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Apple may be implementing some changes to the way that it ranks apps for its Top Charts in the App Store, reports TechCrunch, citing studies from a number of app analysis services. It appears that new factors, such as app ratings and user engagement, could be influencing app position and preventing developers from artificially inflating the rankings.

According to app marketing service Fiksu, app rankings began fluctuating in late July, favoring apps with ratings of four or more stars in the App Store. While those apps jumped to higher positions without a corresponding increase in downloads, apps with poor ratings saw their rankings fall.

fiskurankbyrating.jpg
Historically, apps have been ranked based on both download volume and velocity, allowing apps that garnered a high number of downloads in a short amount of time to shoot up the App Store charts. Fiksu also notes that App Store rank positions, which were previously updated in 15-minute intervals, now update once every three hours to prevent underhanded rank-gaming practices.
We suspect they are adding a 'buffer' period to prevent rank manipulation through short download bursts often associated with robotic downloads and other actions not in the best interests of the app ecosystem. Three hours allows enough time to identify anomalies and remove apps before they suddenly appear at the top of the rankings.
Niren Hiro of SearchMan told TechCrunch that user engagement may be a factor as well. Time spent within apps, the number of app opens, and ongoing usage are affecting category rankings, as noted in the chart below.

searchman.jpg
App Store search algorithms may also be changing, favoring improved app discovery. MobileDevHQ CEO Ian Sefferman cites an example involving a search for iPhone apps from the iPad. While such a search used to return an identical list of apps on both the iPad and the iPhone, the results are now different.

It remains unclear whether Apple is merely experimenting with its App Store rankings with these new inclusions or if it is in the process of making sweeping changes to the ranking process. App discovery has long been a work in progress for the company and efforts to improve its ranking algorithms could help users locate higher quality content.

Article Link: Apple Implementing Changes to App Store Rankings to Promote Better App Discovery
 

CFreymarc

Suspended
Sep 4, 2009
3,969
1,149
So in other words, they are implementing a low pass filter disregarding bursts of downloads of similar latency and subnet mask. Very nice. Same thing is done when identifying "massive public" posts from the same source when Flash Mobs and political campaigns are executed on the Internet.
 

jclardy

macrumors 601
Oct 6, 2008
4,138
4,318
I hope it is a permanent switch, as this will help promote less "popular" apps in their respective search categories. A niche app may be awesome (highly rated) but have a tiny user base which would mean that it gets lost in searches under the old system.
 

Chrjy

macrumors 65816
May 19, 2010
1,095
2,098
UK
They want to try promoting good indie developers rather than focusing entirely on the 'Big Boys'!

Even the big names had to start somewhere!
 

jeffmetanna

macrumors member
Apr 16, 2010
72
101
Well, this explains a lot.. My 2.5 star-rated app saw a sharp decrease in downloads this month. I've been wondering what was up..
 

HiRez

macrumors 603
Jan 6, 2004
6,250
2,576
Western US
These are things they should have been doing years ago. The app store is a total mess for both consumers and developers and Apple hasn't been helping. Better late than never, I guess, but they really need to stay on top of this, and quickly cut down the schemes that people will use to game the system (even when Apple fixes something, they will inevitably find another way to cheat).

A lot of developers are getting frustrated and with Android slowly looking like a more viable alternative every year, the state of Apple's app store could start to be a disincentive for developing on iOS first or exclusively. Listen, I know Google's app store also has massive problems, but I'm just saying Apple needs to be proactive and stay out in front by making sure they have by far the best app store experience for both consumers and developers. There's still a lot they need to work on other than the rankings. Like have developer-specified trial period for paid apps (without risk of the Lodsys threat by using IAP), allow app bundles to be sold, discounts (if I previously bought one app by a developer, maybe I can buy another of their apps at 50% off), better recommendations, better statistics available for developers, etc.
 

Kranchammer

macrumors member
Mar 26, 2010
86
0
Kahleefornya
These are things they should have been doing years ago. The app store is a total mess for both consumers and developers and Apple hasn't been helping. Better late than never, I guess, but they really need to stay on top of this, and quickly cut down the schemes that people will use to game the system (even when Apple fixes something, they will inevitably find another way to cheat).

A lot of developers are getting frustrated and with Android slowly looking like a more viable alternative every year, the state of Apple's app store could start to be a disincentive for developing on iOS first or exclusively. Listen, I know Google's app store also has massive problems, but I'm just saying Apple needs to be proactive and stay out in front by making sure they have by far the best app store experience for both consumers and developers. There's still a lot they need to work on other than the rankings. Like have developer-specified trial period for paid apps (without risk of the Lodsys threat by using IAP), allow app bundles to be sold, discounts (if I previously bought one app by a developer, maybe I can buy another of their apps at 50% off), better recommendations, better statistics available for developers, etc.

