I updated my keywords today and I am actually appearing higher up in the search and with really general words. Maybe my app description to begin with just plain sucked and was totally lacking keywords.
What is your application name and what keywords did you use today?
What is your application name and what keywords did you use today?
Fart Match with keywords fart, farting, farts, game, match, matching, matches, card, cards, ? I think that was all.
Meow Match with keywords meow, meowing, cat, cats, feline, match, matching, alley, house, meows,
Fart Match use to show up on page 3 or 4 but since I added the keywords it is on the first page and bouncing between the 9th through the 15th listing depending on the order and combination of keywords.
Meow Match use to show up on page 2 but now is between the 6th and 15th listing.
I just did a search using cat meow and Meow Match showed up at the 11th item. I am searching from the US store since that probably makes a difference in the order.
__________________
Robert Cooper Marble Burst: An addictive logic game where removing all marbles is the ultimate goal. Crossword Tiles: A Cross between a crossword puzzle and scrabble. Meow Match 2.0: Have fun and drive cats crazy. Fart Match: Not just another boring farting app. ZTak Software
Well I am really confused now. I just spent the last 30 minutes doing various searches using the words from the keywords I entered earlier today, the app description, and the app name. From what I can tell the keywords have not been indexed yet because if I use one in a search for my apps that was not also used in the app description then the results do not include my app.
The weird part is my applications are showing higher in the list than they use to. Before I would have to use the application name to get in the top 25 returned search results. For example when I search with the word 'farts' Fart Match is in the 17th position of the results but if I use farting which is one of my keywords but was not in my description....
Oh just forget everything I just said. The keyword 'farting', which I just entered today, 5 minutes ago did not return Fart Match anywhere in the first 4 pages but it is now in the 9th position.
__________________
Robert Cooper Marble Burst: An addictive logic game where removing all marbles is the ultimate goal. Crossword Tiles: A Cross between a crossword puzzle and scrabble. Meow Match 2.0: Have fun and drive cats crazy. Fart Match: Not just another boring farting app. ZTak Software
Fart Match with keywords fart, farting, farts, game, match, matching, matches, card, cards, ? I think that was all.
Meow Match with keywords meow, meowing, cat, cats, feline, match, matching, alley, house, meows,
Fart Match use to show up on page 3 or 4 but since I added the keywords it is on the first page and bouncing between the 9th through the 15th listing depending on the order and combination of keywords.
Meow Match use to show up on page 2 but now is between the 6th and 15th listing.
I just did a search using cat meow and Meow Match showed up at the 11th item. I am searching from the US store since that probably makes a difference in the order.
Well, type in "Meowing", which is in your description... Your app will not return in the results... Take a look at the description for those apps that return a result (example: Pocket Kitty - Toward the end of description)... what do you see? Bingo! MEOWING!!!
So whoever updated today is now s*****d, because unless Apple does something about it, your competition can now do no updates for as long as they can bear (could be months) and rip the benefits of their "stuffed" descriptions. Every words that is a match in a search could represent 1 sale. With the volume on apple store, this could mean a difference of $10, $20, $30 a day (That's $300 to $900 per month in US market alone)... and also a decline in ranking slowly but deadly... Meanwhile the competition grows.
I don't mind the change, but it needs to be on even terms for everyone.
Well, type in "Meowing", which is in your description... Your app will not return in the results... Take a look at the description for those apps that return a result (example: Pocket Kitty - Toward the end of description)... what do you see? Bingo! MEOWING!!!
So whoever updated today is now s*****d, because unless Apple does something about it, your competition can now do no updates for as long as they can bear (could be months) and rip the benefits of their "stuffed" descriptions. Every words that is a match in a search could represent 1 sale. With the volume on apple store, this could mean a difference of $10, $20, $30 a day (That's $300 to $900 per month in US market alone)... and also a decline in ranking slowly but deadly... Meanwhile the competition grows.
I don't mind the change, but it needs to be on even terms for everyone.
I think I will give up trying to figure out the search. By my count I have meowing twice in the app description and as a keyword that I entered today. Pocket Kitty once in the app description, unknown if a keyword. It seems that Meow Match should at least show up in the results but it doesn't. Use the keyword feline, which I have never had in the description or app name, and it is right at the top. So I don't know anymore what Apple is doing. They must be using the keywords but if they were then Meow Match should still show up in the search when meowing is used. Very Confusing.
__________________
Robert Cooper Marble Burst: An addictive logic game where removing all marbles is the ultimate goal. Crossword Tiles: A Cross between a crossword puzzle and scrabble. Meow Match 2.0: Have fun and drive cats crazy. Fart Match: Not just another boring farting app. ZTak Software
I added keywords and now I've completely disappeared from the search results for a common term that I used to be high on the list for. Looks like I'm going to have to put out a useless update and tweak my title, it looks to still be weighing that very heavily.
I added keywords and now I've completely disappeared from the search results for a common term that I used to be high on the list for. Looks like I'm going to have to put out a useless update and tweak my title, it looks to still be weighing that very heavily.
My observation after 24 hours is any keyword that I used that was not in my app description finds my app. Any keyword that was also in my app description does not return my app. So it looks like there may be a bug in the search. I emailed Apple earlier today. We'll see if I ever hear anything other than a form email. I agree that the words in the title seem to be the most important.
__________________
Robert Cooper Marble Burst: An addictive logic game where removing all marbles is the ultimate goal. Crossword Tiles: A Cross between a crossword puzzle and scrabble. Meow Match 2.0: Have fun and drive cats crazy. Fart Match: Not just another boring farting app. ZTak Software
Something interesting... When I click the question mark beside the keywords field the help bubble for "What's New In This Version" comes up. Looks like Apple has a bug in their page.
