This blog post explains what App Store Optimization (ASO) is, and how SerpApi's Apple App Store Scraper API could be utilized to do ASO with an example script.

What does App Store Optimization mean?

App Store Optimization (ASO) is the process of improving the visibility and ranking of a mobile app in an app store, such as the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. It is similar to search engine optimization (SEO) for websites, with the goal of increasing downloads and improving the app's ranking in search results.

One important aspect of ASO is keyword research. This involves finding relevant and popular keywords that users might search for when looking for an app like yours. These keywords can be included in the app's title, subtitle, and description, as well as the keyword field in the app's metadata. Including the right keywords can improve the app's visibility in search results and increase the likelihood of it being discovered by users.

Another important aspect of ASO is the app's visual elements, such as the icon, screenshots, and preview video thumbnail. These elements should be visually appealing and showcase the app's functionality to potential users. It's also important to have a well-designed product page with clear and concise information about the app, as well as positive reviews from users.

ASO tools can be used to help with keyword research, track the app's performance in the app store, and identify opportunities for improvement. A/B testing can be used to compare different versions of the app's metadata and visual elements to see which performs better in terms of increasing downloads and improving the app store ranking.

ASO strategies can vary depending on the app and its target audience. Some strategies might focus on localization, adapting the app's metadata and visual elements to different languages and cultures. Others might focus on user acquisition, using marketing techniques to bring new users to the app.

In addition to ASO, app marketing can also involve promoting the app through channels such as social media, paid advertising, or app review sites. It's also important to ensure that the app has a good user experience, with high-quality functionality and performance. This can help improve the app's conversion rate, the percentage of users who download the app after viewing the app page.

To summarize, ASO is a crucial part of app marketing and involves optimizing the app's metadata and visual elements to improve its visibility and ranking in the app store. It involves keyword research, keyword optimization, visual elements, and strategies such as localization and user acquisition. ASO tools and a/b testing can be used to track the app's performance and identify opportunities for improvement. Alongside ASO, app marketing can also involve promoting the app through various channels and ensuring a good user experience.

What is SerpApi's Apple App Store Scraper API, and how can it be used?

SerpApi's Apple App Store Scraper API allows app developers to extract data from the Apple App Store for analysis and optimization purposes. The code example below demonstrates how the API can be used to perform multiple regression, a statistical technique that can be used to understand the relationship between different variables and predict a response.

By using the API to scrape data from the Apple App Store, app developers can gain insights into various metrics such as app installs, app downloads, and app ratings. These metrics can be used to measure the performance of an iOS app or compare it to similar apps in the store.

The code example uses the API data to create a Pandas DataFrame, a type of data structure that allows for efficient manipulation and analysis of data. The DataFrame is then used to fit a multiple regression model to the data, which can be used to predict the app's position in the app store based on various features such as the app name, app description, and app icon.

One way this code example can be used for app store optimization (ASO) is by analyzing the app's ranking in the store and identifying opportunities for improvement. For example, if the app has a low ranking, the app developer could use the API data and the multiple regression model to identify factors that might be contributing to the low ranking, such as a poorly designed app icon or a lack of relevant keywords in the app description.

The app developer could then use this information to optimize the app's metadata and visual elements, such as the app name, app description, and app icon. This could involve conducting keyword research to identify relevant and popular keywords to include in the app's metadata, or redesigning the app icon to make it more visually appealing.

In addition to analyzing the app's ranking, the API data and multiple regression model can also be used to track other key performance indicators (KPIs) such as app installs, app downloads, and user retention. By monitoring these metrics over time, the app developer can assess the effectiveness of ASO efforts and make adjustments as needed.

Overall, SerpApi's Apple App Store Scraper API and the code example can be used by app developers to perform ASO by extracting data from the Apple App Store, analyzing the app's ranking and other KPIs, and identifying opportunities for optimization. By improving the app's visibility and ranking in the store, app developers can increase the app's visibility to potential users and drive more app installs and downloads.

image

Why doing your own ASO is important?

Doing your own app store optimization (ASO) using tools like SerpApi's Apple App Store Scraper API is important for a number of reasons.

First, using the SerpApi's Apple App Store Scraper API allows you to gather data about your own app and your competitors' apps directly from the Apple App Store. This data can be used to understand how your app is performing in terms of rankings, downloads, ratings, and other metrics. By analyzing this data, you can identify areas for improvement and develop an effective ASO strategy that is tailored to your specific app and target audience.

