular region and the type of devices from which the search is being conducted (mobile phone or tablet).
An important element when searching for an application is hints. When you enter parts of a search phrase, Google Play tries to guess which category of application you want to find, or even a specific application. In the second case, the icon of this application can be added to the tooltip.
In compiling a description of the application, you must consider these tips. They show the popularity of a search phrase.
Google reveals some factors affecting the rating. Ratings are formed by country, category, type of device.
A brief description of each of the ratings in the help .
Different ratings are designed for different users. For example, Top Free and Top Pay are more suitable for new users or users with new devices. They need basic apps, they want to know what is most popular on Google Play. Ratings Top new paid and Top new free are aimed at users who already have basic applications and they want to know what's new in the app store.
For paid applications, income is taken into account; for free applications, installation takes several days.
The purpose of this section is to give users information about applications that are gaining popularity right now. All applications, new and old, participate in this rating.
For each application, Google Play knows the predicted growth rate of installations. And if at some point of the installation becomes much more than predicted, the application falls into this rating.
On the application page there are such blocks “More applications from this developer”, “Similar applications”, “With this install”.
For developers, the value of the block "More applications from this developer."
On our applications, we noticed that with the active promotion of one of them, the installations on others in our account increase. On one of the projects was about 5% of the settings of the neighboring application.
Those. conventionally, if Appendix A was installed by 1000 people, then about 50 installations received Appendix B due to traffic to Appendix A. Most likely, thanks to the “More Applications from This Developer” block and / or the developer page on Google Play.
The same applies to the same applications on different platforms. If we are actively promoting Application A on the Android platform, then the installation of the same application on the iOS platform is increased.
"Similar applications" and "With this install" are made for the convenience of users. For the owner of the application is, in fact, advertising competitors.
More than 80 factors are taken into account for a specific application, and not all of them are related to Google Play. Signals from the Google search engine are also counted. All factors are not disclosed.
This is the home page of two different users. As you can see, the applications recommended by him are different. This is influenced by the past experience of these users (which applications they searched for, which pages they visited, etc.), the context of working with Google Play (if you are in New York, you will be offered an application with news from New York, not Tokyo ), your device, as well as reviews and ratings of friends.
Personalization pages are also subject to category.
The most reliable way to get on the Home Page - recommendations of friends. Therefore, invite users to leave feedback on your application and click +1.
We think this is very valuable advice. Everyone wants to know how to get into Google’s feature list. But there is an easier way to get to the user on the main screen - this is the recommendation of his friends who are already using our application.
1. Adapt the application for tablets. In this case, the application will be available on Google Play from tablet users.
2. Google Play takes into account external links to the application, considering it a confidence factor. Therefore, ordering a review on the site about your application, ask to put a link to the application in the Google Play store.
3. Stick to these mandatory rules:
- Do not create an application name that is close to an existing popular application. This leads to deceiving user expectations.
- Target by country and device deliberately, considering the audience of your application.
- Create the correct address of your application (the application link is formed from a parameter such as bundle).
4. Your file's apk should not weigh much. Besides the fact that users try not to install heavy applications, these applications are also the first to be deleted if the user wants to clear the phone's memory. So make the size of the APK file smaller.
5. Use viral mechanics to promote the application.
Of the 6 million unique phrases that users enter during the month, 50% with errors.
Very interesting statistics, in fact. The fact is that now Google Play does not work with errors as a normal search works. The issuance of applications when entering a search phrase with an error and without it - is different.
We didn’t meet any cases with errors, but at the dawn of seo, when search engines didn’t work well with errors, some webmasters used it to get traffic.
The abstract did not consider the localization of the application in different countries (and how to increase the visibility of the application due to this), work with user reviews, tips on writing descriptions and screenshots, etc. These and other factors also affect the ranking of the application on Google Play and the user's decision to decide whether to download the application or not.
Google rarely discusses its search technology publicly, but in 2013 at the Google I / O 2013 conference, it said it affects the ranking of apps on the Google Play store.
Our team made a summary of this speech with their comments and examples from practice. Video in English on the link , data management guide for Google Play .
Google Play is a store where mobile apps, books, music, movies are available.
')
The stated development vector is store personalization. Google Play aims to show content that is of interest to a specific user in the store. Based on past experience, preferences, context of use and recommendations of friends.
There are such major sources of organic plants.
