
Since its late September 2020 release, Genshin Impact has reshaped mobile gaming and remains a leading force in the industry.
As a cross-platform game, Genshin is playable on Android, iOS, PlayStation 4 & 5, and Windows. Its rich game content and high quality have been recognized by the gaming community, earning it nominations and a number of prestigious awards:

In 2023, the game has continued to thrive, boasting impressive revenue and a strong player base. People in game industry may be curious:
"Why can Genshin Impact keep popular and stay in the top?"
This article will delve into the strategies that have kept Genshin Impact at the forefront of the gaming world, focusing on its App Store Optimization (ASO) and monetization tactics.
How is Genshin Impact in Mobile Market?
Upon its release in 2020, Genshin Impact immediately garnered the highest honors in the mobile app domain, securing the iPhone Game of the Year from the App Store Best of 2020 and the Best Game award from the Google Play Awards.
In the following year, it was continuously recognized by App Store & Google Play, receiving various awards, such as the Apple Design Awards for Visuals and Graphics and the Best Ongoing.
The successive recognition from the two giants of the mobile app industry, the App Store and Google Play Store, attests to the success of Genshin Impact as a mobile game.
As of November 2023, Genshin Impact has been featured as an "iOS Featured App" 439 times, ranking TOP 3 for RPG-related & open-world adventure themes in most time.
ASO Perspective: What can Learn from Genshin Impact?
Icon & Screenshots
The game's icon, featuring the companion character Paimon, encapsulates the game's anime art style and uses a simple yet striking color scheme to draw in potential players.
The developer of Genshin Impact, miHoYo, utilizes a similar icon design across its games (e.g., Honkai Impact 3rd, Honkai: Star Rail), featuring classic animated game character portraits with a "HOYOVERSE" banner. This not only highlights the brand name but also enhances recognizability.

This visual appeal extends to other elements like screenshots, which are carefully designed to showcase the fantasy world, characters, and real-time battle system.
Beyond the initial two promotional videos and posters, each subsequent screenshot shared follows the same template design: a display of a game scene screenshot, accompanied by text explaining the unique gameplay features, and game character illustrations.

This design concretely showcases several core elements of the game—characters, scenes, gameplay—and is effective in attracting players and helping them understand the game.
Images, as opposed to lengthy text, can more directly influence whether players are willing to delve deeper into your app or game, making the screenshot section in app stores an essential aspect that should not be overlooked.
Genshin Impact's approach to keyword strategy offers a definitive guide on the impact of keyword selection and ranking.
Brand Keywords:
The term "brand keywords" refers to those closely tied to the developer or the game itself, including the game's official name and related variants. "Genshin Impact" is the cornerstone brand keyword in this context.

To maximize visibility, Genshin Impact meticulously focus on a spectrum of associated keywords:
Aware that "Genshin" is frequently used as a shorthand by the gaming community, the company also anticipates and targets common misspellings such as "geshin" or "ginshin," ensuring they connect with users who may not be well-acquainted with the brand.
Also, to rapidly capture user interest, they strategically incorporate segments of the brand name, like "gen" and "gens," into their keyword optimization tactics, catering to those searching for pertinent content.
Thanks to Genshin Impact's exceptional brand marketing and keyword establishment, a staggering 59.29% of downloads are achieved through users directly searching for the brand keywords.
Category Keywords:

In addition to brand keywords, "category keywords" play a pivotal role in driving visibility and downloads for an app or game. These are broader terms that describe the genre or general characteristics of the product, rather than its specific name. For Genshin Impact, the strategic use of category keywords has proven to be just as effective as its brand-focused approach.
The game has achieved high search rankings for category keywords such as "anime games," "anime roleplaying," "mmorpg anime," and "world of adventure," all of which resonate with the broader interests of potential users.
Ranking within the top 5 search results for these terms is a testament to Genshin Impact's robust app store optimization strategies.
By effectively tapping into category keywords, the game not only enhances its discoverability but also aligns itself with the varied search behaviors of its target demographic, ensuring a consistent influx of new users intrigued by its genre and gameplay style.
Competitor Keywords:
"Competitor keywords" are a strategic element in search optimization, referring to terms related to other brands or products within the same market space. In Genshin's case, the incorporation of competitor keywords into their search strategy has been a clever move to broaden its reach.

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What Is the Keyword Guaranteed Ranking Service? What Is the Advantage of It?A notable example of this is the inclusion of the term "Zelda games free" among Genshin Impact's targeted search terms.
Despite the fact that "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" – a game with a similar aesthetic and gameplay to Genshin Impact – is not available on mobile platforms and is exclusive to Nintendo consoles, Genshin Impact capitalizes on this gap.
Consequently, mobile gamers who seek a Zelda-like experience but mistakenly search for it in app stores are likely to encounter Genshin Impact instead.
This strategic choice not only diverts potential players of "Breath of the Wild" to Genshin Impact when they are browsing mobile platforms but also positions Genshin Impact as a top alternative in the action-adventure genre.
By targeting competitor keywords, Genshin Impact effectively captures a segment of users who are in search of a comparable gaming experience, thereby expanding its user base beyond those already familiar with the brand.
How Genshin Impact Generate High Revenue?
By July 2023, Genshin Impact, as a free-to-play game, has generated revenue exceeding $3.5 billion through global app markets (iOS and Android channels), signifying the game's widespread popularity among players worldwide.
The game's monetization is ingeniously crafted around its gacha system, which is central to obtaining new characters and weapons.
This system is divided into two main types: the "Standard Wish" gachas, which require the purchase of "Acquaint Fates," and the "Limited-time Event Wishes," which necessitate "Intertwined Fates" for Permanent Wishes.
Players looking to acquire "Primogems," the premium currency, have the option to buy them directly with real money. Alternatively, they can earn this currency through progression in the game's Battle Pass or by accumulating it as they advance their account level.
These methods provide a flexible approach to building up the necessary resources for engaging with the gacha system and unlocking the game's full potential.
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Case Study: Genshin Impact's Game Marketing Strategies
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