Most people over the age of 12 own a phone or tablet. Now, think about how often those people use mobile apps.

With that realization, it’s easy to understand that mobile app publishers are having a hard time making sure new apps are easily found by their target audience. Here are steps to take to move your app towards the top of search results and find new users.

Find the keywords users are most likely to use. Keywords are one of the most important factors to help people find your app. Do some brainstorming and identify the words your target audience are most likely to type into the search bar.

For example, our app is designed for new drivers nervous about passing their license test. We may use words such as driver’s license, DMV test, and so on. We would use these keywords in the title, subtitle, and even in the product description.

The more accurate your keywords are, the higher your app ranking will be.

Decide what your ultimate goal is: getting new users or increasing exposure. For most app publishers, the goal of launching a new app isn’t just to add to the millions of apps already available. Rather, it’s to do one of two things: One, get new users for their product or service. Or, two, increase exposure to their business to build a buzz. Knowing which is your goal will help decide the best marketing tactic for you.

If your goal is to reach new users, use traditional marketing methods like offering incentives or discounts to encourage downloads.

On the other hand, if your main reason for launching an app is to start conversations about your business, use “buzz marketing” that shows your app is noteworthy in some way — whether it’s wildly entertaining, extremely useful, or scandalous. This creates a buzz and you’ll find more people downloading your app to see what everyone else is talking about.

Keep your users engaged for long-term success. Now that you’ve decided why you want users, you need to figure out how to keep them. The top two ways to do this are through frequent updates and ongoing incentives within the app.

Monthly updates show your current users that you’re paying attention to reviews that may be pointing out glitches, and that it’s important to you to keep finding new ways to make the app perform better. For example, our app has practice tests for new drivers. To keep users engaged, we may give updates when we add new tests.

Another way to keep users interested in your app is by offering them incentives within the app itself. The most frequently used example of this is rewards. These may be found in gaming apps that give coins for reaching a new level or with loyalty apps that give credits for scanning purchases.

Launching for success. While it’s true that apps are a dime a dozen these days, the ones that use proven strategies to stay on top of the list perform far better than their competitors. Use our top three tips to make sure that your next app launch is primed for success.