Google

Google Play fights against spam

We all know that Blackhat ASO is an issue for both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.

Each of the stores has taken steps to eliminate spam and blackhat tactics, but there are definitely still people/companies out there that can game the system.

Google has been taking steps to identify and eliminate these apps that try to take advantage of the Play Store algorithm. Recently Google announced changes to their Developer Program Policies on incentivized ratings, reviews and installs. The blog post is written by Kazushi Nagayama on the Android Developer Blog.

Nagayama wrote that incentivized installs have always been against their policy, and now

“installs with the intent to manipulate the placement of an app in Google Play will be detected and filtered.”

As most of us know, we can burst the ranking of an app by sending a large volume of incentivized installs in a short period of time. Nagayama explains that Google will now monitor for that specific tactic and will take action against apps that try to game the system. Google also understand that incentivized installs “can be a legitimate user acquisition channel for some developers” so it’s not completely out of the question, there just cannot be the intention of “hacking” your rankings.

At the end of the day, less blackhat manipulation maintains a better app ecosystem for both developers and users alike. Developers that create high quality apps deserve to rank higher, and users looking for apps deserve to see the best of the best. By forcing developers to focus on the quality of their app and engaging their users, we’re able to raise the bar and provide a better experience for everyone.

For more information on the policies being enacted on how to keep the Play Store trusted, read the original article here.

Todd Dunham

An expert in the technology field, Todd owned a development company prior to co-founding The ASO Project, launching websites and applications used by hundreds of thousands of users across the globe. As CEO, Todd oversees all operational aspects of The ASO Project, and was integral in developing The ASO Project's proprietary algorithm and scoring methods used in the ASO process. Todd has vast experience with the App Store, Google Play Store and Amazon Store, deploying apps through all different categories. As a former four year NCAA Division I baseball player, Todd understands and appreciates the competitive and fast paced world of technology. Always improving our software, Todd is a large factor in keeping The ASO Project ahead of the competition.

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