Why ratings and reviews in ASO are more important than ever

Anil, with expertise in educational engineering and business administration, leads the ASO team at Redbox Mobile, focusing on strategic planning, optimizing, and training for best ASO practices. The app market has evolved significantly, necessitating changes in ASO strategies due to shifts in store algorithms, privacy settings, and attribution methods. Ratings and reviews are increasingly pivotal in influencing app visibility and user decisions, as they are integral to the App Store and Google Play algorithms. Both stores categorize reviews differently, and their visibility impacts how users perceive apps. The effectiveness of keyword optimization has diminished, making ratings and reviews more crucial for app visibility. iOS 14's privacy changes have complicated post-install event tracking, elevating the importance of user reviews for feedback. Google Play now requires a minimum average rating score of 3.0 for apps to rank in top charts, highlighting the need to maintain high ratings. Strategic requests for reviews after positive user experiences can encourage favorable feedback, and Google Play adapts rating distributions based on recent user reviews, affecting how ratings are displayed over time.