The Official App Store Optimization Conference 2019 New York Recap + Presentations

Otas Temelis
App Store Optimization Stack
9 min readNov 19, 2019

NB: Phiture is hiring for a key role to lead our evergrowing ASO team. You’ll be responsible for leading and overseeing the success of our App Store Optimization service team and help Phiture to lead the way in mobile growth. Read more about the role here: https://phiture-jobs.personio.de/job/152090?_pc=133127#apply

It’s been more than a month after the App Store Optimization Conference in New York and it’s time for an official content recap. This article will give a brief overview of each session with the relevant links to their presentations.

Session #1: State of the App Economy

Presented by Eric Seufert, Owner, Heracles Media

There are three credible risks to the mobile app economy that mobile advertisers and developers need to be conscious of when strategizing for the future: Advertising ID deprecation, regulation, and anti-competitive platform behavior.

Main content covered:

  • Advertising spend shift to mobile
  • The modern mobile marketing stack
  • Three modern risks for the mobile app economy

Session #2: Preparing for a Global App Launch, Game Perspective

Presented by Rocio Morales, Senior ASO Strategist, King

Preparing for a Global App Launch, Game Perspective

This case study covering the global launch of the latest addition to the King portfolio, Candy Crush Friends. Coming from an ASO perspective, it offfers details on all the different aspects that need to be considered, including search strategy, franchise framework, brand positioning, and more.

Main content covered:

  • A/B Testing
  • Search strategies and keyword protection
  • Launch of the Candy Crush Friends

Session #3: Growth Through Localization: Adapting Your Listing for the Global Market

Presented by Peter Yoon, Former Senior Marketer & Global ASO Lead, Uber.

Growth Through Localization: Adapting Your Listing for the Global Market

The keynote explains how standardizing products and communications may save on costs and lead to a single brand identity, but taking this path could also mean that you are missing out on a lot of growth and millions.

Main content covered:

  • Efficiency vs. Empathy
  • Design a universal design system
  • Testing copy & imagery

Session #4: Analyzing the Influence of Metadata Optimizations, Algorithm and Seasonality on Organic Downloads

Presented by Luca Giacomel, Head of Game Development, Bending Spoons.

Analyzing the Influence of Metadata Optimizations, Algorithm and Seasonality on Organic Downloads

It’s not always easy to understand the performance of metadata updates at first, since there are various confounding factors. However, Luca presented his tool — Sherlock, the ASO Inspector which helps to build reports around conversion, downloads, update impact analysis, seasonality and uplift.

Main content covered:

  • ASO updates
  • Confounding factors
  • Sherlock

Session #5: ASO Nightmares

Moderated by Brandy Wince, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Adobe.

  • Matias Honorato, Growth Manager, Tally
  • Dor Alaluf, Organic Growth manager, Playtika
  • Dora Trostanetsky, Senior Manager, Growth & Optimization, Soundcloud
  • George Natsvlishvili, Head of Organic Growth, Glovo

The panelists shared their stories of how algorithm changes flushed performance down the drain, of how certain experiments just didn’t win, or of how another lowly, poorly-rated app overtook the panelists’ apps in the rankings.

Session #6: Scaling Your Experimentation Efforts Through Data-Driven Testing Processes

Presented by Aude Boscher & Pablo Penny, Managing Director, Phiture

Scaling Your Experimentation Efforts Through Data-Driven Testing Processes

The presentation explained how to build systematic processes around testing including a new step of CRO loop — prioritization. Working like this helps you build sustainable growth within your app and enables you to make smart decisions that will ultimately benefit you and your app in the future.

Main content covered:

  • Conversion Rate Optimization Loop
  • R.I.C.E. model
  • Measure the impact of experimentation

Session #7: ASO App Launch Lessons (Non-Gaming Perspective)

Presented by Jesse Germinario, Director of Growth, Elevate Labs

ASO App Launch Lessons (Non-Gaming Perspective)

Jesse shared his experience in how launching a new app or game comes with unique ASO challenges; he emphasized the need to plan your strategy and really get to know the space in order to succeed.

Main content covered:

  • Prelaunch (KWO, ASO, SEO)
  • Post-launch (Succeeding in today’s App Store)

Session #8: What You Need to Know About Organic Uplift

Presented by Gabe Kwakyi, CEO & Founder, Incipia & Xyla, Oliver Jiang, Director of Strategy, Incipia

What You Need to Know About Organic Uplift

The session explained how to calculate and interpret the organic uplift for business applications by having an organized approach. Such suggestions are certainly best practice in order for sustainable mobile growth.

