Apple tweaks App Store search algorithm to better handle misspellings

The changes were put into production "a few weeks ago," according to TechCrunch. Executives with App Store-related analytics and marketing firms also confirmed a recent shift in the storefront's search results.

Data compiled by SearchMan CEO Niren Hiro suggests that the changes bring mixed returns. A pre-update search for "resteraunt" returned only a single result, while a post-update search for the same term returned just two results out of the thousands of apps bearing the properly-spelled keyword "restaurant."

A similar before-and-after query for "hotwls" produced a markedly different outcome, however —  where the App Store showed zero results prior to the update, it now returns 2,200 results —  a cap which also appeared in the new revision — for hotel-related apps.

Overall, misspellings appear in a very small percentage of App Store searches, according to separate data from App Store optimization startup Straply. Founder George Lawrence told the publication that for many search terms, "the volumes [of typos] are so low, they round to zero."

Developers have long complained about problems with discoverability in the App Store, and this new round of algorithmic changes is the latest in a succession of attempts by Cupertino to improve the situation. Most notably, Apple acquired app indexing startup Chomp in 2012 for a reported $50 million.