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> Pick any app you want and search for it. Ideally it has a pretty unique name and not just a dictionary wod. What will you see? The first result will always be an ad for a completely different app.

This is also the case on the Play Store. Google *always* places the ad above the actual result, even if you search by the app ID (e.g. org.videolan.vlc)

> I don't know how advertising works on the App STore but I suspect it's a CPM model not a CPC model (like AdWords). So Apple just doesn't care. But I don't think this would ever have happpened in the Steve Jobs era.

Nope, it's CPC (they call it CPT as it's mobile) and it cost less time to find out than writing this comment ;)

> The first result will always be an ad for a completely different app.

I just tried Things, Excel, Photoshop Elements, and Grand Theft Auto. Each was the first result.

So I guess YMMV on this.

Like you, I hate it when ads trump organic results.