Apple plans Google-like paid search feature for crowded App Store

15 Apr 2016

Apple is planning to make publishers pay for the privilege of having their apps featured more prominently in searches in the App Store

Apple is embarking on a lucrative new strategy to launch Google-like paid search results, whereby publishers will pay to have their apps feature prominently in searches in the App Store.

Apple is understood to be considering a paid search model – similar to that operated by Google – in which it will charge publishers to have their app more prominently displayed, effectively borrowing a strategy that has paid off handsomely for Facebook with Supercell’s Clash of Clans.

It is understood that Apple has appointed iAd vice president Todd Teresi to spearhead the project.

According to Bloomberg, some 100 Apple employees have been detailed to drive the initiative.

It is understood that Apple iAd division is being phased out in order to capitalise on this new opportunity.

It is one way of Apple resolving – in a very beneficial way for itself, of course – the discovery problem facing publishers now that there are well over 1m apps in the App Store.

Worldwide, the App Store has brought in nearly $40bn for developers since 2008, with over one-third of that generated in the last year alone.

Apple says the App Store has created over 1.4m jobs for app creators, software engineers and entrepreneurs. The iOS app economy is claimed by Apple to have generated 1.2m jobs in Europe and 1.4m jobs in China.

App Store image via Shutterstock

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com