The Ideal Keyword Frequency in the Descriptions of Top Android Games (sensortower.com)

In a previous post, we mentioned that you should include a target keyword in your Google Play description five times for best results. But does this really help an app rank for a keyword or is just a myth?

This post will examine three top grossing games on Google Play and find out exactly how many times the top keyword appears in the description of the app. We will not look at keywords that are in the title of the app because they have more of an influence on the rankings.

In addition, we will look at the Traffic and Difficulty characteristics of each keyword and where these apps rank for these keywords.

Candy Crush Saga

The keywords that an app publisher chooses to target can be surprising. One example is the keyword “sweet.”

It’s not the first thing that comes to mind if I wanted to search for a game like Candy Crush Saga. But apparently it is for a lot of people because it is one of their top keywords. When we do a search on an Android phone, Candy Crush comes up #2 for this keyword.

When we examine the keyword in the Keyword Research module, we find that it has a good amount of traffic and is fairly difficult to rank in the top 10 for.

Since people are searching for it and it is relevant to the game, it is a good keyword to target. The question then becomes: How many times is it in the description of the game on Google Play?

As you can see, the keyword “sweet” appears exactly five times in the description. It is a perfect example of an app that uses a keyword five times to get the ideal result.

Modern War

We mentioned in this post that the word “faction” appears a lot in the reviews of this game. Not all keywords that appear in user reviews are good keywords to target, but this keyword is. The research on this keyword shows that it gets a decent amount of traffic and is fairly hard to rank for.

Although this game does not rank in the top 10 for this keyword, it is the highest ranking keyword that is not included in the title of the game.

Just like with Candy Crush Saga, Modern War also has this target keyword five times in the description of the game.

Hay Day

Finally, we look at a mega game from Supercell. One of Hay Day’s target keywords is “farm.” This example is a little different from the others, in that the keyword is used seven times in the description.

Will it adversely affect how the app ranks for this keyword? Will Google see this as keyword spamming?

Apparently not because Hay Day still ranks #3 for this keyword. So adding the keyword more than five times does not seem to hurt the rankings.

Since this is a harder keyword to rank for (higher Difficulty Score), one could also make the case that the extra two mentions may have actually helped Hay Day rank higher for this keyword.

Conclusion

These three examples demonstrate that using your target keyword five times in the description of your app will give it the best chance of ranking for that keyword. However, there is no guarantee that it will rank for a keyword.

If you put a target keyword into your description five times and your app does not rank in the top 10 for that keyword, then replace it with a keyword that has a lower Difficulty Score or add it to the title of your app.

Also notice how these keywords are used in these examples. They are part of coherent sentences or phrases that make sense to people, not just the Google search algorithm. It is just as important to sell a person on the benefits of your game, as it is to include keywords in the description.

Even though this is considered best practice on Google Play, don’t be afraid to test different ideas and figure out what works best for your app.

4 Hot Trends from Q2 2014 (appia.com)

The second quarter is in the rearview mirror, and we wanted to recap the leading themes that will continue to influence our mobile advertising strategy going into Q3.

Track Performance: When it comes to ad creative performance tracking, data is key. You cannot sit idly after launching an app, it is important to monitor its performance and track exactly what is driving performance. Studying CTR and CTI rates can provide insight into ad creative performance and ad serving trends. Further examination can also highlight patterns of quality users that are being acquired. This kind of tracking will provide the information you need to get the highest return on ad spend (ROAS).

Get Creative with Video Ads: Mobile marketers have made a huge push into video ad formats this quarter. Advertisers have the opportunity to play with videos of various times, shapes, and sizes. Keep video ads short and exciting. Mobile users tend to disengage after thirty seconds, so make sure your ad is interesting and engaging. As is the case with other mobile ad formats, testing, analysis, and optimization are necessary to get the best results. Get creative and keep testing until you find what works!

Keep an Eye on Emerging Markets: Emerging markets have been a huge focus for mobile marketers over the past few months. Android is no longer the only option for mid-market shoppers; Apple is finally beginning to appeal to mobile users in the emerging markets. Competition and a changing atmosphere in the marketplace allows emphasis on advertising and testing outside of Tier-1 English speaking countries. Go global!

