ASO Audit

HotSchedules ASO Audit Report

Buse Kanal

20 June 2024

HotSchedules iOS App

HotSchedules is among the employee scheduling & engagement in app stores today. With over a million people downloading the app, HotSchedules has enjoyed a relatively high ranking in the App Store. In fact, HotSchedules, by the time of this writing, is rated to be the #1 app in the employee scheduling category based in the USA.

While HotSchedules has already accomplished things that other employee scheduling & engagement apps haven’t achieved, there is still a way to maximize their app store visibility and increase their chance of getting noticed.

After all, the biggest room is the room for improvement. No matter how great HotSchedules might already be, they can still do something to reach the number 1 spot and not be overtaken by competitors.

In this ASO audit, let’s take a look at how HotSchedules can improve its keyword ranking in the most efficient way possible.

HotSchedules Keyword research

We did a quick keyword research for HotSchedules based in the USA. We have shared the details at the end of this post.

Looking at the research result, we can see that we are already ranking for some important keywords. Nevertheless, we have identified some great opportunities for us to take advantage of.

In this situation, ASO intelligence tools come in handy. These tools are effective in identifying popular keywords with the lowest competition. For example, in ShyftUp, we use Mobile Action to perform reliable keyword research.

Among the results we get is the term Search Score. Here’s a quick overview:

The Search Score ranges from 5 to 100. The score represents the number of users who are searching for a specific keyword compared to other keyword options in the App Store and Google Play.

For example, one of the keywords with the highest ranking is the keyword “Facebook.” It has a search score of 100.

The lowest score is 5, which means no one is virtually searching for that keyword. Most keywords will never even see a score beyond 5.

Going back to the results that we got, here’s how HotSchedules’s ranking looks like:

“Team” keyword has a search score of 45, which we don’t rank.
“Time clock” keyword has a search score of 44, which we don’t rank.
“Schedule” keyword has a search score of 44, which we rank at no. 14.
“HR” keyword has a search score of 36, which we don’t rank.
“Payroll” keyword has a search score of 32, which we don’t rank.
“Employee scheduling” keyword has a search score of 30, which we rank at no. 23.
“Workforce management” keyword has a search score of 30, which we don’t rank.
“Scheduling” keyword has a search score of 28, which we rank at no. 94.
“Schedule app” keyword has a search score of 27, which we rank at no. 14.
“Attendance” keyword has a search score of 26, which we don’t rank.
“Invoicing” keyword has a search score of 25, which we don’t rank.
“Scheduling app” keyword has a search score of 25, which we rank at no. 23.
“Pick up shifts” keyword has a search score of 25, which we don’t rank.
“Employee experience” keyword has a search score of 13, which we don’t rank.

We also did research on competitor keywords. We got the following results:

“Homebase” keyword has a search score of 57, which we don’t rank.
“Sling” keyword has a search score of 56, which we don’t rank.
“7shifts” keyword has a search score of 54, which we don’t rank.
“When I work” keyword has a search score of 53, which we don’t rank.
“Legion” keyword has a search score of 50, which we don’t rank.
“Square team” keyword has a search score of 47, which we don’t rank.
“Connecteam” keyword has a search score of 47, which we don’t rank.
“Deputy” keyword has a search score of 45, which we don’t rank.
“Quickbooks workforce” keyword has a search score of 44, which we don’t rank.
“Shyft” keyword has a search score of 39, which we don’t rank.
“Workvivo” keyword has a search score of 34, which we don’t rank.

The results show us that there is a lot of work to do. To ensure that we climb up the rankings, we should use these keywords in our metadata.

Title

The title of HotSchedules in the App Store is this:

HotSchedules

Take note that the App Store allows us to use up to 30 characters for the title. As of now, HotSchedules is using 12 characters. In the app store, every character counts, and it should be maximized as much as possible

Looking at the search scores of the keywords included in the title, the search score of “HotSchedules” is 51. This keyword has a high search score. However there is excellent opportunity for improvement.

To ensure we stay competitive, we must test the title and its keywords continuously. One way to improve the title is to go to the keyword pool. From there, we should continuously check how many keywords we are ranking for that are in the title. For instance, we could check the keyword “workforce engagement” in our keyword pool.

After starting to use the “workforce engagement” keyword, do we start ranking higher for these keywords? Do we start ranking for more keywords that include “workforce engagement”? If the keywords are not improving our ranking, then we should test other keywords and their variations.

