Problem: Why do developers seem to hate iOS6 App Store Search? In iOS5, you see 5 apps in search results and can get to #25 with one flick of the finger in a second. With iOS6 search, you see only 1 app per page so it's really difficult for a user to discover which cool apps are in the top 100. Solution: If you assume that web user behavior will transfer to mobile, then when it gets cumbersome for users to browse results, they will enter more descriptive phrases to get relevant results fast. eg search for "free video poker game" vs. "poker". Longer phrases are 70% of search volume on the web (as an indicator), they're less competitive, & and probably see higher post-click conversion (download) rates because the user explicitly searched for "free video poker game". Therefore, developers have a chance of capitalizing on this and taking steps to rank #1 under each of their long tail keywords and phrases. For developers without access to a giant ad budget to boost-market their App into the Top Apple Charts, App Store SEO might be the best bet to improve discoverability inside the over crowded App Store. SearchMan is SEO for Apps, helping developers with App Store Search tracking and keyword optimization. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter for more content.

1. Ios 6 and iphone 5
App discoverability:
What changed?
What Can you
do about it?
By searchman.com
September 25, 2012
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2. In ios6, “categories” are hidden and harder to access
ios 5: “Categories” in menu
ios 6: “categories” hidden
2
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3. “Categories” also harder to use in ios 6. here’s ios 5
3rd
2nd
1st
In ios-5, only 3 taps needed to access an app
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4. Compare “Categories” in the last slide to ios 6 below
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
1st
In ios-6, five taps needed, Almost 2x as much as ios 5
4
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5. What else? Genius debuts, “search” stays on main menu.
X
Old: ios 5 – “Search”
New: ios 6 – “Search”
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6. Search is biggest driver of app discovery…nielsen
Search vs. In-App Ads
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7. Wait. have We seen this movie before?
Old: ios 5 “categories”
New: ios 6 “search”
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8. But Ios6 Search: from 25 apps/page à1 app/page. Jeez!
AppStore Search: ios5 à ios6
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9. Opportunity: enter “top 10” in search…and beat zynga
n Users likely to search longer kw phrases to get best results
n Competing with zynga on “poker” may get you nowhere
n but competing for less competitive longer kw phrases works
Category Ranking Search Ranking
App Games – Casino
"poker" "poker casino"
(Top Grossing)
21-in-1 Casino and
Sportsbook #212 #50 #1
Poker by Zynga #2 #1 #4
as of Sep 23, 2012. iphone, US appStore.
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10. On the web, 70% of search queries are long tail. Why?
n Users get better search results with descriptive queries
n Marketers see better conversion & face less competition
70% of search traffic
10

11. 7 step to-do list to grow discoverability in “search”
1. Study kw rankings & competitors’ kw’s thoroughly
2. Create & fine-tune a shortlist of longtail kw phrases
3. Description: include all your shortlisted keywords in
your upgraded app description
4. Itunes kw’s: select the strongest set of keywords and
deploy within the 100 character limit (incl. commas)
5. App name: select the 2 or 3 critical keywords you will
include in your app name
6. Submit to apple
7. Rinse, Go back to step 1, repeat
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12. Thanks for your time
more in-depth guides at
searchman.com/how-it-works/
Search the App Store on SearchMan
it’s more productive than hanging out on Facebook
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