1. Search Google Play Sections
This concept combines several scenarios when a user finds and discovers new applications on Google Play:
1.1. Ratings (lists) of applications on Google Play (Top free, Top paid, Bestsellers, Top new free, Top new paid, Gaining popularity).
1.2. Personal recommendations. Blocks with applications that Google Play generates based on the recommendations of your friends.
1.3. Related / cross-selling. Blocks "More applications from the developer", "With this application install", "Similar applications".
Here we do not consider manual compilations from the Google Play team, in slang called "fichering."
Choosing the right category for the application is important. For example, a user using the category viewer wants to find an alarm clock. He does not enter an “alarm clock” in the search field, but goes into a category. In which? Instruments? Miscellanea? Health and Fitness? If the user goes to the Miscellaneous section, and our application is in the Tools section, he will not find it. Therefore, when choosing a category, it is advised to think as the user thinks.
2. Search for apps
Many people underestimate the second source of installations - directly search. It can be divided into 2 categories.
2.1. Category search
When we know which category the application we want to find belongs to. For example, an application with recipes, reviews of restaurants in a particular city, free or multiplayer games.
The user enters into the search category of the application that will solve his problem (for example, "meat recipes", "excursions in Moscow").
2.2. Navigation search
In this case, we know exactly what we are looking for. For example, a friend told us about the application or we heard about it somewhere. We enter the name of this application and find it (for example, “Engry Birds”, “Facebook Messenger”).
How important is the search for applications:
- Every day, 12% of active users return to the store and look for new applications.
- During the week, 50% of all active users return to the store and look for new applications.
- In a month, users enter more than 6 million unique search phrases.
* Note that this is 2013 data.
Anatomy of proper application design on Google Play
1. Short and clear name of the application
A unique and creative name is encouraged. The name should say what this application is about.
The name significantly affects the visibility of the application when searching (affects ASO - App Store Optimization). Therefore, many developers are trying to put in the title of the main keywords that users will enter when searching.
2. Vivid and functional description
The application description is divided into 2 blocks. Short and basic description. The main message must be placed in a brief description.
A brief description significantly affects the visibility of the application. When compiling the main description of the application, Google recommends using the recommendations for optimizing websites for search engines (SEO).
Then we will talk about how to use the application page to make user experiences even brighter and not to deceive them.
Actual screenshots
The screenshots should show exactly what the user sees after installing the application. It is important not to deceive expectations. If the screenshots and the application are different, there is a risk of a negative reaction.
Video clip
The video can show users what the application is. Game developers say that video helps a lot to explain game content to users.
We made videos for our non-game applications, but this did not bring any tangible effect on promotion. Video can be a nice addition when doing a review.
Of the minuses: the application interface can change, so the movie will have to be redone every time. Often there is not enough time for corrections, so the interface to the video and the interface in the current version of the application may differ significantly!
To create a video you need a budget. And when the video loses its relevance in a month, this money is a pity.
Reviews and Ratings
On the application page, the user has the opportunity to evaluate the application and / or leave a review. For Google Play, a high score is a very serious signal.
Impact of statistics on application ranking
Google Play ranks apps based on a number of factors. One of the main ones is the number of application installations. The more installations you have, the higher the application in the issue in the store.
The peculiarity of the search by application is that Google Play takes into account not only the number of downloads, but also how many people this application was later removed (statistics available in the Google Play Developer Console). The fewer users have deleted the application, the better it solves their problem. So, ranked higher.
Often on Google Play, you can see how an application with a lower rating and fewer installations ranks higher than other applications that have higher ratings and more installations. In this case, just such a factor as the ratio of installations and deletions of the application is taken into account.
Long delete
Google PLay distinguishes when a user deletes an application right away and when he does it over time (the so-called “long delete”).
If the application was used and then deleted over time, Google Play does not consider this a negative factor. For example, the user has completed the game, and so that the application does not take up space on the phone, deletes it.
Involvement
The next important factor is user engagement. How much time a person spends in the application, how often he uses it, etc. This takes into account the category of need that the application decides.
If this application with weather information, a few seconds in the application is enough to solve the user's problem. For gaming applications, these can be minutes and hours. In the case of a game, the longer a user spends time in an application, the higher the involvement.
Therefore, Google Play does not say that one application is bad and another is good. The application task and need category is taken into account.
