Jul 13, 2025
The holiday times are great for getting more eyes and installs on your app. With most folks buying from their phones these days - over 60% did all their online buying this way by the end of 2024 - it's key to make your app stand out with App Store Optimization (ASO). Big names like Adidas and Best Buy saw huge jumps in downloads (582% and 454%, in that order) by tuning their ASO just right for the season. Here's what you can do:
Pick seasonal words: Add words like "Black Friday" or "Christmas deals" in your app's name, write-up, and hidden data.
Change pictures: Update your app's icon and images to show holiday themes to catch eyes.
Tweak hidden data: Spell out any holiday sales and use words that get people to act, like "Limited-time sale" to push for more installs.
Try out changes: Test different icons, photos, and descriptions to see what users like best.
Watch and switch up: Keep an eye on your app's metrics every day (like how well it converts, and where it ranks) and make fast changes as needed.
Doing these things can boost your app during busy shop times like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and all through the holiday rush, helping you get more downloads and activity.
App Growth Week | Winning strategies to dominate app stores this holiday season
1. Use Time-Based Words
The heart of winning holiday ASO is clever word search. Around holidays, the hunt for words like "Black Friday" soars - jumping nine times higher in its week.
Plan your word search early to lock a good spot for year's end. A good show of this is from B&Q in 2022. They changed their app details soon, adding words like "Black Friday", "Deals", and "Discounts" to be seen more in the high time. This early move makes sure your app stands out as more people look up these terms.
By October, words like "Black Friday" and "Christmas" reach 75% of their full search power. Use word search tools early on high-use holiday terms to get ready for the big rush. Since holiday buying lasts weeks, keep your word plan going to match this long span.
Fit your words to your app type. For instance:
Shop apps might use "Black Friday deals" or "Christmas gift ideas."
Travel apps may go for "holiday travel" or "cheap Christmas flights."
Fitness apps could pick "New Year goals" or "holiday workout plans."
Also, don't skip long words that show what’s special about your app, like "Black Friday ads & deals" or "Christmas shopping list".
Check your rivals to find word gaps. Seeing their moves can show chances for holiday terms you didn't think of. Mix what you learn from them with your own search to make your plan stronger.
"This is your app's wishlist and you should check it twice!" - Anh Nguyen, Co-Founder of Gummicube
Remember, Black Friday isn't just one day now - it spreads out to the weeks before and after.
Add holiday words to your app's title and subtitle to be seen more. In your app description, use more holiday words in a smooth way while showing how your app helps people who shop for the holidays.
2. Make App Looks Fit Holidays
The first thing that hits eyes when people look in app stores is how your app looks. When it's the holiday time, dressing up your app can make it pop in packed search places and catch the eye of folks who are shopping for the season. Match these looks with the right words and you have a strong way to pull in users when it's very busy.
On Google Play, just changing your app icon can do a lot since it shows up right in the search results. Use bright colors and easy holiday shapes to make an icon that grabs eyes but is still simple to see on phone screens.
You can use screenshots to show off holiday changes too. Show off special deals, cool extras, or holiday stuff in your pictures. Say you have a Black Friday sale, put in pictures that show your deals. Travel apps might show places to go in winter or holiday trips, and fitness apps can talk about plans for the New Year.
Even small changes in how your app looks can make more people download it. You might add just a few holiday bits or go all out with a holiday look, but keep it true to your brand. This makes sure your app feels the same to people who love it while still pulling in new ones.
Keep in mind, how your app looks helps with your word plan. Fun, holiday designs can make your spot in the app store stronger. To get the most out of it, line up your look changes with your bigger holiday ad plans. When your app store looks match your other ads, it makes a smooth feel for people seeing your app in different places.
Lastly, try A/B tests on different icon styles, screenshot setups, and ad pictures. These tests can tell you what clicks best with your crowd during the holiday rush. By tuning your looks based on what you learn, your app can shine when it's the top time to shop.
3. Change Metadata and Words to Sell
Once your pictures look great, it’s time to work on metadata. While holiday pictures catch eyes, metadata turns that look into more downloads.
Start by changing key metadata spots with holiday words. This means your app words, sell words, and short info. These parts are your way to talk straight to people and show why they need your app now.
For example, if your app has shopping tools, talk about Black Friday deals or gift ideas. A travel app? Talk about trips in the cold months. Fitness apps can stand out by talking about holiday exercise plans or New Year’s goals. No matter your app’s main point, be sure to talk about special things for the season or things only your app has.
Be Clear on Holiday Extras
Make it clear what people will get. If you have holiday sales or things for a short time, say it clear. Like, say a "20% off holiday sale" or "just for Christmas stuff." Details help people see why they should get your app now.
Use Sell Words to Push Quick Actions
Sell words are very easy to see in app stores, so they must be strong. Use need-to-act-now, time-limited words like "Hurry! Offer ends soon" to make people move fast.
"Include keywords such as 'Christmas,' 'Black Friday,' and 'gifts' to boost visibility for shopping apps."
Sukanya Sur, Content Marketing Specialist at AppTweak
Put Holiday Words in Your App Name
Adding words like "Black Friday", "Christmas", or "Holiday" in your app’s name can make it more seen. This method is great for apps about shopping or the holidays. But if your app is about work or staying fit, using holiday words might mix up your users.
For apps about deals, "Black Friday" is a top word, popular every year. By the end of 2021, tech words like "watch", "bose connect", "alexa", "gopro", "cricut", and "lego" got more searches.
Timing Matters
A good thing about changing metadata is that it's not fixed. You can change promo texts and brief descriptions without messing up your overall app store plan (ASO) . This lets you try out varied holiday messages and make them better as you see fit.