In this case, we can try a new title like:

HotSchedules: Staff Scheduling

As you can see, we have added the words “staff” & “scheduling”. This is a great move in terms of keyword ranking for the following reasons:

The term “staff” has a high search score of 25.
The term “scheduling” has a high search score of 28.
By adding the term “scheduling” we can potentially rank for longer search terms such as “the scheduling app”, “employee scheduling” & “free scheduling app”. All have good ranking scores, which are 33, 30 & 26, respectively.

All these changes to the title can potentially improve keyword ranking. However, please note that there are other combinations and possibilities when it comes to using keywords.

That’s the reason you need to constantly test these keywords. You should check your keyword ranking every week and see if the changes in your title bring better results.

Subtitle

Apple allows us to use up to 30 characters in the subtitle. As of now, HotSchedules doesn’t use any subtitle.

Even though, if we would like to test a new variation, the subtitle can be changed to:

Employee, Workforce & Payroll

As you can see, we have added the words “employee”, “workforce” & “payroll”. This is a great move in terms of keyword ranking for the following reasons:

The term “employee” has a high search score of 19.
The term “workforce” has a high search score of 58.
The term “payroll” has a high search score of 32.
By adding the term “workforce” we can potentially rank for longer search terms such as “workforce management” with a good ranking score of 30.

To ensure we stay competitive, we must test the subtitle and its keywords continuously. One way to improve the subtitle is to go to the keyword pool. From there, we should continuously check how many keywords that are in the subtitle. For instance, we should check the keyword “employee engagement” in our keyword pool.

After starting to use the “employee engagement” keyword, do we start ranking higher for these keywords? Do we start ranking for more keywords that include “employee engagement”? If the keywords are not improving our ranking, then we should test other keywords and their variations.

Ratings

Looking at the ratings, we can see a lot of things to improve here. Take note that HotSchedules, at the time of this writing, has an average rating of 4.6 stars from more than 66.9K users.

Let’s compare that to their competitors:

Homebase– 4.8 stars from 54.1K users
QuickBooks Workforce– 4.6 stars from 136K users

We do need to improve app features and overall user experience to raise the ratings up and get more positive reviews.

Screenshots

Screenshots can either make or break your app. If you use the wrong screenshots, you’ll surely chase away users. Use the right screenshots, and you’ll attract more users.

As we take a look at HotSchedules’s screenshots, we can see that they have chosen great images. However, HotSchedules can use more value-oriented headlines on the screenshots. It is super important to choose screenshots that show the value, features, and reasons why users should use your app. Here are some of our feedback for HotSchedules:

Number of Screenshots: There are only 3 screenshots, more screenshots can be added.
Readability: The font size is inadequate and very small to read. Headlines make grammatical sense. Different font styles can be A/B tested.
Headline strength: The more related keywords can be tested in headlines like “employee scheduling”, “manager admin time” etc.
Social proof: Testimonials, media coverage, # of downloads, etc. could be showcased.
Cover Screen & Employee Experience Images: A new cover screen can be created, including HotSchedules’s logo along with “employee experience” images.
Video (App Preview): A preview video that shows “manager experience, reduce labor costs, & employee experiences” through the app’s functions could be added to the first slot.

The App Store allows us to use up to 10 screenshots. However, these screenshots don’t have equal exposure. As you may already know, potential users will initially see the first three screenshots. They need to open your page to see the rest of the screenshots.

With this in mind, you need to choose the best screenshots and place them on the first three screenshot slots.

To determine which screenshots give you the best result, A/B testing and Apple’s Product Page Optimization (PPO) are always the best way to go.

Here are a few more things to consider:

Apple indexes the title, subtitle, and keyword list to determine app rankings in the App Store.
The app title, which can be composed of up to 30 characters, is considered to be the most important ranking factor. Thus, you should add the most crucial keyword to your title. When you do that, you’ll most likely get a higher ranking for that keyword.
Next to the app title is the subtitle in terms of importance for indexing. Thus, other more vital keywords should be added to your subtitle. Add as many relevant and high-ranking keywords as possible to ensure you increase your ranking. Moreover, if possible, maximize the 30 character-limit for the subtitle.
The keyword list is considered to be the number 3 most important ranking factor in the App Store. You are allowed to use a maximum of 100 characters. You need to add all the keywords that you believe are relevant to your app. You can even include brand names and competitors’ keywords. You have more flexibility to include whatever you see fit based on your keyword research. After all, users won’t be able to see this list. Only you, as the admin, can see them via the App Store Connect. But it affects your visibility significantly.