Apple may let developers pay for App Store search results, report says

Apple may soon be radically changing the way it deals with developers in its App Store.

The company is considering plans that would allow developers to pay for sponsored search results in the App Store, according to a new report in Bloomberg. 

It sounds like Apple hasn't nailed down exactly how it would charge developers for these deals, but Bloomberg reports the company is looking at a Google-like model that would allow developers to pay for their apps to appear in specific search results.

Though it's not clear when or how Apple plans to introduce these features, the company has apparently dedicated a team of about 100 people to this effort, according to the report. The team includes engineers from Apple's iAd team, which is being phased out, according to previous reports. 

The company is also also reportedly looking into retooling the App Store's search and browsing experience. 

Apple did not immediately respond to Mashable's request for comment. 

Whether or not Apple actually goes through with its plan, that Cupertino is apparently dedicating so many resources to the effort highlights what many developers have known for years: App Store discovery is horribly broken.

Though Apple has tried to fix the search and discovery process within the App Store a few times over the years, it remains a huge problem for developers. With well over a million apps in the App Store, finding the right app can be incredibly frustrating -- keywords often don't surface relevant results --and it's even worse for brand new apps.

A newly launched app can take several hours or even days to be indexed in all of the App Stores where it's available, which could prevent it from appearing in search results immediately after launch. (One prominent example of this was Kim Kardashian Kimoji app, which angered many fans when they couldn't find the app in the App Store on the day it launched, causing Kardashian to tell her fans they broke the App Store.)

User experience aside, the move could also open up the possibility for Apple to make a lot more money off its App Store, which is already a multibillion dollar business. Currently, developers give Apple a cut of the money they make off app sales, in-app purchases and advertising (if they use Apple's iAd platform). But if Apple charged developers for sponsored search results or featured placement in the App Store, that would represent a whole new revenue stream from the App Store and one that it wouldn't have to share. 

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