Adjusted App Store algorithm impacting app search results, claim iOS devs
Apple's acquisition of app search specialist Chomp back in February may be producing its first fruits, with iOS developers reporting notable differences in App Store search results.
As detailed by TechCrunch, developers claim the App Store's search algorithm has been altered to place a priority on context and download volumes, moving away from merely searching for keywords.
Word play
The site claims searching for 'traffic', for instance, used to deliver games such as Traffic Rush at the top of the results. Now it serves up traffic and navigation apps first, even if the releases in question don't feature the word 'traffic' in their names.
According to Xyologic co-founder Matthäus Krzykowski, however, Apple has long been incorporating download volumes into its search results.
The latest tweak, he claims, has been made to the App Store's capabilities when it comes to 'top detection', with the marketplace now able to determine what users are likely to be looking for rather than simply going by keywords.
Indeed, TechCrunch notes such an approach is exactly what Chomp claims to be a master at, with the company claiming its algorithm "learns the functions and topics of apps, so you can search based on what apps do, not just what theyre called."
There's been no official word from Apple on any supposed change, though it's claimed not every country is currently benefiting from the new algorithm.
[source: TechCrunch]