Similar Apps on Google Play for ASO
Similar apps category is a place where an application can be recommended by a Google Play.
Similar apps are an excellent opportunity to advertise a mobile product and, of course, use this potential in ASO. The value of Similar apps lies in reaching an additional audience when the user, in addition to search results, also sees the Similar category.
You can and should strive to get into the selection of Similar apps. Today we will figure out how to get there and how to use it in ASO.
What are Similar Apps?
Similar apps appear not from search results, but from viewing the product page. The user entered a query, selected from the search results, went to the application’s homepage and saw a Google recommendation with similar apps. And it is convenient, useful and beneficial for all three parties:
- The user is happy with a wider choice, feels valued and needed, because they were taken care of and offered a convenient category from which he can simply choose.
- Google Play is great because it has perfectly optimized the user journey, and a satisfied user will come back again and again.
- The application is in the black because its visibility and conversion increase, followed by popularity and monetization.
How does Google select apps in the Similar Apps category?
The exact algorithm according to which Google Play forms a selection of Similar applications is unknown to anyone, but there are one hundred percent points that participate in this process. And here they are:
- App metadata
Text content with keywords in the title and description of the application serve as markers for Google algorithms. It is by metadata that the similarity of applications is determined - this is the matching of goals, tasks, functions, etc. Therefore, you need to form your keys correctly, monitor their relevance and don’t be shy to look at what your competitors have.
- User Engagement
Here we are talking about the same relevance of the application for algorithms, but based on other indicators - downloads, active users, retention. All this data characterizes user satisfaction, directly affecting the application's popularity and value. The higher and better these factors are, the more noticeable your app is to Android ranking algorithms.
- Reviews and ratings
We recently wrote about their importance and necessity. Ratings and reviews are open information about the application, from which you can quite easily understand whether the product is good or second-rate. Apps with high average ratings and positive feedback are perceived by Google algorithms as reliable and high-quality, which means they can be recommended and included in the selection of similar apps.
- Categories and subcategories
Google gives detailed instructions on how to work in the Console. The topic of choosing the right category for an application was no exception. Indeed, it makes sense to clearly define the appropriate categories so that in the future the mobile product will shoot in the required niches and end up in the recommendations of the Similar Apps store.
- Monetization and purchases
The selection of similar apps is based on similar monetization strategies and in-app purchases. Google Play offers mobile products for users with similar behavior and purchasing power.
- Developer
We have already written more than once that first we work for our reputation, and then our reputation works for us. A developer's portfolio of high-quality and in-demand applications allows algorithms to suggest other products from a well-established developer to users.
7. Localization
Here, the algorithm focuses on the cultural and linguistic similarities of users, so applications localized in the same region or developed in the same language can be recommended together.
How does being included in the Similar selection affect a mobile app?
The answer is that it has a positive effect.
Getting into the Similar Apps category is one of the goals of ASO. Because finding an application in similar apps exactly meets the goals of any ASO strategy:
- Increased visibility through Google Play recommendations
- The second point follows from the first point - increasing the number of downloads
- And, of course, expanding the reach of the target audience as a whole
Tools for tracking Similar Apps
We will not receive any notification from Google Play, if our application falls into the Similar category, then it is quite difficult to track it. But if we are in the selection of apps, then this will become a source of additional traffic.
How does it work? The user finds the app based on a search query, but does not install it. At the same time, it opens a selection of similar ones and downloads the app from the selection. There are tools that will help you track which app selections and positions our app is offered in.
Similar Apps from Crustinox was created precisely for this purpose - to evaluate the visibility of our application in selections, to understand the total number of applications where we were included in the selection, and, of course, what position we found ourselves in there.
Similar Apps from Google Play - what's the result?
We can say with confidence that Google Play selects apps in the Similar Apps category based on several key factors:
- Keywords and metadata: apps with similar keywords in the title, description and tags.
- User behavior: those apps that are often installed and used by users who also downloaded our app.
- Category and subcategory: these will be apps from the same category or subcategory.
- Machine learning algorithms: Google uses algorithms that analyze many factors, including app usage, time on device, and other interactions.
- Application quality: the store always recommends the best, i.e. high rating, positive reviews and number of installations. In addition, we can mention the frequency of updates and the overall quality of the application.
- Interaction with other apps: sometimes applications that are often installed together or used in parallel also fall into each other's recommendations.
To increase the chances of our application being included in the Similar Apps selection, we focus on high-quality ASO, receiving positive reviews and active interaction with users.