By matching your metadata with what users look for during holidays, you can get more downloads. Shopping apps see a lot of action as people look for deals and presents. For example, from November to December 2021, names like Best Buy, Sephora, Zara, Macy’s, Rakuten, Wish, and Bath and Body Works got more searches.
Keep your updates easy and short, so users get right away what your app is about and why they should download it now.
4. Test Holiday Changes with A/B Tests
After you update your holiday looks and details, the next move is A/B testing - a sure way to learn what hits home with users. By trying out different holiday styles, you use true data to see what lifts downloads. This step keeps your holiday ASO plan tight and on point.
To spot useful patterns, test each part by itself. Start with your app icon, for instance. Make two types: one normal, one with holiday flair. Split users evenly (50/50) to find which one does better. Look at Smart Project, who tried a winter icon with SplitMetrics Optimize. And? They saw a 5% rise in users saying yes and a 78.7% boost in total performance.
What to Check in Holiday Drives
Screenshots are a top pick to test first. See if normal shots or holiday ones grab more eyes. Try out seasonal shades or sale talk to feel their effect.
For apps with their own product pages, match your look to the holiday feel. For example, a video app could use Christmas scenes to meet what users want.
How to Set Tests Right
Timing is key in A/B tests for short events. Start tests at the holiday’s start, not near the end. This lets you watch the data and tweak as needed.
Each test should last a week, right through 7 days. Ensure users are split fair - 50/50 for two forms or 33/33/33 for three - to keep tests even.
Keep outside things the same during tests. Seasonal times or surprise ads can skew results, so think about these when you sort the data. If you are paying for ads, keep your ad sources the same all through the test.
At last, know that the hit of holiday themes can switch up by your app type. For example, shopping apps may gain from bold Black Friday looks, while productivity apps might do better with soft winter touches over big holiday styles.
Focus on finding holiday tweaks that really up downloads.
5. Watch Results and Shift Fast
Holiday plans do well when you can change quickly and use smart, on-time App Store tweaks. To make season buzz turn into app gets, you must watch key numbers closely and shift right away.
Begin with conversion rates - how many people get your app after they see your page. For instance, MyTona got a 9% rise in gets just by making their app icons fit the Halloween theme. This shows that even small, quick changes can have a big effect.
Keyword rankings are also vital. In big holiday times like Black Friday or Christmas, watch how your app does for holiday words. Apps that changed their names and extra info with the right words saw a 10.3% jump in gets compared to those that didn’t. It's key to check these ranks each day and change as trends move.
Install speed, or how fast your app is picked, can go up and down a lot in the holiday season. Keep an eye on total gets and the split between free and paid gets. This will let you know if your App Store work is paying off or if paid ads are pulling more weight.
Don't miss user feedback at this time. Apps with an average score of 4.5 stars get 68% more downloads. But, holiday changes can bring bugs or problems, so you need to keep a close watch on your scores and what users say. Apps with over 50 reviews were 53% more likely to be picked than those with fewer.
The timing of your changes matters a lot. Use current data to steer your choices:
"Remember that your ASO strategy should be dynamic, and you can adjust it as the holiday season progresses to optimize performance based on real-time data and trends."
Watch the numbers daily for any drops in sales or big jumps in views - these can show changes in how users act. Fast moves to these changes can lead to big wins, with some apps going up by 40% in downloads when they act on these hints. For example, apps with good pictures saw a 5.6% better sales rate than those with poor ones. If your holiday pictures aren't doing well, you'll have only a few days - not weeks - to fix them.
Each app store also tracks numbers in its own way, shaping how you plan. Google Play looks at sales rates from users who see your store page, while Apple watches app views and sales from the first time users see your app. Also, Apple mixes free and paid search downloads, while Google Play counts Google Ads downloads as third-party refers.
The holiday time needs a quick-changing app store optimization (ASO) game plan. By late November, almost half of the top 10 shopping apps had changed from earlier in the year, showing how key it is to stay quick. Your skill to watch, study, and change fast will decide if your app does well or falls behind.
Wrap-Up
Holiday ASO pushes can make your app show up more and get more downloads when people do a lot of shopping. The results are big: Adidas had a 582% rise in downloads, and Best Buy got 454% more, all from holiday app store plans.
But the good things last more than just a short time. Making your app show up better for the holidays helps more people find it, makes more people download, and keeps users involved. With 70% of phone users looking for new apps and 65% of downloads coming from searches, using holiday words in your plan is not just smart - it's a must.
ASO works well over time, not just right away. It's different from paid ads that stop helping you when you stop paying. Holiday ASO keeps bringing in free downloads after. A good ASO plan not only ups free installs but also cuts how much you spend on ads.
Don't miss the larger view. A lot of shopping happens on phones - 47% of online buys in 2022. A strong app store setup can really boost your money by keeping users, upping their activity, and increasing buys inside the app.
Being consistent is key. The best apps in areas like Finance, Health and Fitness, and others update their shows every 12 to 29 days. See holiday times as a chance to keep up your ASO work, not just a one-time thing.
If you want to really improve your ASO, working with pros can make a huge change. Groups like Appeneure have lots of know-how in creating apps and have helped with over 100 projects in areas like online sales and health tech. Their know-how can guide you in holiday ASO pushes that bring quick results and keep helping over time.
FAQs
How can I make my app look like the holidays but still keep my brand the same?
To change your app for the holiday time but keep your brand true, think about adding holiday bits like snow shapes, themed icons, or small holiday looks that mix well with what you have now. Keep your main brand colors, logo, and style the same so your app is still easy to know and trust.
You might want to change the app icons, images, or ads to have a holiday feel too. Just make sure these fits look good with your brand style. A smart, steady plan can make more people use your app while keeping your app's feel the same.
