1- Agency Types
In recent years, more and more ASO Agencies opened to serve a vast service demand from companies that focus on Mobile App Marketing. They provide various services and promising service descriptions. However, we can summarize two main types of ASO Agencies:
- White-hat Agency
Use the traditional and safe methods to optimize the ASO performance gradually
- Black-hat Agency
Use the black-hat method to “cheat on” the app store algorithm to boost ASO performance rapidly.
Each business has different strategies, expected performance, and risk acceptance. Based on that, they choose the suitable agency type that best suits the business needs.
The comparison in this table quickly compares the difference between White-hat and Black-hat.
| White hat | Black hat | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Low | High |
| Keyword Ranking Speed | Slow | Fast |
| Risk | No | High |
| Risk Explanation | Following the rules of app stores to optimize the app ranking. | Hacking the algorithm to get the app ranked faster |
| Keyword Research | Yes | No (not a strength) |
| Metadata Writing | Yes | No (not a strength) |
| Creative Production | Yes | No (not a strength) |
| Localization | Yes | No (not a strength) |
| App Rating & Review | No | Yes |
| Keyword Optimization | Yes (white hat) | Yes (black hat) |
| Reporting | Yes | Yes |
Nemo Comment:
As mentioned, each agency service type has strengths and weaknesses that support different business expectations. Thus, we shouldn’t strictly compare and say something like, “Oh, white hat is good, and black hat is bad”
2- Services of White-hat Agency
The White-hat Agency has similar functions as an internal ASO Team, providing standard and safe services:
- Keyword Research
- Metadata Writing
- Creative Production (screenshots, featured images, videos)
- Keyword Optimization
- Reporting
The white-hat agency is a good choice for a business that pursues a sustainable growth strategy. This approach helps to increase the app ranking gradually while preventing the app from being banned by the App Stores. Even though showing slower performance, this white-hat method is safer than the black-hat one.
However, in the long term, subscribing to white-hat services may not be an effective method for some reasons:
Reason 1: Poor Reporting Services
Per our working experience, some ASO Agencies provide poor data reporting services.
Example: the “Keyword Ranking” Report.
One of our previous white-hat agencies used ASO tools like Apptweak to generate this keyword ranking report. Sadly, the keyword performance metrics provided by Apptweak and other ASO tools are regularly inaccurate (I also mentioned this inaccuracy of Keyword Ranking data in most ASO Tools in the first lesson)
Thus, it’s hard for ASO managers or business owners to know the performance insights driven by the white-hat ASO agency.
We cannot share all reporting issues in this article because there are many others. But we have one solution:
To cope with this, before signing the contract, you should align with the White-hat Agency on every reporting metric. Ask them in detail
- What report do they want to share?
- How do they get the metric to report?
Only start the services if the agency clearly explains and resonates with you and your business!
Reason 2: Higher Cost Compared To An Internal ASO Team
As mentioned, the white-hat agency offers a similar function as an internal ASO team, so why don’t you build your own team to avoid the extra service charges? Rather than that, with an internal team, you will have full control to scale up your ASO activities and build your reporting frameworks to monitor the performance.
But it’s hard to find experienced ASO specialists in the job market at the moment. Thus, we recommend you first sign a contract with a white-hat ASO Agency in the begging. After that, let your internal ASO team gradually practice & learn from the. Once your internal team is confident, you can stop the agency service.
3- Services of Black-hat Agency
Black-hat agencies may NOT offer (or these may not be their strengths):
- Keyword Research
- Metadata Writing
- Creative Production
Instead, they are masters in these 2 services that you cannot find in the white hat agency:
- App Review
- Boost Keyword Ranking
Service 1: App Review
The black-hat agency generates and leaves fake comments with ratings on the Product Page
Benefits of this service:
- Increase the app rating score
- Increase the number of positive reviews that gain the trustworthiness
Service 2: Boost Keyword Ranking
The black-hat agency uses its bot farm to take an array of actions:
( 1 ) Search for the target keywords in App Stores
( 2 ) Find your app and click on it on the search result page
( 3 ) Download the app
By repeating this array of actions for different keywords, the App Store’s algorithm will think that “This app is relevant for this keyword. Let’s rank it higher”
Benefits of this service:
- Increase the ranking position for target keywords faster compared to white-hat
- Increase the ranking position of other keywords (as an associated effect of target keywords)
Risk Warning
Please be aware of the risk when using the black-hat strategy as the 2 services above!
Being BANNED by the App Stores forever!
Indeed, you are hacking the algorithm to rank higher and faster. Once App Stores detect suspicious activities on your App Page, they will ban your app forever.
However, it DOESN’T mean that you should avoid the black-hat method 100%. Instead, you can approach this app-launching strategy to utilize the power of both white hat and black hat simultaneously
The Ideal App-Launching Strategy!
- Launch Main App (Quantity: 1) for white-hat
Register this main app with your actual brand name. Use the white-hat strategy for sustainable growth. With this approach, your Main App will always be safe.
- Launch Clone Apps (Quantity: from 1) for black-hat
Replicate the Main App to Clone Apps with the same source code. Other than the source code, the Clone Apps should not have any connection with the Main App. Register using SEPARATE developer accounts, company names, and brand identities.
The black-hat strategy can be a “growth-hacking” weapon for your app, resulting in installs and revenue. And… on a rainy day, if your Clone Apps are blocked, they don’t affect the Main App.
Nemo’s Comment:
If you approach the black-hat strategy correctly, your company will benefit greatly!
4- Conclusion
White-hat and Black-hat strategies have their own strengths and weaknesses. As mentioned at the beginning of this article, depending on your business’s growth strategy, you can choose the suitable service type.
Don’t forget that you can utilize both Black-hat and White-hat to amplify the growth; please refer to “The Ideal App-Launching Strategy” that we explained above.
The following article will share with you “How to work with an ASO Agency.”
