Apple Dominates App Store Search Results, Thwarting Competitors

Apple’s mobile apps routinely appear first in search results ahead of competitors in its App Store, a powerful advantage that skirts some of the company’s rules on such rankings. The company’s apps ranked first in more than 60% of basic searches, such as for “maps,” the analysis showed. Apple apps that generate revenue through subscriptions or sales, like Music or Books, showed up first in 95% of searches related to those apps. This dominance gives the company an upper hand in a marketplace that generates $50 billion in annual spending. While many of Apple’s products are undoubtedly popular, they are held to a different standard by the App Store. Apple tells developers that downloads, user reviews and ratings are factors that influence search results. Yet more than two dozen of Apple’s apps come pre-installed on iPhones and are shielded from reviews and ratings. Apple says it doesn’t give its own products an advantage over others on the App Store. 

Legal challenges are mounting over the App Store. The US Supreme Court in May ruled against Apple’s attempt to halt a lawsuit claiming consumers are forced to buy apps exclusively from the company. Two app developers are also suing in federal court, alleging the App Store amounts to a monopoly on distribution. Spotify in March filed an antitrust complaint in Europe against Apple, alleging Apple has made it difficult for rival subscription services to market themselves in the App Store, which the company denies.