Organic Install

An organic install is when a user downloads and installs an app without being influenced by paid advertising.

Why it matters

Indicates genuine user interest and app quality.
Reduces acquisition costs as no ad spend is involved.

How to measure

Track installs not attributed to any paid campaign.
Analyze over monthly or quarterly periods for trends.

Details

Organic installs are crucial for understanding the natural demand for an app. They occur when users find an app through non-paid channels such as app store searches, word of mouth, or social media mentions. For mobile engineers and growth teams, focusing on optimizing the user experience and app store presence can enhance organic installs. Techniques like App Store Optimization (ASO) are often employed to improve visibility and attract more organic users.

Tracking organic installs requires distinguishing them from installs driven by paid advertising. This can be done using analytics tools that attribute installs based on the absence of an ad click or impression. Understanding the ratio of organic to paid installs can provide insights into the effectiveness of marketing strategies and the app's inherent appeal.

Examples & formulas

For example, if an app receives 1,000 installs in a month, and 600 are attributed to paid campaigns, then the remaining 400 are considered organic installs. This can be expressed as:

Organic Installs = Total Installs - Paid Installs

Common mistakes

Misattributing installs due to inadequate tracking; ensure robust analytics are in place.
Ignoring organic growth potential by over-focusing on paid campaigns; balance is key.