How To Create A Google Play Store App Listing?

Before you start with your Google Play Store app listing there are some prerequisites. The foremost is to create a company/organization account on Google Play Console and be a Play publisher. Click on this link to know how to create your account on the Google Play Store/Console.

It’s now time to submit your app to Google Play Store. We’ll guide you on how to create an app listing following the best practices.

App Icon

The app icon should be high-fidelity and high-resolution and follow the icon design specifications. The maximum file size is 1024KB with 512px*512px dimensions. Make the icon clean, minimal, and relevant to your app. Choose an icon that differentiates you from your competitors.

App Title

The app title along with the app icon is the most visible element in the Google Play Store search results. Be careful when choosing the app title. Let it be unique and not generic or the same as other competing apps on the Play Store. Google allows a character length of 50. Try to insert keywords if possible and it goes along with the name of the app.

Short Description

Google allows an 80-character short description which acts as a quick synopsis outlining the app’s USP. It has to be compelling as it is the first thing users notice when looking at the app’s detail page on the Play Store. The description should make the viewer understand the core purpose of your app.

Summarize the core function of the app in your short description.

Long Description: The long description is your opportunity to tell interested viewers about your app’s features and functions. Follow SEO best practices to optimize the long description for discoverability. Google allows the long description to be 4000 characters in length. You can add emojis if it benefits the feature content. Keep the design simple. Write short paragraphs with bullet points. Try to include mentions and reviews.

Note: Try to include keywords in the first 5 sentences for better visibility in the Google Play Store search results.

What’s New: This section does not play a significant role in conversion optimization. But you can add newly released features or improvements in your app to pique users’ interest.

Developer Name: The developer name on the app listing is more visible underneath the app title in the Google Play search results when compared to App Store. You can leverage your brand name for better visibility and awareness. You can also optimize the developer page by adding a feature graphic, short description, page icon, and featured apps. It will lead to cross-promotion and greater credibility with users.

Screenshots: In Google Play, the screenshots don’t appear in the search results. They appear below the fold in the app listing unlike in the App Store. Google supports 8 screenshot slots and you can use them to explain the app’s USP features and functions in a visual context. Add a short caption at the top of each image so that viewers can quickly grasp what your app is all about. Localize the screenshots for each language for increased downloads.

App Promo Video: These are the first visual elements of your app on the listing. It is placed just before the screenshots. These are videos you upload to YouTube, so design them in the standard 16:9 (landscape) format. Keep the video between 30 to 40 seconds. Showcase the main features and benefits and end it with a strong call to action encouraging users to download the app. Add clear and concise text inside the video. Basically, design the video following a ‘no-sound’ concept since it will autoplay without sound when viewers are on the app page details.

Note: Don’t monetize this video on YouTube. Otherwise, it will not be accepted by Google Play for app listing.

Featured Graphic: This appears as a poster frame with a play button if your app has a promo video. When users click on the play button, the poster is replaced by the video content. This featured graphic can also appear instead of the app icon when your app is featured on the Play store.

Google Tags: Google has tags just like Keywords in App Store. Select relevant tags to describe the app and its features. Your app can have a maximum of five tags.

App Type: You have to select if your app is just an app or a game.

Category: There are 32 available categories for your app and some of them are Beauty, Business, Dating, Education, Lifestyle, Medical, Productivity, Shopping, Social, Tools, and Weather. It is recommended that you select Shopping as the category for your e-commerce app.

Content Rating: Content ratings on Google Play are provided by the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) and it is used to communicate relevant content ratings to users. They are basically used to inform app users of potentially objectionable content that exists within the app if any. It also helps you to block the content in certain territories or to specific users where required by law.

Click Content Rating on the left menu in your Google Play Console dashboard. It takes you to the Content Rating page. Click Continue. Enter your email address and confirm. Select the app category from the options. Fill in the survey for your app rating. Click Save Questionnaire. Next, click Calculate Rating and then on Apply Rating to confirm your app’s content rating.

Privacy Policy: Adding a privacy policy to your app’s store listing helps users to understand what personal information you collect from them and how you use them. This is done by linking to a privacy policy on your app’s store listing page and within your app. The privacy policy must be available on an active URL and its content should specifically cover user privacy for the app.

Open Google Play Console and go to Policy -> App content. Select Start under Privacy Policy. Enter the URL hosting the privacy policy. Save the changes.

How much time does it take in Google Play Store for app review and publishing?

Select your app in the Play Console. You can see your app’s latest publishing status under your app’s name. According to Google, the app review and publishing process may take up to 7 days or longer in certain cases. So, it’s best to presume at least 7 days as the standard for app review on Google Play Store.

If you have any queries regarding the Google Play Store app listing process, you can reach out to the implementation specialists at Swipecart. They’ll guide you in every step of app listing and publishing. You can also reach us here.