A presentation on the various types of Black Hat App Store Optimization from November 2016 by Moritz Daan, ex-growth lead @ SoundCloud and now running Phiture.com, mobile growth consultancy.

1. Black Hat ASO
Recognizing and fighting Black Hat App Store
Optimization
Moritz Daan @moritzdaan
November 9, 2016 - eMetrics Summit

2. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
Phiture - Mobile Growth Consultancy
● Est. february 2016 by 2 former SoundCloud growth team leads Andy Carvell & Moritz Daan
● Consulted 20+ apps from startups with 0 downloads to apps with 100M+
● Specialties on Mobile Growth Audits, Life Cycle Marketing and App Store Optimization
● Publishers of
○ ASO Monthly: medium.com/app-store-optimization-monthly
○ MobileGrowthStack: mobilegrowthstack.com
Joidy
Seed stage
Pre-launch ASO
HERE WeGo
10M+ downloads
ASO + Audit
Goodgame Studios
Top 40 Grossing
ASO Workshop
Clue
Top 5 Health apps
ASO + Audit
Opera
100M+ downloads
Growth Audit
Onefootball
5M+ downloads
ASO + Processes
SoundCloud
100M+ downloads
ASO, Retention, UA

3. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
Black Hat ASO: a hot topic

4. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
From ASO to Black Hat ASO
1. ASO 101: An introduction to App Store Optimization
2. Black Hat ASO: Where to draw “the line”
3. Your compass: How to behave yourself

5. App Store Optimization 101

6. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
What is ASO?
App Store Optimization is the
process of improving the visibility
of a mobile app in the app stores
and the conversion rates of app
store assets.
App Store Optimization is the
process of improving the visibility
of a mobile app in the app store.
We extend
it a little

7. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
ASO task: Picking your distribution channels
“App Store Optimization is the process of improving the visibility of a
mobile app in the app stores and the conversion rates of app store
assets.”

8. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
ASO task: Improving visibility within an app store
“App Store Optimization is the process of improving the visibility of a
mobile app in the app stores and the conversion rates of app store
assets.”
Keyword optimization Getting higher in the ranks

9. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
ASO task: Improving visibility within an app store
“App Store Optimization is the process of improving the visibility of a
mobile app in the app stores and the conversion rates of app store
assets.”
Getting featured

10. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
ASO task: Improving conversion rates
“App Store Optimization is the process of improving the visibility of a
mobile app in the app stores and the conversion rates of app store
assets.”
Screenshot(s)
Title
Developer nameIcon
Ratings &
Review
App Preview
Place your
screenshot here
Feature graphic
Video
Title
Developer nameIcon
Short description
Screenshots
Ratings
Reviews
Description
Developer
page
Category

11. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
Let’s zoom in
ASO Activity Black Hat ASO tactics known
1. Keyword optimization Yes
2. Ranking visibility Yes
3. Conversion rate optimization Yes
Choosing platforms & distribution channels No
Getting featured Unknown, but bribery/nepotism not unlikely
These three are most relevant to Black Hat ASO. In the next slides we dive a bit deeper into
these 3 white hat ASO tactics.

12. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
Keyword Optimization: there are 2 types of apps
Those that benefit from legit
keyword optimization
And those
that don’t
1

13. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
Keyword Optimization: legit approach1

14. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
Keyword Optimization: localization
◉ Google auto-translates, but Apple does not
◉ After localizing keywords in Russian
SoundCloud saw ~400% uplift in downloads in
the App Store
1

15. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
Ranking visibility
◉ Apple & Google both have three top charts per
category & overall:
Top Free
Top Paid/Selling
Top Grossing
◉ Free & paid are based on downloads, grossing is
based on revenue
◉ Increasing ranking visibility can be done by white
hat tactics such as changing revenue model briefly,
or burst campaigns
2

16. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
Ranking visibility: burst campaigns2
Src: Tune
Note: (incentivized) burst campaigns see declining returns, three
possible reasons:
1) Even incentivized CPIs are higher
2) It takes more downloads to get to the top than 2 years ago
3) There’s relatively less ‘discovery appetite’ via charts

17. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
CRO on app store pages: how?3
● Use A/B testing tools for highly converting assets (ie. screenshots):
○ Google Play Store Listing experiments
○ Third-party landing page tools (SplitMetrics, TestNest, etc.)
○ Custom built (as I did with SoundCloud)
● Follow best practices, do qualitative user testing and then A/A test
assets that are impossible to test (ie. developer page) or not worth
A/B testing (ie. the 50th word in your long description :))
● Drive number of reviews and star ratings to boost CR by asking users
at the right time with the right message

18. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
CRO: Ratings & Reviews
Src: Storemaven
3
Note: these are vendor-based researches outside of the app stores, merely to back
up my point how important ratings and reviews are. With established brands you
might not see this big of an effect on conversion (but from personal experience I did
see a 20% drop from 4 to 2 stars).
Heatmap, indicating importance for both
droppers and installers of reading reviews:
Consumer Survey “Would you consider
downloading an app with X stars”

19. Black Hat ASO
In search for “the line”

20. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
“What line, you ask”

21. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
● Both Apple & Google keep it necessarily vague.
● It’s however not so easy to recognize the line (not even for
Apple nor Google, who are also figuring it out as we go)

22. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
In the next slides, we’ll call out examples, and try to classify
what we think is over the line (at this point in time):
Over the line (Black Hat ASO) This is not over the line now, but perhaps
later (legal high)
Entirely safe & white hat
Stacked hats,
mean we’re not sure either!
Let us know your opinion at
@ASOMonthly

23. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
Contents
Examples of gray hat / black hat:
1. Installs
2. Keywords
3. Ratings & Reviews
4. Other types

24. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
Installs: Incentivized Installs1.1
Whilst (2016) it seems generally accepted that these campaigns are (whilst technically
‘manipulating rankings’) okay, this was not always the case:
https://gigaom.com/2011/04/19/apple-reportely-rejecting-apps-with-pay-per-install-campaigns/

25. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
Installs: Bot Installs1.2

26. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
Installs: “Retained” Bot Installs1.3
We receive unsolicited messages at Phiture from time to time, making us aware of how these
shady agencies play cat & mouse with Google & Apple. In this instance, the agency will have
their bots not only install the app, they also come back X days later to trick the algorithm into
thinking the app is any good.

27. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
Installs: Non-Incentivized Search Installs1.4
The more people install your app via a certain search, the more positive feedback it is for Apple &
Google that your app is relevant for that search phrase.
In TV ads or via YouTube influencer marketing, ask viewers to install your app over a certain search
term: “Search for ‘strategy game’ and download ‘Fleet commander’”
Risk: if your rank is too low, some people might not find you, or even install the competition.

28. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
Installs: Incentivized Search Installs1.5

29. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
Installs: Bot trending searches1.6

30. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
Installs: “Top Grossing Refund”-trick1.7
Src: Gabriel Machuret (ASOAgency.com)

31. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
Keywords: Keyword “dropping”2.1

32. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
Keywords: Keyword “stuffing”2.2

33. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
Keywords: Lifting of brand names2.3

34. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
Keywords: Lifting of trending keywords2.4

35. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
Keywords: Leverage localization tricks
Src: http://www.mobilegrowthstack.com/acquisition/app-store-optimization/increasing-number-keywords-app-store-optimization-localization/
Leverage localizations to add more keywords (Apple)
2.5

36. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
Reviews: Why push people to (positively) review?
My first review on the App Store took 12 steps
This cumbersome process discourages most
users to rate the app themselves. Only the really
vocal (often negative) voices will be heard.
Especially Apple is having this issue because of
their implementation, which result in way less
reviews (< 10% of Play), and worse ratings:
Combine that with the star rating reset that Apple does after every update, and you derive to the
conclusion that asking for reviews is vital to any app store optimization strategy.

37. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
Reviews: Asking for reviews3.1

38. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
Reviews: Asking for reviews after segmenting3.2
Especially for iOS this was a wonderful strategy to collect feedback and communicate with your
unhappy users, whilst combatting the vocal (often negative) ratings in the store.

39. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
Reviews: Asking for reviews after segmenting3.2
App Store:
"We noticed that your app
includes content [...] that can
manipulate the user reviews
[by filtering] user reviews and
only directing users who intend
to rate your app 4-5 star."
October 26, 2016
We thought it was all safe,
but then...

40. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
Reviews: Asking for reviews3.3
Open questions:
1. Does Apple’s rejection of Piet Brauers app, mean that we’re back to these dialogs?
2. Can we still place them at “Aha”-moments or are we then also influencing our users?
3. Can we trigger the “Rate the app”dialog at a later point, only to the promoters we determined earlier?
4. Can we still use the segmentation tactic on Google Play? (Google hasn’t explicitly rejected an app as far
as we know)

41. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
Reviews: Paid Negative Reviews3.4

42. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
Reviews: Paid Human / Bot Reviews3.5

43. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
Reviews: Incentivized Reviews3.6
Hinting at a bonus
for any rating
Offering a bonus for
any rating (1-5)
Saying you give a bonus
for a 5 star rating

44. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
Reviews: Writing your own reviews3.7

45. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
Reviews: Review Contests3.9

46. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
Reviews: Paid FB likes or Google +1s3.10

47. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
Other: Not abiding the guidelines4.1
Note: It’s easy, and often non-intended to break
guide lines. Whilst we don’t consider it “over the
line” it’s still not allowed, and it easily gives your
competition an edge over you. Be in the know!

48. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
Other: Fake apps & rip-offs4.2

49. Finally:
where do you want to be?

50. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
The line
Obviously not here
You’re over the line. You risk getting rejected /
expelled. It can hurt your brand irreparably.

51. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
The line
Not here
You’re losing out on DL

52. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
The line
You want to be here!
You play it fairly safe, don’t risk getting expelled, but at the same time
you do everything to be able to play along.

53. @moritzdaan
@ASOMonthly
The line
You want to be here!
You play it fairly safe, don’t risk getting expelled, but at the same time
you do everything to be able to play along.
And know EXACTLY,
what’s going on here, and
which competitors are
killing it / you in the app
stores because of it.

54. @moritzdaan, @ASOMonthly
moritz.daan@phiture.com
Thanks!