Second, using the API allows you to optimize your app for specific keywords and target users. The API provides data on the search volume and ranking of different app keywords, which can help you identify the best keywords to use in your app's title, subtitle, and keyword field in your app store listing. This can improve your app's visibility in search results and attract more relevant users. This could reduce the resources you spend on Apple Search Ads. To optimize your resource allocation, you may want to take a look at SerpApi Pricing.

Third, using the API allows you to stay up-to-date with changes in the app store algorithms, new apps, and user behavior. The API provides data on the performance of different apps over time, which can help you understand how changes in the app store algorithms and user behavior may affect your app's ranking and visibility.

Finally, using the API allows you to optimize your app for the Apple App Store specifically, rather than relying on tools that are designed for the Google Play Store or other app stores. This can be particularly important if you are targeting users on iOS devices, as the algorithms and user behavior in the Apple App Store may differ from those in other app stores when you try to gain higher rankings.

Overall, doing your own ASO using the SerpApi's Apple App Store Scraper API can help you understand and improve your app's performance in the Apple App Store, attract more relevant users, and drive more downloads.

What are some other tools SerpApi provides for ASO?

In addition to the SerpApi's Apple App Store Scraper API, SerpApi also offers several other APIs that can be used to gather data and perform app store optimization. These include:

  • SerpApi's Apple Reviews Scraper API: This API allows you to gather data about user reviews and ratings for specific apps in the Apple App Store. You can use this data to understand the overall user experience with your app, identify areas for improvement, and respond to negative user feedback.

  • SerpApi's Apple Product Page Scraper API: This API allows you to gather data about the product page for a specific app in the Apple App Store. You can use this data to understand how your app is being presented to users, including the app's title, subtitle, description, and visual elements such as screenshots and app preview video thumbnails.

  • SerpApi's Google Play Store Scraper API: This API allows you to gather data about apps in the Google Play Store. You can use this data to perform app store optimization for Android apps, including tracking your app's ranking, understanding user behavior, and identifying relevant keywords.

Using these APIs can be particularly useful if you are looking to improve your app's visibility and keyword ranking in the app store, attract more users, and drive more downloads ,and be the best app overall. By gathering data about your own app and your competitors' apps, you can identify areas for improvement and develop an effective app store optimization strategy that is tailored to your specific app and target audience.

Overall, the SerpApi APIs provide a powerful toolkit for app store optimization, helping you to understand your app's performance in the app store, identify areas for improvement, and attract more relevant users.

Code Example

This code example uses data scraped by SerpApi's Apple App Store Scraper API in JSON form. Here is results.json file looks like:

