Getting your Brand Noticed in Apples App Store

Apple is notoriously tight-lipped about how its search algorithm works in its app store, but developers are already seeing that the company’s February acquisition of the search and discovery platform Chomp seems to have changed some of the rules, as expected.

According to TechCrunch, the app store search engine has been focused on topics than on keywords since at least June. That means that a search for “wedding”, for example, will turn up vendors and venues but not games or apps that have the word in their title but don’t have anything to do with wedding planning. This seems to be backed up by Chomp’s description of its technology “Chomp’s proprietary algorithm learns the functions and topics of apps, so you can search based on what apps do, not just what they’re called.”

The latest rumor is a Chomp-inspired update will be linked with the iOS 6 launch this fall. Apple is hoping to improve discoverability in the app store, since apps that aren’t popular according to the current algorithm can be tough to find in the sea of 600,000 or so contenders. Arstechnica reports that the new search platform will use a card interface rather than a scroll to help address this issue.

All told, it’s certainly a dynamic time at the App Store. The best way to stay on top of it all is keep an eye on your searchability and an ear to the pavement as things progress.