ASO Audit

Turbo VPN ASO Audit Report

Buse Kanal

19 November 2024

Turbo VPN iOS App

Turbo VPN is among the VPN online services in app stores today. With over a million people downloading the app, Turbo VPN has enjoyed a relatively high ranking in the App Store. In fact, Turbo VPN by the time of this writing, is rated to be the #95 apps in Productivity based in the United States.

While Turbo VPN has already accomplished things that other VPN online service 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 Turbo VPN 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 Turbo VPN can improve its keyword ranking in the most efficient way possible.

Turbo VPN Keyword research

We did a quick keyword research for Turbo VPN based in the United States. 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 Turbo VPN’s ranking looks like:

“Free VPN” keyword has a search score of 65, which we rank at no. 14.
“Private browser” keyword has a search score of 62, which we rank at no. 26.
“Best VPN” keyword has a search score of 48, which we rank at no. 77.
“Fast VPN” keyword has a search score of 47, which we rank at no. 51.
“Proxy” keyword has a search score of 44, which we rank at no. 47.
“VPN proxy” keyword has a search score of 39, which we rank at no. 13.
“Private VPN” keyword has a search score of 36, which we rank at no. 10.
“Private browsing” keyword has a search score of 34, which we rank at no. 13.
“Iphone VPN” keyword has a search score of 28, which we rank at no. 15.
“Unlimited VPN” keyword has a search score of 27, which we rank at no. 112.
“IoS VPN” keyword has a search score of 21, which we rank at no. 14.
“Secure VPN” keyword has a search score of 21, which we rank at no. 100.
“Bypass” keyword has a search score of 21, which we rank at no. 54.

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

“Hotspot Shield” keyword has a search score of 64, which we rank at no. 15.
“Proton VPN” keyword has a search score of 62, which we rank at no. 19.
“PlatoVPN” keyword has a search score of 59, which we rank at no. 41.
“biubiuVPN” keyword has a search score of 59, which we rank at no. 25.
“vpnify” keyword has a search score of 58, which we rank at no. 25.
“Surfshark” keyword has a search score of 56, which we rank at no. 43.
“Windscribe” keyword has a search score of 56, which we rank at no. 49.
“NordVPN” keyword has a search score of 54, which we rank at no. 80.
“ExpressVPN” keyword has a search score of 43, which we rank at no. 65.

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 Turbo VPN in the App Store is this:

Turbo VPN Private Browser

Turbo VPN already has a strong title. Take note that the App Store allows us to use up to 30 characters for the title. As of now, Turbo VPN is using 25 characters.

Looking at the search scores of the keywords included in the title, the search score of “private” is 49 and “browser” is 66. As you can see, all of the keywords have high search scores, and we can conclude that Turbo VPN has a quite strong title. However, there is a great 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 “secure VPN” in our keyword pool.

After starting to use the “secure VPN” keyword, do we start ranking higher for these keywords? Do we start ranking for more keywords that include “secure VPN”? 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:

Turbo VPN: Private Internet

As you can see, we have added the words “internet” and removed the words “browser”. This is a great move in terms of keyword ranking for the following reasons:

The term “internet” has a high search score of 54.
By adding the term “internet” we can potentially rank for longer search terms such as “private internet access”, “internet browser” & “free internet”. All have good ranking scores, which are 55, 44 & 28, 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

The subtitle of Turbo VPN in the App Store is this:

Secure & Private Web Browsing

Like the title, Apple allows us to use up to 30 characters in the subtitle. As of now, Turbo VPN uses 29 characters.

Looking at the search scores of the keywords included in the subtitle, the search score of “secure” is 36, “private” is 49, “web” is 49 & “browsing” is 5. As you can see, all keywords have high search scores except “browsing”, and we can conclude that Turbo VPN has quite average subtitles.

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

Free, Fast & Secure Browser

As you can see we have added the words “free”, “fast” & “browser” and excluded the words “private”, “web” & “browsing”. This is a great move in terms of keyword ranking for the following reasons:

The term “free” has a high search score of 54.
The term “fast” has a high search score of 42.
The term “browser” has a high search score of 66.
By adding the term “free” we can potentially rank for longer search terms such as “free VPN” & “free private browser”. Both have good ranking scores, which are 65 & 42, respectively.
By adding the term “fast” we can potentially rank for longer search terms such as “fastest VPN” & “free fast VPN”. Both have good ranking scores, which are 26 & 19, respectively.
By adding the term “browser” we can potentially rank for longer search terms such as “private web browser free” & “secret browser”. Both have good ranking scores, which are 47 & 45, respectively.

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 “VPN proxy” in our keyword pool.

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

Ratings

Turbo VPN Ratings

Looking at the ratings, we can see a lot of things to improve here. Take note that Turbo VPN, at the time of this writing, has an average rating of 4.7 stars from more than 190.4K users.

Let’s compare that to their competitors:

ExpressVPN – 4.7 stars from 360.6K users
Super VPN– 4.6 stars from 297.3K 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 Turbo VPN’s screenshots, we can see that they have chosen great images. However, Turbo VPN 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 Turbo VPN:

Readability: The font size is adequate. Headlines make grammatical sense.
Headline strength: The current messaging is strong. However, different messaging can be A/B tested.
Background Color: Different colors or patterns could be split-tested.
Cover Screen & Image: A new cover screen can be created with a “Private Internet” image.
Video (App Preview): A preview video that explores “Protect Online Privacy” 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.

Turbo VPN Screenshots

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.

Turbo VPN Keywords