We had a new application, which, due to a small number of installations, had a very good ratio of installations / deletions. The score went on hundreds of installations, the rating was 5.0 (again, due to the small number of installations). Given these figures, Google Play on low-frequency queries gave out this application higher than the rest, which had hundreds of thousands of installations. Then the performance deteriorated, and the application went down in the list below.
Google Play also builds rankings based on other factors. It takes into account user preferences in a particular region and the type of devices from which the search is being conducted (mobile phone or tablet).
Tips
An important element when searching for an application is hints. When you enter parts of a search phrase, Google Play tries to guess which category of application you want to find, or even a specific application. In the second case, the icon of this application can be added to the tooltip.
In compiling a description of the application, you must consider these tips. They show the popularity of a search phrase.
Rating table
Google reveals some factors affecting the rating. Ratings are formed by country, category, type of device.
A brief description of each of the ratings in the help .
Different ratings are designed for different users. For example, Top Free and Top Pay are more suitable for new users or users with new devices. They need basic apps, they want to know what is most popular on Google Play. Ratings Top new paid and Top new free are aimed at users who already have basic applications and they want to know what's new in the app store.
For paid applications, income is taken into account; for free applications, installation takes several days.
Gaining popularity
The purpose of this section is to give users information about applications that are gaining popularity right now. All applications, new and old, participate in this rating.
For each application, Google Play knows the predicted growth rate of installations. And if at some point of the installation becomes much more than predicted, the application falls into this rating.
Related and cross-selling
On the application page there are such blocks “More applications from this developer”, “Similar applications”, “With this install”.
For developers, the value of the block "More applications from this developer."
On our applications, we noticed that with the active promotion of one of them, the installations on others in our account increase. On one of the projects was about 5% of the settings of the neighboring application.
Those. conventionally, if Appendix A was installed by 1000 people, then about 50 installations received Appendix B due to traffic to Appendix A. Most likely, thanks to the “More Applications from This Developer” block and / or the developer page on Google Play.
The same applies to the same applications on different platforms. If we are actively promoting Application A on the Android platform, then the installation of the same application on the iOS platform is increased.
"Similar applications" and "With this install" are made for the convenience of users. For the owner of the application is, in fact, advertising competitors.
External factors and how to get to the main page
More than 80 factors are taken into account for a specific application, and not all of them are related to Google Play. Signals from the Google search engine are also counted. All factors are not disclosed.
Impact of recommendations
This is the home page of two different users. As you can see, the applications recommended by him are different. This is influenced by the past experience of these users (which applications they searched for, which pages they visited, etc.), the context of working with Google Play (if you are in New York, you will be offered an application with news from New York, not Tokyo ), your device, as well as reviews and ratings of friends.
Personalization pages are also subject to category.
The most reliable way to get on the Home Page - recommendations of friends. Therefore, invite users to leave feedback on your application and click +1.
We think this is very valuable advice. Everyone wants to know how to get into Google’s feature list. But there is an easier way to get to the user on the main screen - this is the recommendation of his friends who are already using our application.
5 tips from the Google Play team after creating a quality application:
1. Adapt the application for tablets. In this case, the application will be available on Google Play from tablet users.
2. Google Play takes into account external links to the application, considering it a confidence factor. Therefore, ordering a review on the site about your application, ask to put a link to the application in the Google Play store.
3. Stick to these mandatory rules:
- Do not create an application name that is close to an existing popular application. This leads to deceiving user expectations.
- Target by country and device deliberately, considering the audience of your application.
- Create the correct address of your application (the application link is formed from a parameter such as bundle).
4. Your file's apk should not weigh much. Besides the fact that users try not to install heavy applications, these applications are also the first to be deleted if the user wants to clear the phone's memory. So make the size of the APK file smaller.
5. Use viral mechanics to promote the application.
People search with errors
Of the 6 million unique phrases that users enter during the month, 50% with errors.
Very interesting statistics, in fact. The fact is that now Google Play does not work with errors as a normal search works. The issuance of applications when entering a search phrase with an error and without it - is different.
We didn’t meet any cases with errors, but at the dawn of seo, when search engines didn’t work well with errors, some webmasters used it to get traffic.
The abstract did not consider the localization of the application in different countries (and how to increase the visibility of the application due to this), work with user reviews, tips on writing descriptions and screenshots, etc. These and other factors also affect the ranking of the application on Google Play and the user's decision to decide whether to download the application or not.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/265083/
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