Comments on: Apple Improves iTunes App Store Search, Asks Developers for Keywords

By: JenIndo

JenIndo — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 19:22:20 +0000

Try SphereChain for iPhone and iPod Touch!

By: glenn

glenn — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 05:12:11 +0000

I'm really starting to resent Apple. I have 30 apps in the store and have spent a lot of time using their developer tools. Like most of iTunes connect, the new keyword "feature" is horribly broken. It just doesn't work.

1) Once you enter keywords, you can't change them without uploading a new binary! Seriously. 2 weeks+ to update your keywords, so choose carefully.

2) Once you enter keywords, the text in your description - even the title of the app - no longer show up in searches. Just the keywords.

3) Of course, the text in the description remains searchable for apps that don't use keywords. So why on earth would I want to use them?

Apple is great a convincing customers to buy things, but iTunes Connect ABSOLUTELY SUCKS. You'd think with the kind of money they are making off of us they could hire some real developers...

By: Dev

Dev — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 23:06:34 +0000

The keywords don't seem to work. Moreover, anything in the description field won't show up. It seems only what is in the title will show up in results. This has made the search engine even more ridiculous.

Plus apparently it is 100 characters not 255, unless I've entered it incorrectly.

Is it supposed to be: one,two,three,four,five

By: frog

frog — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 01:21:02 +0000

And next, let end users report “false” keyword searches – like competitors product names!

By: Stephen

Stephen — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 18:04:25 +0000

How about REMOVED? That should fill up the search field!

By: And Just Like That...

And Just Like That... — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:24:37 +0000

….This thread has went to hell in a handbasket.

By: Shut Up Truth

Shut Up Truth — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:06:01 +0000

Uh oh, we have a funny guy in here! Truth is here to spout mindless garbage that no one will listen to again! I’ve got to go now my sides are busting I’m laughing so hard, the irony!! It’s funny because Google Voice was rejected. Haha, whew, I can’t stop I’m just laughing so hard…

By: dev

dev — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:11:20 +0000

This is going to get poisoned until it is useless at best, counterproductive at worst, the same way as meta tags in web pages were well-intentioned for search, but were ruined as useful tool by the late 90s to early 2000s.

By: Truth

Truth — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:55:52 +0000

I can’t find Google Voice. What is the keyword.

By: sting7k

sting7k — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:55:45 +0000

Cool, I like it. Hopefully the search will actually work now.

By: Robin Rath

Robin Rath — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:40:58 +0000

This field is available for everyone in iTunes Connect, looks like you don’t have to get contacted by apple.

By: Sisyphus

Sisyphus — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:34:06 +0000

See! Even TiPB won’t show that kind of smut! Why does the app store? The approvals process needs to be more opaque and convoluted!

By: Sisyphus

Sisyphus — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:32:17 +0000

Oh, excellent. Now the developers of the “Hot Sexy Girls Clock – SALE” app don’t have to put “Recommended for fans of: [every app in the app store]” on the description page of their product.