Apple Pursues New Search Features for a Crowded App Store (Bloomberg)
Apple Inc. has constructed a secret team to explore changes to the App Store, including a new strategy for charging developers to have their apps more prominently displayed, according to people familiar with the plans. Among the ideas being pursued, Apple is considering paid search, a Google-like model in which companies would pay to have their app shown at the top of search results based on what a customer is seeking. For instance, a game developer could pay to have its program shown when somebody looks for “football game,” “word puzzle” or “blackjack.” Paid search, which Google turned into a multibillion-dollar business, would give Apple a new way to make money from the App Store…