Next time you search for that gotta-have-it app on Apple’s App Store, you might have to sort through more options than you had anticipated, as the tech company now plans to include ads in search results on its iOS App Store.
This week, some iPhone users running iOS 10 began seeing ads after entering search terms like “photo filters,” “taxi,” or “calendar.” The sponsored results appear above the list of apps that you were actually searching for.
Apple, which is currently offering developers a $100 credit on their first ad campaign, claims that the option is a way to give developers of smaller apps the opportunity to gain more visibility.
“The App Store is the primary place where people come to find apps,” the company says on the Ad Search site. “In fact, over 65% of downloads come directly from a search on the App Store.”
Still, while the system might bring unknown apps to the forefront, it could also confuse users.
In one case, VentureBeat reports that a search for “Pokemon” on the store now shows a copycat game called “Catch ‘em” in the ad above legitimate search results. It’s unclear how Apple plans to combat these types of ads.
Apple starts showing App Store search ads in the U.S. [VentureBeat]
by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist
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