ASO — 27 Jun 2024
AI Chatbot Apps: Winning ASO Strategies and Main Trends
Anastasiya Starovoytova 
When it comes to AI chatbot apps, knowing the competition is necessary to keep up. By exploring how these apps position themselves in the market, you can gain insights into this evolving niche.
In this article, we provide you with a comprehensive analysis of the AI assistant apps and shed light on their ASO strategies and main trends.
As soon as ChatGPT was out, many publishers rushed to develop AI chatbot apps. Along the way, some mistakes were made. As some of these apps falsely claimed affiliations with OpenAI to charge high subscription fees, the App Store and Google Play had to impose stricter regulations to manage them.
Nevertheless, AI chatbot apps have been doing well since their inception.
According to a data.ai report, users have spent over $14 million on the top ten highest-earning apps featuring ChatGPT and OpenAI technologies last year. February 2023 alone saw these apps rake in nearly $5.9 million globally.
Most of these apps mimic the ChatGPT app and position themselves as helpful assistants for daily life/work.
Another booming segment of AI apps is lifestyle virtual companions.
Our own analysis from App Radar shows that these apps have got 225 million lifetime downloads on Google Play. Following the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, the sector saw a 49% increase in downloads, adding 74 million new users.
The apps are particularly popular in Asia, which accounts for 64% of lifetime downloads. South Korean app SimSimi is a standout, with more than half of all the sector downloads.
In other words, the draw of AI features in mobile apps is undeniable. They’re very much likely to keep driving app profitability in the coming years.
You need to have a plan to make your AI chatbot app stand out among the others. Along the way, you’ll have to answer several tough questions, such as “Do you want to imitate ChatGPT or grow your own brand?” Regardless of your decision, app store optimization (ASO) will play a crucial role in your success.
Let’s take a look at what AI chatbot apps are doing to attract and retain a dedicated user base organically.
Productivity is the dominant category for most AI chatbot apps. The reason for that is clear: these apps help users tackle daily tasks with ease, enhancing their productivity, so the category is a natural choice.
However, it isn’t your sole option.
For the sake of diversification, some apps pick other categories, such as Business, Education, and Utilities.
Virtual companions are even more diverse. Some of them follow the path of the classic AI chatbots and select Productivity/Utilities as their category:
And others prefer the Entertainment, Lifestyle, and even Health & Fitness categories. The latter is a popular option if the app’s value proposition is to improve mental health by talking to an AI friend or get into shape with the help of an AI coach/workout buddy.
When picking a category for an AI-powered app, stick to the following rules:
The category choice is a key part of your ASO strategy. Do your best to stake out your place in it — and put yourself in front of competition.
To improve the discoverability of your AI chatbot app, it’s essential to make the most of your app titles and descriptions.
Many AI assistant apps neglect to use the full character limit for titles on both the App Store and Google Play. This is a missed opportunity.
Learn from the mistakes of others and use the full character limit for titles and subtitles to include as many relevant keywords and phrases as possible. This helps increase visibility and organic installs.
Focus on keyword optimization by including popular terms like ‘AI’, ‘chatbot’, ‘chat’, ‘assistant’, and ‘GPT’. These keywords should clearly and accurately describe what your app does.
A good app title and description are all about communicating your app’s value without overstuffing this message. Experiment with different keyword combinations to rank higher in search results.
Take a page out of the Replika: My AI Friend app’s book. Their app description is crafted with the user in mind. It has necessary AI-related keywords (‘chatbot AI companion’, ‘AI friend’, etc.) and yet doesn’t overuse them. Instead, the app focuses on making its value proposition crystal clear.
You may also add call-to-actions (CTAs) such as ‘Try now!’ or ‘Chat now!’ into the subtitle or app description. These CTAs can boost conversion rates by encouraging users to take immediate action.
Сonsistency is power. Regularly update your app’s title and subtitle to keep up with current trends and popular search terms. For instance, you can make adjustments as soon as a new ChatGPT model by OpenAI becomes available: this kind of news always makes a splash.
The icon makes or breaks the first impression about an app.
When designing icons for AI chatbot apps, it’s crucial to consider both aesthetic appeal and strategic elements that enhance ASO. Here are some trends and tips to help you create a compelling icon for your AI chatbot app.
If you want to keep your brand in line with the ChatGPT aesthetic, use a green color. Thanks to the chatbot logo, green is associated with AI and technology, providing a subconscious cue to users about your app’s functionality.
Green icons evoke associations with ChatGPT, that’s for sure. However, using this color alone makes it difficult to stand out among competitors.
To separate yourself from the crowd, consider these tricks:
Green isn’t your only color option if you want to be closer to the ChatGPT brand. You can go for black and white design, the official colors of OpenAI. They even use this combination for the official ChatGPT app on Google Play and the App Store. Adding a little color to the mix — like green or blue — will help your icon to stand out.
