14 DAY TRIAL // A report from The Wall Street Journal indicates that Apple’s very own applications are most often displayed in search results above alternatives from third-parties.
While this could suggest that Apple is favoring its apps over the ones developed by other companies, the company says it performed its own research and the results are pretty different.
The WSJ says that searching with basic keywords, like “maps,” puts Apple products at the top of the list in 60 percent of the cases. On the other hand, if you use keywords that could point to premium Apple services bringing home the bacon, such as Apple Music or Books, you’ll see these apps on the leading spot in 95 percent of the searches.
Rankings determined based on 42 factors
To respond to the claims, Apple conducted its very own series of tests, and it claims the results are different. The company explains that it’s using a total of 42 factors to determine the search result rankings for apps in the App Store, including downloads, ratings, and user behavior.
In its turn, user behavior relies on data such as how often a user downloads an app after finding it on the results page.
Apple hasn’t provided any specifics on its test, but claims that its apps aren’t always ranked first.
“Apple customers have a very strong connection to our products and many of them use search as a way to find and open their apps,” the company explained. “This customer usage is the reason Apple has strong rankings in search, and it’s the same reason Uber, Microsoft and so many others often have high rankings as well.”
A quick test on an iPhone using the most common keywords, like maps, music, and books, puts Apple apps on the first position of the search results page. In some cases, however, featured apps and sponsored links appear at the top of the list.