Apple isn’t completely against advertisements. In fact, it’s technically in the ad business thanks to ads it displays in the App Store. And while up until now the ads in Apple’s digital storefront have been relegated to two specific areas, that is going to be expanding.
Technically speaking, Apple created a new ad slot in the App Store to show ads to visitors even before they search for an app. And now Apple is doing this again, but with even more expansion in mind. Apple today announced it is adding two new ad slots in the App Store: one in the “Today” section and a dedicated slot in individual app pages.
According to the company, Apple’s ad in the “Today” homepage will be located in the second slot. So it won’t be the first thing that visitors see when they open the App Store, but it will be pretty high up in the hierarchy. According to Apple, that’s all that will be changing for the Today section, though, as it will retain its primary focus on curation and discovery.
Most importantly, the ad itself will be clearly marked as an advertisement.
Beyond that, Apple is adding ad slots to individual app landing pages as well. This means developers will be able to advertise their other apps right from the dedicated pages of their other apps. This will be available at the very bottom of the app’s landing page.
Ads that are present on individual app pages will be relevant to the app a visitor is looking at. So while developers will be advertise their own apps, these spaces will also be available for other developers as well. But, it can’t be targeted ad work. So Twitter can’t put ads for its app on third-party app options, for example. Not on purpose, anyway. But it sounds like there will be competing apps being advertised on app landing pages.
Apple says that testing for these new ad placements will start soon, but didn’t provide a specific date. And there’s no word on when the wide launch will happen, either.
Who’s ready for more ads in the App Store?