Authors with Appcod.es they told us in detail (with examples) about the features of the new search algorithm in the App Store.
The most important innovation is as follows: applications do not get into the search results if only part of the phrase in the title or in the keywords matches the search query in them.
That is, if the application is called Donuts, and there is the word Dunkin in the keywords, then your application will NOT be included in the output in case of a Dunkin Donuts request. In order to be in the search results, it is necessary to have both words either in the title or in keywords.
The second major innovation is that the Apple app store now understands what the plural is. So the results in the case of donuts and donut queries will be very close to each other.
It is curious, but there is a chance that if the word is placed both in the title and in the list of keywords, you will move the application up a couple of positions. So, if you really want to get into the search results in response to the Dunkun Donuts query, place the words both in the app name and in the keywords.
Yes, the app description still doesn’t make any sense and doesn’t affect the search in any way. In other words, whether you have a good description that includes keywords, or you don’t have any description at all, there is no difference for the search robot. Also, the App Store still cannot correct a grammatically incorrect query by offering alternatives.
After the second update, sales ceased to be the only leading factor. Applications from the top 1000 can also get into the output. Moreover, applications that are more popular under equal conditions may be in lower positions than less popular programs.
Below is an example:
In this case, the only difference between the applications was that the keywords of the more popular application, which turned out to be lower in the rating, did not have the word flashlight. By the way, before the update, the more popular application in the top was higher.
Also important: the names of IAP purchases now don’t really help with positioning. This feature threw several spam applications out of the top at once.