Black backgrounds can create a striking contrast, especially when combined with bright colors like neon green or white. This not only stands out but also associates your app with high-tech qualities.
Most of these icons depict geometric shapes or patterns that resemble digital or tech themes. They can make your icon look more aligned with AI technologies.
Including imagery of humanoid robots can intuitively communicate that your app functions as an AI assistant. This helps set expectations about the app’s capabilities.
Another option to highlight your smart app on the app stores is to design an icon resembling a human brain/nervous system.
If your productivity chatbot app focuses on helping with a certain task, try to show that on your app’s icon:
These designs are usually bolder and more vibrant than that of general productivity apps.
Speaking of boldness, AI-powered virtual companions live and breathe it. Their icons can be very diverse as these apps are more focused on developing an independent brand identity:
Certain apps build their value propositions around a fictional character (driven by AI, naturally). These characters may act as romantic partners or close friends. In this case, they’re often depicted on icons:
Whatever design you opt for, there are some general tips for creating a good app icon:
By following these tips, you can design an icon that not only looks great but also enhances your AI chatbot app’s presence on the app stores.
Creating compelling screenshots is a part of ASO you can’t skip. Here are some specific tips to design effective screenshots for AI chatbot apps.
If you aim at the productivity category, be clear and — pardon the joke — productive. Use screenshots to emphasize your app’s user interface and how it functions. Showing off the main screens and features will help users understand how they will interact with your AI-powered app.
Add descriptive captions to your screenshots that explain the features being showcased. Ensure these captions contain relevant keywords to boost search visibility. And keep text in screenshots readable and to the point. Overloading screenshots with too much text can overwhelm users and detract from the visual appeal. Use persuasive language in your screenshots like “Try now!” or “Chat with AI!” to encourage users to download.
You may also employ bright colors or high contrast to make details pop.
Consider using less common colors or depict unique graphic elements (like humanoid robots or neural networks) to differentiate your app from competitors.
Incorporate social proof such as testimonials or ratings within the first screenshot to establish credibility and entice users.
If you’re running an AI boyfriend/girlfriend app, depict these fictional characters on the screenshots:
Provide examples of interactions or dialogues that users might have with your chatbot. This shows the app’s practical use and personality.
If romance is the main focus of the app, make sure screenshots have a romantic color palette. Various shades of purple, red, and pink are great picks.
Do not use photos of real people. It will be misleading for users, and some of them will consider such imagery unethical. This reaction may result in negative reviews. Instead, opt for artworks/AI-created models.
As for general advice, this is what you can do to make your screenshots enhance ASO:
By implementing these tips, you can create screenshots that not only attract attention but also effectively communicate the benefits and unique features of your AI chatbot app.
Surprise, surprise, but the majority of AI chatbot apps don’t utilize video preview on their product pages. Their loss, your gain.
Creating engaging video previews for your AI chatbot app can significantly enhance your app store presence and attract more users. Here are some tips for designing impactful video previews based on observed practices in the industry:
Make your video preview a part of the onboarding flow within the app. Include footage that shows how users can interact with the app. For instance, display the chatbot responding to various queries or performing tasks.
Сonsider showing how the app fits into daily life situations, which helps users understand the practical value and applicability of the mobile chatbot.
If your app allows that (in case of a chatbot assistant app, not the virtual boyfriend/girlfriend project), include real people using your app in the video preview. This can be particularly effective for apps like chatbots where human interaction is a key function. Make sure the video includes portrayals of your target demographic. Seeing themselves reflected can help potential users form a personal connection with the app.
Each segment of the video should clearly articulate how the app benefits the user, whether it’s saving time, providing entertainment, or offering personalized advice.
Ensure that the video is of high production quality with clear visuals and audio. This conveys professionalism and reflects the quality of your app.
Keep the video engaging by maintaining a good pace. Too fast may confuse viewers, while too slow might bore them.
End your video with a strong call to action, such as “Download now” or “Try it today.” Direct viewers on what to do next if they’re interested.
Conduct A/B tests to see which video preview performs better. SplitMetrics Optimize can be pretty helpful here as it allows you to run tests in a closed environment. Your competitors will stay in the dark about your creatives.
Use viewer feedback to make improvements. If certain aspects of the video are particularly well-received or criticized, adjust accordingly.
Your app’s true charm lies in what it offers to its users.
AI-powered features are an amazing thing to embrace in a mobile app. Your job is to make sure everyone knows about them, and ASO is the way to do it. We hope these trends and tips will help you find the best ASO strategy for your app. And if you need assistance in growing it, don’t hesitate to contact us. Our SplitMetrics Agency experts will be happy to help!
