In case you hadn’t heard, back in late February 2012, Apple undertook an acquisition of Chomp.com to the tune of $50 million. Chomp simply put is (for now) a search engine for iPhone, iPad and Android apps.
This was essentially done to replace Apple’s app store which is plagued with a plethora of problems. One of them being that it is very slow and probably the most important reason is that the app store now has well over a half billion apps. The established apps are only getting stronger and new app developers are having a hard time breaking into the marketplace since it’s getting increasingly harder to search for and find relevant apps. Interestingly enough, Chomp also lists Android apps in its search listings but I think those will be scrapped in time.
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What Sets Chomp Apart
However, there are a few major differences between the Chomp platform and the Apple app store. Chomp eerily looks like a full fledged search engine rather than like a store. They also allow app advertisers to bid on keywords, as you would with a traditional search engine. Plus, as primitive as it may look, Chomp can provide you with keyword research.
Importance Of Chomp
Keep your eyes peeled on Chomp as it could become a real fun playground for you search engine marketers out there. It already provides a paid search > app listing > direct purchase business model. It can also give you a greater insight into the trends of mobile users.
I’m not sure why more people aren’t talking about this but I definitely think its exciting. It was only a matter of time before Apple tried to enter the search arena with Google, Yahoo and Bing.
What’s your take on this?
