65% of all mobile app installs come from search, this single data point compels all app marketers have the App Store Optimization technique, aka ASO, in their mobile app marketing toolbox. Since the inception of the iTunes App Store ASO has evolved and went through lots of trial and errors. 

Today’s guest is David Bell, co-founder and CEO of Gummicube, which is a provider of App Store Optimization (ASO) and App Store Intelligence (ASI) software and services to marketers and developers. David describes what and how to build, market, and optimize products and apps by avoiding common mistakes.

This episode topics include:

Beers or Bears? David describes story behind naming company, Gummicube 

3 Focus Areas for Algorithms and Abstractions: 

Paid vs. organic search options 

Conversion optimization 

Paid marketing

Mistake #1: Assuming ASO is executed similarly to search engine optimization (SEO)

Self-fulfilling Prophecy: Optimize correctly to index keywords and generate traffic

Merchandising Game: Understand connection between related keyword terms and audiences 

Mistake #2: Conversion optimization doesn’t only affect app store listing, but also occurs at keyword level 

Mistake #3: Apple and Google are not the same; both app stores are evolving and changing, so success on one does not equal success on the other

David’s favorite apps include LinkedIn and Reddit; most overrated app is Flappy Bird

Links and Resources:

David Linkedin profile

Gummicube

Quotes by David Bell:

“Mobile is a fundamentally different platform than the Web.”

“Search is important, but it really only works if you are optimizing the correct way and you have the right data behind the decisions that you make.”

“This is a game of merchandising. Every keyword is an aisle. Every keyword has related terms. Every keyword has related audiences.”

“The average user gives an app five to six seconds as they’re scrolling through the search results before they decide to download it or not.”