All of us equate search and optimization with the World Wide Web. But the connotations of search have changed thanks to high-end mobile devices or smartphones that offer unlimited way of accessing information. Just like in a search engine, users can now search apps by phrase or keyword, browse an index divided into several logical main categories and subcategories. Here are a quick pointers to suggest how different ‘Search-friendly’ apps are facilitating easy discovery.

• On the one hand, finicky Apple users have been experiencing improved app discovery methods. On the other hand, Android is further stepping up its effort through enhancements to the Android Market, apart from the Amazon Appstore for Android (it sells Android apps alone) as well as upgrades to already-existing services, such as Appolicious and Appbrain.com.
• Of these search related developments in the wireless realm, the fine-tuning of the Android Market site is probably the most pertinent. The Android Market version on mobile devices was good. However, the Web version was rather shallow, offering no way for users to search for apps, something surprising considering that Google, the world’s search giant, owns Android.
• So you would clearly expect a better performance. It introduced search on the Market site earlier this year, populating it with a vast assortment of specific categories for searching. The Market search and support was further improved with editors’ picks and trending apps along with spruced up graphics.
• The new search strategy
• Google apparently took a page from the playbook of Amazon more recently by giving away apps, in some cases, among the more popular in the Market. Instead of turning this into a pure giveaway, the Market is offering 10 apps each day for 10 cents apiece, thus requiring users to give their credit card details. Not many prospective app users refuse to cross that line, either because of fear of divulging their financial information or because of the inconvenience.
• The Android Market still does well overall as a search engine, and will only get better, you can expect. It is possible to sort results by popularity or search relevance. The site judges the parameter relevance more effectively. For example, when one searched apps by Google earlier, one would receive a long list of those simply mentioning Google. Now the flaw stands rectified and only those apps created by Google top the results.
• The search results come along with sample images to inform about the app experience, and after clicking through to app description, Android search recommends similar apps users have either bought or browsed. So searching in the wireless realm for your favorite apps is going to get only better, easier and fulfilling.

As online community increasingly migrates towards mobile apps, developers will continue to look for more efficient ways to take their offerings to as many people as possible through easy search discovery amid the crowded marketplace. The wireless realm is set to see vastly improved app-related engines and stores that facilitate the task by vastly improving their support system for both constituencies – users and the app developers.