Main content covered:

  • Fundamentals of organic uplift
  • Application of organized approach
  • Cannibalization and overlapping factors

Session #9: Scaling an Organic Team: Harnessing the Organic Butterfly Effect

Presented by Dor Alaluf, Senior Organic Growth Manager, Playtika

Scaling an Organic Team: Harnessing the Organic Butterfly Effect

Dor explained the advantages of an in-house approach to ASO and shared how Playtika’s Organic Growth team measured, proved and expanded its value to the business.

Main content covered:

  • Review prompting
  • Reply to reviews
  • Viral growth

Session #10: How to Leverage Apple Search Ads and Keyword Ranking Tools to Automate Building the Optimal Keyword Set

Presented by Andrea Raggi, Search Ads Manager, Phiture

How to Leverage Apple Search Ads and Keyword Ranking Tools to Automate Building the Optimal Keyword Set

In Andrea’s keynotes, he walked the audience through how to set up an Apple Search Ads campaign according to his experience. He also explained that there are two parameters that maximize the optimal keyword set: volume & conversion.

Main content covered:

  • Apple Search Ads walkthrough
  • Advanced tactics and campaign management
  • Case studies and examples

Session #11: Beyond a new brand: how we did the full SkyScanner rebranding on stores

Presented by Alexandra Lamachenka, Marketing Manager, Skyscanner

Beyond a New Brand: How We Did the Full SkyScanner Rebranding on Stores

SkyScanner rebranded in just 3 months and to do that you need to be bold, automate processes and join the forces. This talk went through each key component of how they managed it.

Main content covered:

  • Bold brand game
  • ASO a part of engineering
  • Connected product and marketing

Session #12: Building A Modern ASO Report

Presented by Gabe Kwakyi, CEO & Co-Founder, Incipia & Xyla, Marina Corby, Senior Data Analyst, Incipia

Building A Modern ASO Report

In this session, the speakers explained that the modern ASO reporting shouldn’t include only keywords and downloads but it should also include the nature of visibility and monitor organic uplift. This leads to a more complete overall picture best suited for modern ASO best practices.

Main content covered:

  • Store Dynamics
  • Visibility
  • Metrics
  • Modern ASO Report

Session #13: ASO Panel — ASO Beyond Keywords

Moderated by Adam Hadi, VP of Marketing, Current

  • Alexandra Lamachenka, Marketing Manager, Skyscanner
  • Peter Yoon, Former Senior Marketer & Global ASO Lead, Uber
  • Jesse Germinario, Director of Growth, Elevate
  • Jean-Sebastien Laverge, VP of Data & Growth, Tilting Point

The panelists shared their take on the evolving ASO and how the stores became more than just keyword metadata management. They also offered their views on what the new set of levers are for managing ASO in 2019.

Session #14: Build & Apply a Consumer Segmentation

Presented by Fabien-Pierre Nicolas, VP of US Marketing, SmartNews, Inc. & Genie Ko, Product Marketing Manager, SmartNews, Inc.

Build & Apply a Consumer Segmentation

These speakers from SmartNews gave a comprehensive overview of customer segmentation and then went into detail on how such insights can be advantageous for your ASO strategy.

Main content covered:

  • Consumer Segmentation 101
  • Application to ASO & Beyond

Session #15: Why App Store Ratings Matter and the Winning Approach to 5-Star Rating

Presented by Mirela Cialai, Director of Mobile Marketing, Zinio

Why App Store Ratings Matter and the Winning Approach to 5-Star Rating

Mirela shared the insights of how she used App Store Ratings to increase the discoverability of the app on the marketplace. It is now forecasted to hit more than 5 million apps by 2020, certainly supporting her strategy.

Main content covered:

  • Top 10 Most Influential ASO Factors
  • The winning approach to ratings

Session #16: ASO Awards Winner Announcement

Presented by Stuart Miller, Design Lead, Phiture & Otas Temelis, Marketing Manager, Phiture

To round off a successful conference and celebrate some of the best and brightest in the industry, there was also the announcement of the ASO Awards Winners, pictured below.

The judges included:

  • Thomas Petit, Mobile Growth Expert
  • Alexandra Lamachenka, Marketing Manager, Skyscanner
  • Gabe Kwakyi, Co-Founder & CEO, Incipia & Xyla
  • Aude Boscher, ASO Lead, Phiture

Main content covered:

  • Recap of ASO Awards Round 1 edition in Berlin
  • Nominees
  • Winners

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