Currently, there are over 3 million apps on the Google Play Store, and more than 2,000 new Android apps debut on the Play Store daily. It’s undeniable that the competition among apps and developers is incredibly fierce.
Every developer hopes to gain more downloads, users, and revenue when publishing an app in the app store. But how can we stand out among millions of apps?
There are various ways to stand out in the app store, and one very effective and free method is to get your app or game recommended on Google Play.
Three Different Ways to Get Recommended on Google Play
When you first opened this article, you might have thought I was only going to discuss how to get featured in the Editor’s Choice section on Google Play. Yes, being selected as an Editor’s Choice is a primary way to get recommended on Google Play. However, based on my work experience and observations, there are many other opportunities to gain organic traffic without relying solely on search. I categorize these opportunities as “recommendations.”
Here, I’ll introduce the three different ways to get recommended on Google Play:
Editor’s Choice
The first one is the familiar Editor’s Choice. The “Editor’s Choice” tag on Google Play is used by Google’s editorial team to select and highlight high-quality apps or games with excellent user experiences. These selected apps meet high standards in design, functionality, usability, and more. Google Play’s editorial team regularly reviews all new apps and games submitted to the Play Store and selects the best in each category. Editor’s Choice apps or games receive special showcases in various locations, such as the homepage, search results page, and more. When your app is chosen as an Editor’s Choice, you’ll see three reasons for the editorial recommendation below the screenshots on the app store detail page. All these help to increase its download volume and visibility. For developers, getting the Editor’s Choice tag not only increases their app’s exposure but also recognizes their work, proving that their app meets high-quality standards. For users, viewing Editor’s Choice apps helps them find high-quality and useful apps more easily.
How to Get Selected for Editor’s Choice on Google Play? Getting the “Editor’s Choice” tag on Google Play requires meeting specific criteria and providing an excellent user experience. Here are some suggestions that may help your app or game get selected as an Editor’s Choice:
- High Quality and Stability: The app or game should meet high standards in all aspects, including design, performance, stability, etc. The app should maintain a low crash rate and good performance.
- Excellent User Experience: The app should offer an intuitive and easy-to-use interface. It should be easy to navigate, and all features should be easy to understand and use.
- Outstanding Design: The app’s design should be modern and follow Material Design guidelines. The design should be clear, easy to understand, and all elements of the app should be consistent.
- Localization: Supporting multiple languages significantly increases the chances of being selected as an Editor’s Choice. The app should be localized for different markets, including translations and adapting to local cultures.
- Innovation: Google prefers apps with innovative features or unique functions. If your app offers a unique feature or solves problems in a novel way, it increases the likelihood of being selected as an Editor’s Choice.
- Compliance with Policies and Regulations: The app must fully comply with all Google Play policies and regulations. Any violations can result in exclusion from Editor’s Choice consideration. For example, if your app or game has any of the following, Google will undoubtedly reject it:
- Using payment providers other than Google
- Encouraging users to download other apps
- Incentivizing users for five-star ratings
- Develop an Excellent ASO Strategy: The elements of the app detail page, such as keywords, title, and description, significantly impact search ranking. A well-crafted detail page can increase the app’s visibility and the chances of being noticed and selected by editors. Additionally, a well-designed detail page can attract more user downloads and reviews, which is also crucial for Google when selecting Editor’s Choice apps.
- Maintain Close Contact with the Google Team: This often overlooked aspect is crucial. Google organizes various events, and sometimes these events offer “recommendation” perks. Additionally, you can maintain close contact with the Google team through channels, timely seeking their help to recommend your app or game.
Please note that even if an app meets all these requirements, there is no guarantee of being selected as an Editor’s Choice, as the Google Play editorial team evaluates and selects apps based on many factors, including but not limited to popularity, user reviews, and download numbers.
App Store Top Charts
Google Play’s top charts, also known as “Top Charts,” are tools that allow users to see which apps, games, or other digital products are gaining significant downloads or usage. These charts are frequently updated to reflect the latest trends in various categories of popular apps.
In Google Play, these charts are typically divided into different categories such as “Top Free Apps,” “Top Paid Apps,” “Top Grossing Apps,” etc. There are both overall and category-specific charts. Ranking high on these charts can result in a lot of natural exposure.
While Google does not publicly disclose the specific details of their chart ranking algorithms, the following factors significantly impact an app or game’s ranking:
- Top Free Apps Chart: Higher download volume leads to a higher ranking.
- Top Grossing Apps Chart: This ranking is mainly based on total revenue, including app purchase fees (if any), in-app purchases, and subscription fees.
- New: This chart primarily showcases newly launched or recently updated games, allowing users to discover the latest game content.
How to Rank on Google Play’s Top Charts?
- Promote and Market Your App: Use social media, advertisements, content marketing, influencer marketing, and other methods to increase your app’s visibility and awareness, thereby boosting downloads. Additionally, hosting regular promotions or special events can stimulate downloads.
- Optimize Your Revenue Model: For apps aiming to rank on the “Top Grossing Apps” chart, pay attention to your revenue model. If your app is free, consider adding in-app purchases or subscriptions.
Pre-Registration
Before launching your app or game on Google Play, you can choose to open pre-registration services in specific countries/regions to increase local users’ awareness and interest in your app or game.
When you open pre-registration for your app or game, users can learn about and pre-register for the app or game on the product detail page. When you release the app or game, all pre-registered users will receive an installation notification from Google Play. On eligible devices, the system will automatically install the corresponding app or game on the release day.
Google Play Store offers several ways to increase the exposure of pre-registered apps or games:
- Pre-Registration Page: Developers can create an attractive pre-registration page, including detailed information about the app or game, trailers, screenshots, etc., to attract users to pre-register. Once users pre-register, they will receive a notification when the app or game is released.
- Google Play’s Recommendation System: The recommendation system of the Google Play Store considers users’ search history, purchase behavior, device information, and other factors to recommend apps or games they might be interested in, including pre-registered apps or games. In fact, the Play Store homepage has a dedicated “Pre-registration games” section where your game or app can be recommended if it is in pre-registration.
- Search Results: Pre-registered apps or games also appear in Google Play Store search results. If users search for keywords related to the pre-registered app or game, they may see the pre-registration page.
- Pre-Registration Rewards: Developers can set pre-registration rewards, such as extra in-game currency, unique characters, or other exclusive content, to encourage users to pre-register. These rewards are available only to users who pre-register and download the app or game upon release.
Getting recommended in the Google Play Store is not easy but crucial. I have found that once your app or game is selected as an “Editor’s Choice,” you permanently gain this honor tag, which significantly boosts the app or game’s continuous development.
To successfully get recommended in various ways, I believe the three most important factors are:
- Create a High-Quality App or Game: Excellent product quality is the foundation of all promotional activities. Your app or game must reach a certain level in user experience, functionality, design, etc., to attract more users and get noticed by the Google Play Store.
- Maintain Close Contact and Collaboration with the Google Team: Building a good relationship and maintaining close collaboration with the Google team helps you better understand their recommendation strategies, enabling targeted product optimization and promotion.
- Promote Your App or Game Through Multiple Channels: Besides striving for recommendations within the Google Play Store, promote your app or game through various channels such as social media, advertisements, media coverage, etc., to gain more attention and increase app visibility and influence.
In summary, by making these efforts, your app or game can potentially be recommended in the Google Play Store, thereby gaining more users and revenue.
