How AliExpress Balanced Paid and Organic Efforts on Google Play

Challenge

AliExpress sought to reduce its reliance on paid user acquisition (UA) in the Android ecosystem. Noticing that a significant portion of paid traffic came from keywords already generating strong organic results,

To allocate resources more effectively, AliExpress needed to build a strong case for ASO within their organization. That is when they decided to work with AppTweak.

Solution

AliExpress collaborated with AppTweak on a proof of concept to reallocate resources from paid campaigns to organic efforts, starting with Turkey, one of their smaller markets.

AppTweak developed a model to measure AliExpress’s impact of paid traffic on organic downloads. The insights enabled AliExpress to visualize where organic traffic might be lost to paid efforts and identify potential budget savings.

• Measurement: AppTweak developed a model to measure AliExpress’s impact of paid traffic on organic downloads. The insights enabled AliExpress to visualize where organic traffic might be lost to paid efforts and identify potential budget savings.
• Metadata Optimization: With AppTweak’s guidance, AliExpress focused on enhancing its organic appeal. By optimizing its app store metadata—including descriptions, banners, and visuals—on its Turkish Google Play page, AliExpress strengthened its brand’s visibility and attraction to users who discover the app organically.

AliExpress Turkish Google Play page optimization

• Strategic Reduction in Ad Spend: After making the changes to the metadata, AliExpress temporarily halted paid ad campaigns on Google Play in the Turkish market for a four-week test period. This experiment aimed to observe changes in organic conversions and gather valuable data to guide future strategies.

Results

Thanks to AppTweak’s product and expertise, the four-week experiment yielded significant benefits for AliExpress in Turkey:

AliExpress’ conversion rate history, Google Play Store, Turkey

• Increase in Organic Conversions: By prioritizing organic traffic, AliExpress saw an increase in organic conversions highlighting the untapped potential that had previously been overshadowed by paid campaigns.
• Increase in Conversion Rate: By focusing efforts on organic optimization and reducing ad spend, AliExpress was able to get in front of more relevant users, resulting in a 45% increase in conversion rate. 
• Substantial Cost Savings: Reducing ad spend in Turkey eliminated substantial costs associated with paid downloads, allowing AliExpress to direct resources toward more sustainable growth initiatives.

Since eliminating paid traffic in the region, AliExpress is looking forward to further optimizing its metadata and investigating the relationship between paid and organic acquisition on Google Play by using AppTweak’s insights and expertise.