Apple and Google are Cracking Down: Both Apple and Android are laying down the law on new dos and don’ts in the app stores. Google Play updated its policies (to go in effect August 1st) to crackdown on questionable developer behavior. Advertisers and developers have been given clear and stringent guidelines designed to make ads transparent for consumers. Additionally, the ban on sexually explicit content has been clarified and bolstered to protect younger users. Apple developers have found their apps being rejected as of late for containing incentivized video advertising. They also appear to be questioning the legitimacy of the incredibly popular App Install ad format. Apple’s crackdown is aimed at keeping developers from gaming the App Store rankings, and capitalizing on the recent launch of iAd’s non-incentivized video ad format.

From performance mobile advertising continuing to take center stage, to Emerging Markets commanding more mobile ad dollars, it was definitely a busy Q2! The key to success is being adaptive and agile enough to change as user expectations continue to evolve the mobile marketplace

Report says most millennials are using mobile retail apps (mobilepaymentstoday.com)

FI Group has published its Retail Satisfaction Barometer, which reveals consumer expectations during the shopping process, specifically noting the popularity of mobile technology. The report uncovered that the use of mobile applications for shopping purposes doubled in the past year, with 41 percent of consumers actively using mobile apps while shopping.

The study found that 67 percent of 18–34 year-olds use mobile apps during their shopping experience. While millennials are typically the focus of retailers' mobile efforts, the survey suggests they may want to look again: Most consumers of all ages indicated that they have two to four shopping apps installed, proving that mobile isn't a generational-only trend.

"It is crucial for retailers to keep up with advanced mobile capabilities to maintain high customer satisfaction," said Terry Redding, vice president of sales and marketing at CFI Group. "With consumers' demands to use mobile devices as a shopping tool, retailers must know how to connect with them digitally."

Of those surveyed, 47 percent of mobile application usage is dedicated to checking product prices at competing retail brands; 51 percent indicated they would be very likely to use mobile apps to speed up the checkout process when they become available. Almost half of all participants reported that they would favor a store with advanced mobile capabilities — which would encourage them to shop with the retailer more, buy more per visit and even pay slightly more.

"Mobile applications allow an opportunity for retailers to engage with customers whenever and wherever they are," said Redding. "Customers want to receive tailored communications, not only to see that retailers are showing an interest in them, but for quick accessibility and convenience."

Where’s the money? (developereconomics.com)

The explosive growth in smartphone adoption, from zero to a billion unit sales, has created opportunities for developers and organisations of every shape or form: massively successful apps are being built by garage entrepreneurs and established software houses alike. This, and the relatively low barriers to entry into mobile development, have attracted hundreds at thousands of developers to the app economy. With the exception of some developers that “are not in it for the money” (as indicated by 16% of our sample), most developers or organisations that invest in mobile are in fact looking for a return on their investment.

But while some are making it big, the majority are not seeing the returns they were expecting. Our latest Developer Economics survey shows that 60% of developers are below the “app poverty line”, i.e. earn less than $500 per app per month. So while there are opportunities, app monetisation suffers from the same income inequality that is evident across so many industries.

Apps as a product vs. apps as a channel

With rising maturity in the app economy, business models have become sophisticated, too. There are two dominant types of business models that e see:

• Apps as a product, which call for direct monetisation, via paid downloads, in-app purchases, or contract development
• Apps as a channel. which aim for indirect revenues via cross-app promotion, brand promotion and e-commerce.

Contract development is responsible for 56% – over half of the app economy for 2013 as we found in our App Economy Forecasts report. More importantly, it’s risen as the most popular revenue model, with 26% of app developers now developing apps on commission. As tens of thousands of brands extend their digital footprint into mobile apps, developer talent is in shortage. This is clearly reflected in the median revenues of $1,500 per app/month that are much higher than any other direct revenue model. Commissioned apps are also a much lower risk option for developers than app store sales.

In-app advertising is the low-hanging fruit and as such remains one of most popular revenue models, at 26% of app developers, particularly strong on platforms where demand for direct purchases is weak, such as Windows Phone and Android. Ad revenues are only rewarding on apps with a user base in the millions: while revenues on superstar apps may be very high, the median revenue for developers using advertising is $150, among the lowest across all revenue models.

