Apple’s been quietly experimenting with its App Store search algorithm

Source: venturebeat.com --- Saturday, April 30, 2016
GUEST: Some surprising search results in the US version of the Apple App Store got us curious. Is Apple experimenting with the algorithm, and to what end? We all know Apple likes black boxes more than most technology companies. It likes to keep its secrets close and well guarded. One of these well-kept secrets is the algorithm behind the App Store search engine. Considering just how much of an effect this has on organic download rates, it’s no wonder so many app marketers and developers invest time in experimenting and learning the iTunes App Store’s behavior. My company does too. Last month Apple released its latest iOS update, 9.3, with seemingly no innovation in the App Store app on Apple devices. The only thing that changed was the description preview; the last algorithm change published was back in November . But roughly around the time of the iOS 9.3 update release, we noticed some interesting things happening in the search results in the US iTunes App Store. How did we notice these changes? One of the things we do at my company, Moburst, as part of our app store optimization (ASO) service, is develop proprietary technologies to help our clients find wider audiences. One of the tools we’ve developed scans the app stores for changes in trends and behaviors. In mid-March, this tool began showing some interesting insights. Initially we thought this might be a glitch, but it appears to still be there. What we observed was a cha ...

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