Apple hops on the paid search bandwagon

App developers are eager to see what will happen with Apple's June 2016 announcement to offer paid search in its app store.

This new ad platform will allow app developers to pay for ads to appear on top of search results in the Apple App Store.

The App Store paid ad program will roll out this fall, though the service is in beta test mode already.

Apple expects the new approach to help app owners find better audiences for their products. While the paid search announcement may have been the biggest news for companies interested in leveraging Apple's considerable user base, it was one of a number of innovations revealed that could help boost company marketing efforts.

Apple hops on the paid search bandwagon on the heels of a similar move a year ago by Google. It is designed to give iOS developers a lift by helping to drive appropriate customers to them (not to mention adding another revenue stream to Apple's bottom line).

App Store paid search follows on the heels of recent similar moves by Google and Facebook. 

Studies show that paid search has a significant impact on app discovery. One 2014 study showed that using search in Apple's App Store was the primary method (47 percent) for finding apps. In addition to Google, another tech giant, Facebook, has garnered millions in revenue through advertising for app downloads.

What's new for inbound marketing company leaders

A few of the other key advances Apple announced are relevant for any inbound marketing agency working with clients to maximize exposure and generate more and better leads:

• New percentages. Apple announced it was creating a new subscription model that gives developers a larger cut of transactions sooner. Apple will take 30 percent of revenue in the first year, but reduce that cut to 15 percent subsequently.
• Siri expands her reach. Siri, Apple's voice assistant, will be coming to your desktop computer and television set. Siri will be available for use on desktop and laptop computers using the MacOS as well as the company's tvOS system used by Apple TV.

For search engine marketing, this advance offers new opportunities to find customers. It will likely take a while for Siri to catch on to the "caveman" approach used in typed search, which can interpret incomplete sentences with a few keywords to generate acceptable results. Siri, conversely, relies on more complete phrasing at present.

• A new, universal clipboard. Users copying images and text from an iPhone can paste that information to an iPad or Mac, and vice versa. These cross-device functions will force companies to identify new ways of tracking conversions using new analytics, but this customer-centric advance opens up new possibilities for marketing.
• Apple Pay no longer mobile-only. Apple Pay has allowed for rapid transactions on a smartphone. Soon, the service will be offered on other Mac devices. This service will eliminate multiple clicks needed to complete a purchase and should have a positive impact on cart abandonment rates.

With all these new advances, the future continues to hold promise for companies using inbound marketing to attract and retain customers.

You may or may not realize how much your web design and marketing efforts are intertwined. We researched the websites of nearly 400 businesses to report on the latest trends and best practices in both areas. See how your website stacks up and get some great industry insight by downloading the free report.

Make sure to connect with us on LinkedIn to get valuable insight on the latest news in marketing and website design. Follow us  here: