Google Play Store and the Apple app store are designed for the same purpose, to install an app. The features of these two app stores are typically the same as they contain icons of apps, image galleries, reviews, ratings, a preview video, and descriptions of the various products.
Although the fine prints are the same, yet there are some major differences between these two stores. The layout is a major differentiating factor as the formatting and conversion rates. You go to the app stores to purchase or download apps but have you ever thought how different the two systems are? They have their own algorithms and display metrics. So, the fields may be the same, but the differences impact the keyword rankings and the conversion rates. Let’s go through some of the major differences between these stores.
Major Differences Between ASO of Playstore vs App Store
Name of the Apps
The app title is the first thing users notice when they first enter the app store. The title of the app sends a strong signal for the App Store and Google Play. So it is important to use specific keywords for your app title. The app store limits the title to 50 characters for Android apps and 30 characters for iOS apps. The title also conveys to the user’s information regarding the apps. The app title should be readable and focussed. If you are searching for a specific word say “holiday” in the Google Play store only the app icon and titles are visible, but in the Apple store, you can see every icon along with the app icon, three screenshots, and the subtitle.
Differences in subtitles and a short description
According to Appreviews.ninja – the keywords used in the title of the apps are also important factors which need to be taken into account while searching for texts in the app stores. The algorithm of Google store takes every textual parameter into account for indexing the keywords.
The most number of keywords are taken from app descriptions, which have four thousand characters, short descriptions with 80 characters and the title with 50 characters. For iOS, the subtitle which has 30 characters, is beneath the app title in the search results section and is visible underneath the screenshots in apps page. Whereas, for Android users, you will find the short descriptions doesn’t appear at all but is only visible above the screenshots.
Differences in long descriptions
Long descriptions are used to explain the features of the app and its benefits to the users. In terms of ASO, the benefit description carries different meanings in the app store and play store. Note that – after app description the next important factor for better organic downloads rate is App Reviews. You can get reviews for your Android app and scale the organic downloads rate easily.
The long descriptions serve no ranking factor in the Apple store; you can be illustrative explaining users the benefits of downloading the product. On the other hand, the keywords in Google have ranking metrics. So, it is important for you to maintain an impenetrable density in terms of the keyword to maintain your rankings.
Differences in search results
The play store and app stores are all about easy findings of the search results. Both these stores display the app title, developer name, rating of the app, and the icon when you search for a particular app in both these stores. The search results of iOS 11 now show two vertical screenshots. Now the entire apps are visible on the app search screen. Google Play has also come out with 3 very different options with their layout design. So, in a nutshell, Google play store search results display a much more descriptive view of the matches. Alongside icons, titles, and average ratings you can also see downloads, ratings and also screenshots preview video.
Differences in programming languages
There are major differences between how the programs are written in the two stores. You can use Java for Android and also C++ while writing codes for Google store. Apple writes their language in Swift, which is now the official language for iOS apps. So, while Android apps are written in normal codes, iOS is written in a language designed for that specific purpose. Swift is much faster than Java for writing purposes. So apps are developed faster with lesser codes. Now, Kotlin is replacing Java as the main language for Android.
The target audience of the two stores
The users are the ones who dictate the moves takes by the app developers. Their behavior directs the changing role of the apps. iPhone users have a strong loyalty to their brands and identify as the users; Android smartphones are less expensive. So, the iOS users are more exploring visitors who are displaying their loyalty scroll down to the end of the apps page and read about products descriptions. On the other hand, Google play store users are more decisive visitors who have a short fuse. They read more about the ratings and short Meta descriptions rather than going to the long notes.
Differences in screenshots
In the Google play store, you will get only 8screenshots, whereas in the Apple store the number of screenshots is ten. While you will get three screenshots in the app store, two screenshots along with a video in the play store your screenshots are hidden behind the app lists. So the screenshots in the app store carry more optimization than they are in the play store. It is important for developers to design screenshots more effective in Apple stores.
Developmental Tools differentiation
Android used Eclipse at the beginning, but now they use Android Studio created by Google. iOS apps use XCode, which is at the core of the Apple experience. The developmental tools significantly influence the working on the apps for better build up and support. Both the iOS and Android platforms use various tools for developing their mobile apps. Apple is more consistent with their software development, while Google is still to catch up on the development front. Although Google is slow regarding upgrading its development language, the budget category of its devices has helped in increased sales in comparison to Apple.
It is important for app developers to thoughtfully assess their resources to implement their marketing strategy effectively. While selecting either of these two platforms, you should keep in mind the purpose for which you are using these stores. You should also keep an eye on your budget and set your priorities. These are some of the guidelines which might help you to select the platform of your choice.
