(reading time: 3 minutes)

The danger of trying to beat the algorithm is that it usually leads to short-term hacks and spammy tactics that tend never to last.

I learned that the hard way, so I do my best not to think like that.

Instead, I try to understand what’s the game I’m playing and its rules.

Let’s take the App Store as an example

Although Apple provides guidelines for app developers, they never disclose their algorithm’s details.

So the best I can do is to test stuff and see what happens – which sometimes also includes observing what the others are doing.

On top of that, I also like to think like the enemy.

I remind myself that the App Store is like a supermarket, filled with millions of products. There, Apple is the owner, and I’m just one of the products they have on their shelf.

And if I put myself in Apple’s shoes, I can think about their goals and then try to use that information to my advantage.

For example, we could assume that Apple always aims to delight their customers while taking the iPhone and the App Store to gain more market share and revenue. Therefore, they probably need apps that are: high-quality, unique, trending, from top brands, or that leverage iPhone’s unique features.

From that, I might realize my app doesn’t use any of the iPhone’s new features. Or maybe my customers are leaving tons of negative reviews. Or maybe my retention sucks. Or all of the above.

Therefore, I’m probably not the best one to recommend. So you start thinking about how you could change that.

Suddenly, we’re aiming to go the extra mile and deliver something others will struggle to keep up with – instead of blindly trying to scam our way to the top.

This doesn’t exclude the hard work of creating the best metadata I can and trying to squeeze performance from every little technical aspect of it. Instead, it means that I can also take a step back, look at the bigger picture, and try to identify the big leaps I could make.

Applying this concept to other algorithms

But it doesn’t stop with the App Store. We can apply the same principle to any other black-box ecosystem you’re dealing with.

You’ll notice that your mindset will genuinely change if you do that. Instead of thinking about how to hack the system, you’ll start thinking about how you can play a better game – and this is one of the things true experts do that the rest don’t.

Ps: if you try this approach, I recommend following the news about these platforms. Press releases and documentation updates are a true gold mine if you want to be one step ahead of the others.

 

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Putting it into action

Stop for 10 seconds to think: why is Instagram making the changes they’re doing? What could you do to play their new game better?

 

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Thinking like the enemy on ASO

In my ASO course, we go more in-depth on how you can think like Apple and Google to rank your app on the top and how you can snowball your growth. If you’re struggling to grow your app, consider taking my course. It’s available on-demand here.

 

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🛠 Tools I’m using Clip Champ: this is the video editor I used last week for my 90-day recap video. I tried a ton of those like these before; this was the first time my experience was smooth. I also liked that they offered a few helpful stock images, photos, soundtracks, and videos. App Radar: these guys are more and more becoming my favorite ASO tool, together with CheckASO. I love that I can see data from the app store, follow up on my competitor’s changes and have a wide array of keyword tools. 📕 What I’ve been reading Cashvertising: this is the best book I’ve read on copywriting for Marketing and Sales. Period. It provides actionable advice on persuasive writing and explains why it works so you can understand what you’re doing. Being a copywriting nerd myself, my expectations were low. I didn’t think I could learn that much, but luckily I was wrong. Just get this book. You’ll thank me later.