{
  "search_metadata": {
    "id": "63ab90cb1e803f5c82063fc8",
    "status": "Success",
    "json_endpoint": "https://serpapi.com/searches/c310d97ec3ee6468/63ab90cb1e803f5c82063fc8.json",
    "created_at": "2022-12-28 00:41:47 UTC",
    "processed_at": "2022-12-28 00:41:47 UTC",
    "apple_app_store_url": "https://itunes.apple.com/search?media=software&term=Coffee&country=us&lang=en-us&explicit=yes&limit=100&offset=0",
    "raw_html_file": "https://serpapi.com/searches/c310d97ec3ee6468/63ab90cb1e803f5c82063fc8.html",
    "prettify_html_file": "https://serpapi.com/searches/c310d97ec3ee6468/63ab90cb1e803f5c82063fc8.prettify",
    "total_time_taken": 2.14
  },
  "search_parameters": {
    "engine": "apple_app_store",
    "term": "Coffee",
    "country": "us",
    "lang": "en-us",
    "device": "mobile",
    "num": "100",
    "page": "0"
  },
  "search_information": {
    "organic_results_state": "Results for exact spelling",
    "results_count": 100
  },
  "organic_results": [
    {
      "position": 1,
      "id": 1591921962,
      "title": "Coffee Stack",
      "bundle_id": "markergame.coffeestack",
      "version": "8.4.2",
      "vpp_license": true,
      "age_rating": "12+",
      "release_note": "Bug? Eww! But worry not! We have called our exterminators (aka, developers) to fix the issues affecting your player experience.",
      "seller_link": "http://rollicgames.com",
      "minimum_os_version": "11.0",
      "description": "Who doesn't start a day without a cup of coffee? Coffee Stack is a cup stacking game with runner Coffee Shop elements for extra fun! In this fantastic cup of coffee, you have a chance to collect all the stacks and pack coffee, fill them in different flavors, stack them and sell them to customers and earn cash rewards. Start with a coffee cup & Collect coffee cups stack them in a long queue. Upgrade your line to turn your coffees into delicious drinks, sweet cappuccinos, lattes, and frappuccinos! Add the beautiful sleeves, put on cute lids, and voila! You have an art piece of coffee cups! Gameplay • Fun cup game where kids learn to serve and make coffee. • Choose your favorite barista hand and learn how to make the best drinks. • Easy to use stacking controls for kids to play. • Stack yummy recipes as you play! • Make hot or cold, tasty drinks for customers on your runway cafe. • Upgrade your cups of coffee; try not to give them for free! More Features • Design and upgrade your COFFEE SHOP! • Decorate your Coffee Shop as in your caffeine stimulated dreams, improve your coffee corp and turn it into an empire as you earn money! If you like coffee games, you will love this game! What are you waiting for? Open your shop, and invite in your first customers!",
      "game_center_enabled": false,
      "link": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/coffee-stack/id1591921962?uo=4",
      "serpapi_product_link": "https://serpapi.com/search.json?country=us&engine=apple_product&product_id=1591921962&type=app",
      "serpapi_reviews_link": "https://serpapi.com/search.json?country=us&engine=apple_reviews&page=1&product_id=1591921962",
      "release_date": "2021-10-28 07:00:00 UTC",
      "price": {
        "type": "Free"
      },
      "rating": [
        {
          "type": "All Times",
          "rating": 4.73,
          "count": 206310
        }
      ],
      "genres": [
        {
          "name": "Games",
          "id": 6014,
          "primary": true
        },
        {
          "name": "Casual",
          "id": 7003,
          "primary": false
        },
        {
          "name": "Racing",
          "id": 7013,
          "primary": false
        }
      ],
      "developer": {
        "name": "Rollic Games",
        "id": 1452111779,
        "link": "https://apps.apple.com/us/developer/id1452111779"
      },
      "size_in_bytes": 270394368,
      "supported_languages": [
        "EN"
      ],
      "screenshots": {
        "general": [
          {
            "link": "https://is4-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Purple126/v4/61/5b/7f/615b7f5a-1064-f4b3-5a5c-0b73940d4b08/fe8fe630-5527-4a68-9adb-5d214b358f0a_coffee_stack_2_0001_prepare_the_order.jpg/392x696bb.jpg",
            "size": "392x696"
          },
          {
            "link": "https://is4-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Purple116/v4/1a/4f/65/1a4f65f7-2aa7-ac9a-e22c-456a7516863f/5c51795d-3c64-4cce-b588-1a8b1c2566c3_coffee_stack_2_0008_create_your_style.jpg/392x696bb.jpg",
            "size": "392x696"
          },
          {
            "link": "https://is3-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Purple116/v4/cc/19/bf/cc19bf80-6c23-d4b4-a316-1f9d93982a47/866357f5-5c87-4996-9d63-601cb9de2b3d_coffee_stack_2_0003_Write_Your_Customer_Name.jpg/392x696bb.jpg",
            "size": "392x696"
          },
          ...
        ],
        "ipad": [
          {
            "link": "https://is3-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Purple116/v4/59/f8/b2/59f8b24e-feaf-a294-9451-0b74c3a7e72c/58e7508d-5edf-45f0-873a-6bf2bffc8f96_sturbucks-merge_0008_create_your_style.jpg/576x768bb.jpg",
            "size": "576x768"
          },
          {
            "link": "https://is4-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Purple116/v4/5a/84/6b/5a846bc7-90fc-ce7f-0d57-d2e8419197bd/d325da91-a8c8-497b-9016-3920dcd379cd_sturbucks-merge_0007_choose_yoir_flavor.jpg/576x768bb.jpg",
            "size": "576x768"
          },
          {
            "link": "https://is5-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Purple126/v4/7d/07/a5/7d07a506-0e3b-9b7e-d350-ce7d4108309f/8a20ce9f-4dd2-4b4d-8852-bb371b6c0b27_sturbucks-merge_0003_Write_Your_Customer_Name.jpg/576x768bb.jpg",
            "size": "576x768"
          },
          ...
        ]
      },
      "logos": [
        {
          "size": "60x60",
          "link": "https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Purple113/v4/a8/4c/ef/a84cefc6-b2c8-1ee9-b695-5cec93800e0b/AppIcon-0-0-1x_U007emarketing-0-0-0-7-0-0-sRGB-0-0-0-GLES2_U002c0-512MB-85-220-0-0.png/60x60bb.jpg"
        },
        ...
      ],
      "features": [
        "iosUniversal"
      ],
      "advisories": [
        "Frequent/Intense Cartoon or Fantasy Violence"
      ],
      "supported_devices": [
        "iPhone5s",
        "iPadAir",
        "iPadAirCellular",
        ...
      ]
    },
    ...

