Mobile Marketing: How to get an app featured on Google Play Store?

Want to get your app featured on Google Play Store? You will need plenty of downloads, installs and a good-level of retention rate. Find out below how to achieve it.

Difference between Publishing & Featuring

When you upload an app on Google play store and hit publish button that is called ‘publishing’ an app. The publishing of an app on Google Play is not same as featuring it on the play store. A featured app on Play store is the one that is being shown on the first page of Google in that category.

For example: Apps available in the ‘Top Charts’ section are featured apps. Google automatically selects different apps based on their number of downloads.

Similarly, ‘New releases’ are also featured apps by Google. They are selected based on their number of downloads and there are special algorithms for that purpose.

Users cannot change the featured app listings unless they have an app published that has tons of downloads, in that case, their app might also be shown in the new release section.

Not every app can be published on the play store. Only those apps that have recurring downloads, stand a chance to be featured in the ‘new release’ app section.

Google Play Store Featured List

Google has a ‘Top trending’ list for apps that are getting thousands of downloads in a day. These apps are selected by a special algorithm of google, which selects these based on the number of downloads, installs and engagement rate in the past week.

The top trending apps change every week because of this purpose, and new apps that are getting more popular replace them.

But it doesn’t mean that indie app developers do not stand a chance. There are ways to get into the ‘New release’ section with a little efforts and strategy.

This is a list of options that can help you get featured on Google Play Store.

Do App Store Optimization

First of all optimize the app page on the google play store. Google gives more value to apps that have a complete page with proper optimization of keywords. Find app keywords for the Play store using various tools and make an appealing description that will compel users to download your app.

Promote Your App

Use social media to your benefit. Join groups and communities on various social media websites and promote your app on them. Remember not to spam the communities, else you will be banned immediately. Instead try to provide value to the users by explaining the very best features of your app in the status section of the app link.

Increase App Installs

Get more installs for your apps by making paid promotions. Start the promotions on social media websites like twitter, facebook and on search engines like Google and Bing. This will get you a head start and you will be moving up the ranks on ‘New release’ app section in no time.

Improve App Engagement

If the app is not engaging, the user retention will decrease and it will be sent to the bottom of the app listings by Google Play Store. Make changes to app by getting initial feedback, so the retention rate keeps increasing.

Enhance App Retention

Google gives tremendous amount of importance to the app retention rate. Because people can get installs through illegal techniques, but they cannot keep users engaged with the app. That is why having apps with higher retention rate is crucial for getting featured on the Google Play Store.

Final Word

Getting featured on Google Play is not an easy task. It takes a lot of time and patience to get featured on the play store. And sometimes, even hard work doesn’t pay off. If that ever happens, relax, take a deep breath and start trying again.

Even if you do not get featured on the app store by the above ways, you will surely get a ton of app installs, which will be beneficial for your business.