In a bid to boost the discoverability of new apps, Apple announced earlier that it would launch
a test program for Search Ads, a forthcoming feature to the App Store that offers -- for the first time -- paid promotions on one of Apple's storefronts. Previously, Apple staffers have picked items to received promoted status at will, resisting efforts at putting advertising in the search results for fear that big players would dominate and further obscure up-and-coming, smaller, and new releases.
Apple has already planned for a number of guidelines that should help level the playing field, such as a "pay per tap" ad rate that bases the fees on how many users investigate the app rather than how many just see it. Ads would be clearly marked as such, and Apple would not harvest user data, customer profiles, or even show the ads to users who are known to be under 13 years old. Developers will eventually receive reports showing how many customers went to the app's page or downloaded the app, and in-app analytics are unaffected by the change.
To help smaller developers, there is no minimum ad spend requirement, though there will be an auction process for ad placements. Apple's own search match function will pair relevant ads with the user's search, rather than favor heavily-promoted items over lesser-promoted apps. Apple has provided an Attribution API that offers analysis of downloads while keeping user information private, and will eventually offer campaign and management tools as well. The beta is seen as a way for Apple to test the system out and work out kinks prior to its implementation in the US store only this fall as part of iOS 10.
Developers with apps that are currently in the iOS App Store can
opt-in to the beta for free, with no bidding required during the testing stage. During the beta, which runs throughout the summer, the search ads will only be seen by registered developer accounts and pre-registered public testers taking part in the iOS 10 beta. Apple says it intends the system to be "safe, transparent, and minimally intrusive" to end users.
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