Google Play Personalization

What is Google Play Personalization

Google Play personalization is the process of personalizing the Google Play experience for each user, surfacing apps that are relevant to them based on a variety of metrics. 

The process for Google Play goes one step further than the App Store in terms of personalization. Where the App Store offers the ‘Today’ tab which is a curated list by Apple’s editors, the Google Play store has the ‘For you’ tab. This tab is completely personalized at the user level and offers up apps and games that Google Play determines the users wants to see.

As Google Play store explains: “The For You tab makes it easy to stay up to date on everything you care about in one place.” 

Why Google Play Personalization is Important

Whereas ‘app personalization’ is making an app meet the needs of specific audiences, Google Play personalization is making the Google Play experience meet the needs of its specific audiences. 

Google Play personalization is important because in order for an app to grow, it needs to maximize its discoverability. So, when talking visibility, it’s beneficial to appear on ‘For You’ real estate which will improve exposure and drive users to a product page before installing.

The apps that appear on the personalized tab depend on many factors, including install history and which terms (keywords) have been used to search in the past. This makes lists unique to each user. For example, a user may be looking to get fit and will install a walking app. Google Play will then surface multiple apps under ‘Workout programmes’. Or apps may appear in the ‘Apps made in the UK. Born and bred’ tab if they’re based in the UK. This shows that Google Play is offering up apps to users that are relevant to them and that they’re likely to install. 

But as personalization works at a user level it’s not possible to track; there’s not one tool that tracks all the instances where an app is featured on the ‘For You’ tab. 

Personalization is an ongoing process that is becoming more adapted and reactive to user behavior. It will be interesting to see how Google Play continues down the path of personalization.

Google Play Personalization and ASO

This has been more of a discussion than a step-by-step guide on how to get an app on a personalized page. But it’s important for ASO experts who are on the frontline of Google Play to monitor how it’s evolving the store to surface apps to its users.