Pay-per-download (PPD) has dropped considerably in overall popularity. It remains quite strong on iOS (adopted by 27% of developers that use iOS as their main platform) but has slipped below in-app purchases (IAP) used by 30% of iOS developers, while median PPD revenues are also lower than IAP revenue. The in-app purchase model continues to gain in both popularity and revenues, as users find it more comfortable to pay for apps during use, i.e. as they derive value from them and not based on what the app says on the box.

The shift in revenue models from pay-to-buy to pay-as-you-use has first appeared in apps but we believe it will also extend to other digital goods. Early examples are e-books (pay as you read) and physical goods (e.g. pay as you drive insurance). We expect that the Internet of Things, i.e. the ability to digitally connect physical objects, will be the agent of change that will cause a massive shift from pay-to-buy to pay-as-you-use revenue models for many physical goods.

Subscriptions remain a lucrative revenue model with a median revenue around $750 but, as we’ve highlighted in previous reports, this is a revenue model that is viable only for organisations that can deliver a compelling value proposition with the right content or service that will justify an ongoing subscription. On top of that, asymmetric competition, in the form of free services undercutting paid-for services is always a risk for those offering subscription-based services

Turning apps into e-Commerce dollars

Our research found that e-Commerce sales grew significantly in popularity as a revenue model from 5% in Q3 2013 to 8% in Q1 2014. The rise in e-commerce is a clear indicator that app ecosystems are evolving beyond apps and digital content into fully fledged e-commerce platforms. According to research by IBM Digital Analytics Benchmark, on Thanksgiving and Black Friday 2013, 25.8% and 21.8% of online sales in the US were completed on a smartphone or tablet, respectively, while mobile traffic accounted for 39.7% of all online traffic. More importantly, our Developer Economics Q1 2014 survey found that the median revenues of organisations involved in e- Commerce are $2,750 per app/month, by far the highest among all app revenue models that we track.

e-Commerce is becoming a critical component of the app economy as mobile sales soar year after year. While e-Commerce revenue was only 11% of the app store sales in 2013 (see our App Economy Forecasts report) our Q1 2014 research points to a very fast growth. The growth of app-enabled e-Commerce business is signaling a shift in the role of developers from innovators to value-adding resellers. Amazon is driving this shift with its Mobile Associates API, which allows developers to sell physical goods and earn referral fees via their apps, allowing easy access to a new revenue stream for developers. Apple and Google may soon follow suit.

The overlooked mobile payment: direct carrier billing (mobilepaymentstoday.com)

Direct carrier billing, also known as direct operator billing in some parts of the world, can be viewed in the mobile payments market as the kid who gets picked last in a pickup basketball game at the playground.

He or she might not seem like a skillful player on the surface, but can break out some nifty moves once the game gets started.

Direct carrier billing does not capture the imagination like NFC-enabled mobile payments, but financially underserved consumers in both emerging and developed markets continue to rely on it to buy digital content. That trend will continue and has the potential to generate significant revenue for both the third-party vendors enabling director carrier billing and the mobile operators themselves.

Direct carrier billing will provide telecoms worldwide with more than $12 billion in revenue in 2022, according to one prediction from research firm Analysys Mason. Juniper Research believes in Europe alone the value of digital content billed via direct carrier billing will reach more than 5.2 billion euros (US$7.1 billion) in 2017.

And while direct carrier billing remains in the realm of digital content such as games, music and movies, it is starting to have some real-world applications such as parking and event tickets.

Transformation

Technology has changed the face of direct operator billing since the days of consumers buying ringtones for their feature phones.

Consumers at one time completed such transactions through premium short message service, or SMS. That method is still applicable in some cases today, but gaming consoles and smart devices brought a simple one-click experience to direct operator billing that consumers are more eager to use.

App stores are just one example of how technology has changed this corner of the payments market.

Vendors that enable direct operator billing in that environment received a boost from Google last week when it announced during its I/O developer conference that it is extending the payment form to tablets as long as the user first has the feature enabled on their smartphone.