Below is a script that performs a multiple linear regression analysis on data stored in a JSON file. It first reads in the JSON file and stores the data in a Python dictionary. It then creates an empty Pandas DataFrame, which is a type of table that is used to store data in a structured way.

The script then iterates over the data stored in the dictionary, flattening each element (which is itself a dictionary) and adding the resulting data to the Pandas DataFrame. "Flattening" a dictionary means taking the key-value pairs in the dictionary and turning them into columns in a table, with the keys becoming the column names and the values becoming the cells in the corresponding column.

Next, the script defines a formula for a multiple linear regression model using the column names in the Pandas DataFrame as the predictor variables (the variables that are used to predict the outcome variable). It then fits this model to the data in the Pandas DataFrame using the statsmodels library and generates a summary of the model's performance. Finally, it writes the summary to a CSV file.

import statsmodels.formula.api as smf
import pandas as pd
import json

def flatten_json(data, df, parent_key=""):
    """Flatten a nested JSON object and add the data to a Pandas DataFrame.
    
    Args:
        data: The JSON object to flatten.
        df: The Pandas DataFrame to add the data to.
        parent_key: The key of the parent element in the JSON object.
    """
    if isinstance(data, list):
        # If the data is a list, create a new column for each element
        for i, item in enumerate(data):
            df = flatten_json(item, df, f"{parent_key}_{i}".replace(",", "-"))
    elif isinstance(data, dict):
        # If the data is a dictionary, process each key-value pair
        for key, value in data.items():
            new_key = f"{parent_key}_{key}" if parent_key else key
            new_key = new_key.replace(",", "-")
            df = flatten_json(value, df, new_key)
    else:
        # If the data is a scalar value, add it to the DataFrame
        data = data.replace(",", "-") if isinstance(data, str) else data
        if parent_key not in df:
            df = pd.concat([df, pd.DataFrame({parent_key: [data]})], axis=1)
        else:
            df[parent_key] = pd.concat([df[parent_key], [data]], axis=0)
    return df

# Read the JSON file and store the data in a Python dictionary
with open("results.json", "r") as f:
    data = json.load(f)["organic_results"]

# Create an empty Pandas DataFrame
final_df = pd.DataFrame()

# Flatten the data in the JSON object and add it to the DataFrame
for result in data:
  df = pd.DataFrame()
  row_df = flatten_json(result, df)
  final_df = pd.concat([final_df, row_df], axis=0)

# Define the formula for the multiple regression model for position
formula = "position ~ {}".format(" + ".join(list(final_df.keys()[1:])))
final_df.fillna(0.0, inplace=True)

# Fit the multiple regression model to the data
model = smf.ols(formula, data=final_df).fit()

# Save the summary of the model
summary = model.summary()

with open('output.csv', 'w') as f:
    f.write(summary.as_csv())

This script outputs a CSV file with the results of the operation. Here is the end result:

image image

For example, you can see the different coefficients leading to a better position. Less coefficients are better in this case since we are trying to minimize the number of the position. Of course this data could be biased or noisy. But you can get the general idea about how these tables could give you crucial information for you to interpret your ASO strategy.

How this code could be tweaked differently?

There are several ways that the code provided above could be modified to perform app store optimization (ASO) in different ways, and connect them with other app store optimization tools. Some possible modifications include:

  • Changing the input data: The code currently reads in data from a JSON file and processes it to create a Pandas DataFrame. If you want to use different data for your ASO analysis, you could modify the code to read in data from a different source, such as a CSV file or a database you have created with Apple App Store Scraper API. You could also modify the flatten_json function to handle different types of data structures or extract different data elements.

  • Modifying the regression model: The code currently fits a multiple regression model to the data in order to understand the factors that influence an app's position in the app store search results. You could modify this model to include different variables or use a different type of model, such as a logistic regression model or a random forest model. You could also modify the formula variable to include different terms or interactions between variables.

  • Analyzing different metrics: The code currently focuses on analyzing the search ranking of an app. You could modify the code to analyze other metrics, such as the number of downloads, the number of in-app purchases, or the average rating of an app. You could also modify the flatten_json function to extract different data elements from the input data.

  • Modifying the output: The code currently writes the summary of the regression model to an output file in CSV format. You could modify the code to write the output in a different format, such as a JSON file or an HTML file. You could also modify the code to generate different types of output, such as plots or tables, to better visualize the results of the model.

Overall, there are many ways that the code could be modified to perform ASO in different ways. By adjusting the input data, the regression model, the metrics being analyzed, and the output, you can tailor the code to fit your specific needs and goals for your ASO strategy.

I am grateful to the reader for their attention. I hope this blog post brings clarity to the subject and helps you with your ideas.