I agree with everything you said except the part about Android looking like a viable alternative.

Take the problems with the App Store, multiply them by the number of Android application stores, and then add a heaping dose of fragmentation and rampant piracy. Stir and bake at 350.
 

nagromme

macrumors G5
May 2, 2002
12,546
1,196
Good start. Also, ban apps that say "rate us 5 stars to get 1000 free gems!" and the like. (You get the gems when you tap the button, which goes to the App Store page, but the dev doesn't actually know what you did there, if anything. So it's a scam within a scam!)

And ban "add me, here's my code" reviews. Those usually have 5 stars for too little reason.

And while we're add it, stamp out the fake paid/farmed reviews: "best app ever so much better then the rest!!!!!!!" on a game, and "love this game lololololol so fun" on a non-game utility...

I have a good idea! Make searching usable again!

Yes, please. And ditch the tiny store "sheets" on iPad (while the full store uselessly loads behind). Any word yet of changes in iOS 7? EDIT: Found one early screenshot that's similar to iOS 6 results... hope that changes.
 
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TWSS37

macrumors 65816
Feb 4, 2011
1,107
232
I agree with everything you said except the part about Android looking like a viable alternative.

Take the problems with the App Store, multiply them by the number of Android application stores, and then add a heaping dose of fragmentation and rampant piracy. Stir and bake at 350.

Oh! You forgot to add 3 gallons of misinformation, a heaping scoop of FUD and a dash of Apple "special sauce". :rolleyes:
 

madsci954

macrumors 68030
Oct 14, 2011
2,725
658
Ohio
I have two concerns about this

1) what about new apps with no ratings, will they still get noticed, and 2) what's to stop spammers from leaving hundreds of 1-star ratings to knock good apps out?

Or am I missing something here?
 

Kranchammer

macrumors member
Mar 26, 2010
86
0
Kahleefornya
Oh! You forgot to add 3 gallons of misinformation, a heaping scoop of FUD and a dash of Apple "special sauce". :rolleyes:

Don't get your knickers in a twist. I was talking as a developer, not as an Android or iPhone user. It was a comment on the state of the two as developer platforms, not as OS's or what have you.

As a developer, none of the Android stores succeed where Apple fails. And they have problems on top of the ones the App Store does. Legitimate problems that should be addressed so that non-Big Name developers (like me) have a chance to make money in the Android app world.
 

mdelvecchio

macrumors 68040
Sep 3, 2010
3,151
1,149
IT costs to develop, support and improve things like this are part of the 30% a dev pays apple for inclusion to the AppStore and often overlooked. a valuable service.
 

A Hebrew

macrumors 6502a
Jan 7, 2012
846
2
Minnesota
As far as I am concerned, until they bring back a tab or display of ALL new apps for each category I am not impressed with the App Store.
 

opeepingtomo

macrumors regular
Oct 29, 2007
201
39
Here is a better idea, bring back the search results that show you MORE THAN ONE RESULT AT A TIME.

Or an EVEN BETTER idea, implement the ranking changes for better app discovery and ALSO display MORE than one result at a time.
 

gatearray

macrumors 65816
Apr 24, 2010
1,130
232
Sorry to say that this is the least of the App Store's problems.

It's been lousy to use and basically FUBAR since the iOS 6 re-design was introduced last year, talk about killing the golden goose, and for no apparent reason whatsoever other than "change". Surely I can't be the only one who's ended up buying less apps in the past year because of it?
 

Solver

macrumors 65816
Jan 6, 2004
1,220
3,192
USA
Now if they would only allow Apple customers to search by a maximum iOS version so that resulting apps customers get back are going to actually work on their non latest greatest iOS devices.
 

nagromme

macrumors G5
May 2, 2002
12,546
1,196
Surely I can't be the only one who's ended up buying less apps in the past year because of it?

I really liked the iPad App Store before the change; iPhone was never as good as iPad. I hope for major search changes with iOS 7's release, or as soon after as possible!

But I don't buy less now--I just find my apps elsewhere! Ironically, often I find them using Google :) I also use AppShopper. Once I know what app I want it's not hard to find (usually a direct link in fact) on the App Store.
 

TouchMint.com

macrumors 68000
May 25, 2012
1,625
318
Phoenix
The App Store rankings are ever changing. Some devs see it as a problem or inconvenience but I try to see it as an opportunity. When the App Store changes the devs who adpat fastest profit most.
 
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