@affiliatex and others I am facing this problem right now. 7 months ago i stopped creating new apps because i spent too much time in front of my computer and just wanted to enjoy in my passive income. Up until that month i could easily rank for any keyword in google play store as it was normal that if someone search for example “high diving game” i can create app with that name and if there is no competition i would be first on the market if i type that keyword.
3 days ago i decided it was time to start working again, i did the same process, created 3 new apps, uploaded it, and they are nowhere to be found on the market. I suspected something is not right. So, i built new app to test this, but this time it was on my native language as i was targeting my country. Again, app is nowhere to be found. Google lists similar apps but with English titles, i mean, if someone type keywords on his native language he should get results/apps on his language.
I am the only one with that keyword and that type of app, so logically i should be first when someone types it. But all my apps are not even listed when i scroll to the end, only when i type "keyword” with quotation marks i can find it somewhere. Something is seriously wrong here.
Same for me. Crappy apps dominated mine. I guess this will not stay for long as developers will start complaining about this to google. Also, my total installs have passed 50000 landmark and google is not updating my app stats from 3 days. I’m thinking about contacting them. Anyone facing this ?
Edit: Mine is back at even a better position, which it should be BUT wasn’t previously. I guess the update algo. is still running and taking apps one by one.
I don’t have words… from 11# to 47#… earnings are down to 1/3… very good beginning of New Year, thanks Google for making development for Android so unmotivating.
Anyone confirm, if this is a bug on Google or ranking algorithm change. Any further impacts?
Mine remains at a same position but a crappy app takes over the lead and is gaining from it.
I published new app and changed name 3 times and can’t be found even with exact name search. Only searching with quotes will show it. Wtf. No more new apps then?
If you published a new app and changed the name 3! times then not sure what you’re looking for. Give Google some time, they don’t index new apps every hour. If it’s a great app then it will surely go up in rankings.
I published my game on 25th of Dec. I gave the name 3-4 days between every name change.
If i cant find it with the exact name search, how are people going to find it?
I am now somewhere around 120th place with my top app and on 240 with my second best app. It used to be 10-12. and 30. WTF Google? Crap apps with fake screenshots are on first ranks. I just don’t get it. I am getting nearly no downloads now, I have already lost like 3K active users…
i had good results, my apps went from mid 30 into top 10 for some searches, now they slipped back to mid 20th spot… revenue roller coaster thats for sure!
Yeah, very steep rollecoaster for me though Anyways, one of my apps is back in a place, I am still waiting for my top app to get back to the top. It looks like its a bug, not a new search algorithm though.
Last three days I’ve done some aso optimization and didn’t know about any GP changes. But let me share some one thing I noticed. I have to similiar apps (just other graphic). Description is the same, only app name is different. Guess what - one is on 6th place, the other on 10th.
Don’t know now if it’s my optimization or just google went crazy (in 3 days my app got 50% more downloads).
Anyways, one of my apps is back in a place, I am still waiting for my top app to get back to the top. It looks like its a bug, not a new search algorithm though.