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Is your app hard to find on the Play Store?

I recently released a new android app on the play market called GuessTheYear and the only downloads i have received from the play store are from people i have told about the app. My other apps are usually top of the list or top 5 after searching a keyword related to the app. But even searching 'guesstheyear' in the play store things like "Top SuperBowl Ads" are above the app! In fact it comes 12th on the list. Is the anyway to get apps higher up the "search rankings"? and i dont wont to pay for adverts :D, Im guessing there is no answer to this? I wish google would introduce tags to the play store :/


Link to the app i am referring to
 
I recently released a new android app on the play market called GuessTheYear and the only downloads i have received from the play store are from people i have told about the app. My other apps are usually top of the list or top 5 after searching a keyword related to the app. But even searching 'guesstheyear' in the play store things like "Top SuperBowl Ads" are above the app! In fact it comes 12th on the list. Is the anyway to get apps higher up the "search rankings"? and i dont wont to pay for adverts :D, Im guessing there is no answer to this? I wish google would introduce tags to the play store :/


Link to the app i am referring to

This is the reason I made a list of home launchers and only update once a month or so. Searching for "home launcher" will bring up only a couple, if any, on every page. The rest are themes and app launchers. I hate the search feature of the market. And it uses tags, btw. Do some searches on really popular apps, and look at some of the obscure ones that pop up. The devs will either reference your search words or have a list of tags. It's especially irritating to see a giant list of completely unrelated tags.


I believe this has to do with paid adverts? It seems those that pay for adverts get their apps to be listed on top despite some of them not having anything to do with your search keyword. I guess it is only logical and fair since they paid for it.

I completely disagree, in the way the system is now anyway. If they paid to have their apps at the top of the list, it's a bit underhanded to not have a label on their app that admits that that particular app is sponsored, just like any other search that you do anywhere. If something is at the top of a list, I think I should have the right to know that it was paid for, not because everyone else thinks it's a better product.
Now, that's not to say I think it's underhanded to sponsor your product. I think that it's perfectly fine to advertise and push for your product. But I think I have the right to see the difference between an advertised product and a popular one.
 
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I also don't think it had anything to do with paying for ads, my guess is that it searches the apps description for tags, but also the app moves up the rankings if people search a keyword and click on the app. I'm unsure about this though.

I have a feeling the order shown is based on an algorithm with ratings, downloads, trends, etc. all factored in. It's almost disturbing the number of times I've typed the exact name of an app and had to scroll down or even go to the next page to find it. Even a couple of search options would improve it. Like the ability to search titles only or exclude certain terms.
 
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In the music scene, we have indie music. Likewise it would be nice to have a platform or place to showcase apps that is from them instead. Isn't it boring to see the big players apps day after day? Furthermore, it would be unfair to compare big players apps vs indie apps as the resources and cost invested by them are of many magnitudes more than indie developers. Just my humble opinion.
 
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I have an entire page in Pulse dedicated to Android, and am always paying attention to new apps. (btw, is there a feed dedicated to apps?)
But one of the best ways I have to find new apps is Droid of the Day. They do an excellent job of bringing good, new apps to my attention.

AppAware does new apps.
 
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