The Art of Search for AppExchange Listings

-

If I had a nickel for every time someone asked me what the silver bullet is, I'd have at least 7.25$ by now.

There.Is.No.Silver.Bullet.

Ok, I lied, there is one thing...do everything!

I've assessed dozens of listings and personally managed 8, either in a full-time or contract capacity. While I can't give away all my secrets (get an assessment), I'll share some quick tips below.


Search

AppExchange is often compared to Google and I'll admit, I've said it many times. It is similar in some ways but, vastly different in others.

Salesforce breaks down what's behind their search algorithm into four areas:
  • Keyword Relevance
  • Engagement
  • Listing Experience
  • Machine Learning

Keyword relevance

Content (words) in the listing relevant to what it actually does. What they don't tell you is just like Google, keyword stuffing will negatively impact you come Machine Learning time. One of the first things I do when assessing a listing is search for the words 'Salesforce' & company/product name. 

Try this right now on your listing and comment the #. The most I've seen to date was 29 (mentions of the word Salesforce). 29!

Depending on the listing, there are 3-6 from AppExchange that can't be changed. 

I'll call out my friends at OwnBackup here as an example (sorry Sam!).




Screenshot that says salesforce and 1/15 on the right


Screenshot that says ownbackup and 1/24 on the right

Resources Section (case studies etc.) has Salesforce listed 7 times and ownbackup 9 times. As a marketer, I completely understand this. Its an asset and titled appropriately. That being said, these are 16 strikes against search performance (keyword stuffing) come Machine Learning time. Don't believe it? Try trimming those two words and I guarantee improved search results.  


Engagement

Don't quote me on this as I suspect this is primarily based on # of clicks within a listing. Screenshots, resources, videos, Watch a Demo etc. The more visitors engage with actual clicks, improves overall search performance.

When it comes to screenshots, the one tip I will provide is do not put a video as the first screenshot. Its  user experience plain and simple. Why make visitors click 2-3 times (most won't) and you can't autoplay.


Listing Experience

Partnership, reviews and updates. Get those badges (1% Pledge, 100% Native etc.). If your listing is missing badges, check the package options in the partner portal or file a support ticket. Like and comment on every review. Last but not least, update your package. I'm surprised how many partners do not realize having an old date on your listings package impacts search negatively.


Machine Learning

The secret part of search sauce. Salesforce doesn't say much about this and rightly so. The one thing I can say for certain is that all modern searching solutions which have a Machine Learning/AI component value strong fundamentals. In this instance, I'm referring to the previous sections and consistently improving.


The above are just a few small suggestions and feel free to comment with the improvements to your listing (in a week or so).

Comments

Post a Comment