"[Direct operator billing] has become the app store's friend, and they are realizing that and rolling it out," Richard Leyland, vice president of marketing communications for direct operator billing provider Bango, told Mobile Payments in an interview.

Bango announced its first integration with Google Play in late 2012 when it enabled Australia-based MNO Telstra to provide direct operator billing to its subscribers.

App stores for Blackberry, Firefox, Google, Microsoft and Mozilla all support direct carrier billing. The most glaring omission from that list is Apple, especially when you consider the iPhone provider's rise in emerging markets where consumers shy away from traditional payment cards and fall into the underbanked or unbanked population.

"Apple has pulled of a trick that is almost unique," Leyland said. "Amazon has as well, and that is to grow a very large business in apps with people who are dependent on just credit and debit cards.

"That's been a barrier for most large merchants with digital content, to be dependent on only reaching banked consumers. Apple and Amazon have been the exception to the rule because they have been able to build consumer bases in the hundreds of billions while demanding credit or debit card details from them."

Leyland believes Apple soon will have to change its approach as it deploys cheaper devices in what is an effort to increase its market share in emerging markets.

"You start reaching limits with credit cards and debit cards, and operator billing has a much broader reach, broader penetration," he said. "Apple's move to penetrating developing markets must surely indicate a change at some point."

Real-world applications

Direct operator billing in the last few years has moved beyond digital content and is encroaching on the physical world in a few ways.

Boku provides direct operator billing for parking in several countries, including the United States. "In general, the vertical of parking is one we're really bullish about," Ray Ramillosa, vice president of marketing at Boku, told Mobile Payments Today in April after the company announced a partnership with sunhill technologies for parking in Europe

Boku also powers direct operator billing for the Sony Entertainment Network, which drives the digital storefront for the PlayStation family of gaming consoles. And that's where the physical and digital lines really begin to blur, at least in the case of one particular game.

Skylanders is a popular video game that interacts with physical pieces consumers can purchase in the PlayStation Store.   

"You have the physical figure that sits on top of the gaming console, and the kid can click in the game, buy it, and it's coming by UPS," Will Hahn, principal analyst for communication service provider strategies at Gartner, told Mobile Payments Today. "So now we've crossed over. It's a physical good, but in a way kind of virtual because the only real application of this physical thing is in this game."

Another area where direct carrier billing is merging with the physical world is event tickets.

In 2012, Turkish wireless company Turkcell and direct carrier biller Onebip enabled mobile ticketing for three international matches involving Turkey's national football team. Some 2,000 fans bought their tickets via SMS text message.

"In the emerging markets, you do tend to see examples of this where they are leading the pack with something that is semi-physical; it's in that gray area," Hahn said.

The question remains whether direct carrier billing is ready for the physical point of sale.

"Our vision has never changed," Boku's Ramillosa said. "We've always seen the progression from virtual goods to digital goods and ultimately to physical goods."

One issue vendors will run into is transaction fees.

When SMS was all the rage, that fee was as high as 50 percent of the purchase price for merchants selling those ringtones. But companies such as Bill to Mobile, Boku and Zong ushered in the direct-to-mobile-bill era, and transaction fees dropped to somewhere between 10 and 20 percent of the sale.

"As the rates go down, it's an easier sell [for merchants to accept direct carrier billing] and it's become a less expensive payment option over time," Ramillosa said.

But it still does not compare with Visa and MasterCard's interchange rates, which are about 2 percent for credit card transactions.

"At the POS, you're at the tip of the knife," Hahn said. "You're fighting Visa, you're fighting MasterCard. [Direct operator billers] would have to bring the margin down to compete; they would have to take them on."

Bango, Boku and others know the money for direct carrier billing still lies in digital content. Consumers no longer rush to stores to buy the latest Kanye West or Lady Gaga song or album as its ready for download at any time. Gamers can rent the latest Captain America movie and stream it from their PlayStation 4 in minutes. Even some comic books are digital-only productions.

Technology has changed direct carrier billing to where it is a game-winning basket for consumers.

"I think we need to be realistic about what is the sweet spot for carrier billing, and I don't think physical goods are a very natural fit necessarily," Leyland said. "The sweet spot for operator billing is for micropayments, the impulse buys." 

