App developers who are chomping at the bit to increase search engine hits will soon be able to join the race to buy keywords. Search engine Chomp is launching a service to let developers bid for ads based on searches. Modeled on Google AdWords, the service will return results based primarily on relevancy, according to Chomp, but the higher the bid, the better the developer’s chances. Developers will put funds into their accounts ahead of time, and they will be able to specify a maximum amount they want to spend on one day or one phrase. If their app is returned by a search and a searcher clicks on the Get It button, the developer may be charged.
Searching app stores can be more challenging than searching the web, because apps do not have the searchable metadata that most websites have. Chomp is an algorithm that works to solve that problem. Earlier this month Verizon integrated Chomp into its Android app store.
The platform debuts today in private beta. Chomp says that Zarly and Milk will be the first app developers to participate.