This happened to me too. Now I am fubared because I didn't know to enter the keywords with commas, I just had them space delimited. Also My app name contains the version number, so now that is going to screw me too...argh.
And what is up with the large breasted women in the ads? Kind of makes checking this page a little tricky here at work, LOL
I was updating my App description to mention that I've got a new update due and was then asked to enter some keywords, well sadly I wasn't thinking and add just a few and thought 'oh I'll come back to that later after I've given it some thought' and now I can't update them!! Worse still my competitors who I guess haven't updated their keywords are high up there in the rankings! Apple should basically enforce everyone to use the keywords and if they haven't then they won't show up in the searches .. at the moment Apps like mine will fall down the rankings. If you went into iTunes and typed in paint or brushes my app would be in the top 10 .. now it's no where to be seen. The apps called 'Finger Draw' so you would expect to see it for paint related keywords .. grrrr. At the moment it seems the thing to do is to NOT update your App details! It's just not on.
I was updating my App description to mention that I've got a new update due and was then asked to enter some keywords, well sadly I wasn't thinking and add just a few and thought 'oh I'll come back to that later after I've given it some thought' and now I can't update them!! Worse still my competitors who I guess haven't updated their keywords are high up there in the rankings! Apple should basically enforce everyone to use the keywords and if they haven't then they won't show up in the searches .. at the moment Apps like mine will fall down the rankings. If you went into iTunes and typed in paint or brushes my app would be in the top 10 .. now it's no where to be seen. The apps called 'Finger Draw' so you would expect to see it for paint related keywords .. grrrr. At the moment it seems the thing to do is to NOT update your App details! It's just not on.
Anybody know if you reject a binary in review whether you are able to edit your keywords? I didn't put commas, but I just submitted the update this morning so I won't be losing much to reject and resumit and fix the keywords.
This happened to me too. Now I am fubared because I didn't know to enter the keywords with commas, I just had them space delimited.
I did the same thing, I am also fubared. My app "passport photo machine" used to be the first result when you search for "passport". Now it is down around 5th. It seems that keywords outrank the title now too. One of the apps above me clearly added a keyword "passport" that puts them on the top.
Anybody know if you reject a binary in review whether you are able to edit your keywords? I didn't put commas, but I just submitted the update this morning so I won't be losing much to reject and resumit and fix the keywords.
Yes you can reject the binary and fix the keywords, then replace the binary.
None of my keywords are working. All of my apps are now completely invisible to searching, unless you already know their names.
Same for me. I was editing my description and when I submitted it, I was prompted to enter at least one keyword in the new keyword box. I filled it up with 96 characters, separated by commas but no spaces, and now my app is gone - disappeared completely for all my main keywords. I don't know if its the lack of spaces or the repeating of words between my description and the keyword box that is the problem.
Same for me. I was editing my description and when I submitted it, I was prompted to enter at least one keyword in the new keyword box. I filled it up with 96 characters, separated by commas but no spaces, and now my app is gone - disappeared completely for all my main keywords. I don't know if its the lack of spaces or the repeating of words between my description and the keyword box that is the problem.
fyi - i have two apps, and entered comma-delimited keywords on wednesday (with no spaces between keywords) for both - and had the exact same thing happen.
however, now ONE of the two apps is back appearing under search results -- the other isn't yet.
so this could be a temporary reindexing thing - or could be something where apple is going through and fixing things.
regardless, something is definitely broken on their end. have two outstanding inquiries into them - one through the itunes connect contact form, one through direct email. will update this thread if i hear anything.
Same for me. I was editing my description and when I submitted it, I was prompted to enter at least one keyword in the new keyword box. I filled it up with 96 characters, separated by commas but no spaces, and now my app is gone - disappeared completely for all my main keywords. I don't know if its the lack of spaces or the repeating of words between my description and the keyword box that is the problem.
After about a day and a half I'm back in search results and actually catapulted to #3 position from bottom of page. FYI, I did NOT leave spaces after the commas before the words. I don't think it matters in results, just gives you more room.
Am I the only one realizing that if you don't update your app and just keep it without the new meta-keywords, the keywords placed into your general and overall description are the ones used for search results?
Please someone tell me that I am not crazy. Pick a few apps that are your competition and do a search for unique keywords in their general description and see what returns when doing a search. A lot of apps still show search results for items in description, while all apps that have updated and used new meta-keywords features do not return anything for unique keywords in the description itself... Observe and you will see that those that are not using the meta-keywords but use the "description keywords" are now moving back in ranks. I have seen this with several apps now.
The pattern is the same in foreign localization.
My questions to you all:
1) Am I the only one concerned about, what I see, is an extreme injustice or gross oversight?
2) Does anyone else see the same thing I am seeing?
3) Finally, has anyone received any kind of official communication about the meta-keywords, or everyone just find out when updating in iTunes connect?
3) Finally, has anyone received any kind of official communication about the meta-keywords, or everyone just find out when updating in iTunes connect?
Well, I guess at the moment we're in some kind of more-or-less smooth transition phase. Apple HAS TO announce the change to every developer via email (at least) to make sure this won't end in an unfair disaster.
But I'm pretty sure they want to abandon full text search in favor of the keywords.
Well, I guess at the moment we're in some kind of more-or-less smooth transition phase. Apple HAS TO announce the change to every developer via email (at least) to make sure this won't end in an unfair disaster.
But I'm pretty sure they want to abandon full text search in favor of the keywords.
Just my 0,02€
I am sure they will too, but meanwhile, the harm is done for a lot of people. If for 1 full week, you're on uneven foot with your competition and drops in rank low enough, it could simply kill your app and make it extremely hard to recover. Each day means $100.00 less possibly for mid-volume apps and 2-3 ranks drop... while the others thrive.
It's just not on ..
Linear Mode