4 Tips for App Performance Management (appia.com)

As apps become increasingly more complex and abundant, it is important to ensure that your app is functioning properly and achieving the highest user satisfaction possible. There are a variety of products and software that can assist you in app performance management (APM), but here are a few helpful tips to get you started.
1.     Clean design. Set yourself up for success from the beginning with a good, clean app design. The inherent structure of your app can lead to problems that can be challenging to fix later. Putting upfront timing into planning and executing your design will save you time and money down the road by avoiding large structural problems.
2.     Keep it simple. Making a great app doesn’t mean it has to be complicated. By keeping code as simple as possible, you’ll likely run into fewer problems in the long run. That is obviously easier said than done, but developers have access to software and online tools to help streamline the coding process. Just like you wouldn’t fix your car’s engine with duct tape, you don’t want to continuously patch your app with quick fixes.
3.     Advance test. The complexity of apps can sometimes lead to unforeseen technical glitches. Advanced testing is key, but sometimes bugs can go live. Routine testing and maintenance can help you identify bugs quickly and repair code to ensure app performance is optimal.   If you are still having challenges, consult with other developers or outside agencies to get help managing issues.
4.     Compatibility. As new software updates and devices come out, make certain your app is compatible. While it is important to have compatibility with the latest OS updates, it can be difficult to manage and service multiple versions of your app. Try to convert users to the most recent version for the most efficiency.
Good app performance starts with good development. Testing and monitoring also helps ensure performance is always in top shape. Finally, keeping users on the most recent versions will keep your updates to a minimum. App performance can be a challenge, but there are lots of resources to make it easier than ever.
Here are a few resources for developers to ensure their app performance is in top shape:

• iOS App Mockup tool: AppCooker
• Android App Mockup tool: Lucidchart
• Crittercism, an App Performance Management tool
• Bloodhound App Measurement QA Tool from Adobe
• Mobile Quality Assurance from Innolance

Six Stats Every Mobile Marketer Should Know (appia.com)

Whether you are an advertiser, a publisher, or a mobile developer, here are six interesting facts about the mobile ecosystem you should have on your radar:

1.     By 2017, 85% of the world will have 3G access:  Smartphones used to be solely available to the elite, so marketing was targeted at select demographics. 3G access spreading implies a proliferation of mobile devices to untapped areas. Targeting should take into account the spreading of technology to lesser socio-economic groups, as well as new geographic locations.

2.     Nine Countries are expected to surpass 50% smartphone penetration this year. By the end of 2014, eMarketer estimates that Australia, Japan, South Korea, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, United Kingdom, Netherlands, and the US will all have more than half of the population using smartphones. By 2015, fifteen countries will reach the milestone. Additionally, by 2017, more than one third of the world’s population will be using smartphones. If you still haven’t gone global with your mobile campaigns, the time is now!

3.     98% of all users move across multiple screens in a single day: This statistic has clear implications for cross-screen targeting. It is important to carry regular targeting methods across devices to ensure a unique and seamless experience. Native ads can be tailored to maintain brand experience, while fitting multiple device formats.

4.     77% of mobile searches happen with a desktop computer in sight: Mobile-first and mobile-only users continue to become the norm in a multi-screen world. A well thought out search strategy can help break down barriers to conversion for users who prefer mobile devices. While mobile search may account for a smaller percentage of overall user acquisition, marketers may be missing an opportunity by not integrating a mobile search component as part of a holistic app discovery strategy.

5.     Apple’s emerging market share has jumped to 32%, where Samsung’s was last year: Advertisers should keep in mind that Apple now possesses 3% more market share than Android. With the numbers so close, and the tides changing, it is no longer enough to create campaigns solely for one operating system. Duality is key in this moment, but in the future it could be an iOS dominated world. Keep an eye out for these trends.

6.     89% of a mobile user’s monthly smartphone usage is spent in-app, while only 11% is spent in mobile web browsers.  Nielsen’s Cross-Platform Report found that men spend an average of 29 hours and 32 minutes in-app in a month, while women spend about 30 hours and 58 minutes in apps. If there was a question as to the importance of having a native mobile app today, Nielsen’s study should clear that up.