[Apple] Is Buying Search Keywords Really 'Gossip'? A Deep Dive into App Store Advertising Trends

Recently, a heated debate emerged in the community over whether 'App Store Search Ads' should be categorized as noteworthy gossip. The discourse began when players noticed that searching for one game often displays a competitor in the sponsored ad slot. The OP argued firmly: if buying Apple Search Ads (ASA) is considered a scandal, the forum would be flooded with such posts every single day.

The OP explained that games like 'Tower of Fantasy' or 'Genshin Impact,' regardless of the region, participate in these bidding wars as a standard industry practice. In the eyes of the OP, this is simply paying Apple for visibility—a mundane commercial act that shouldn't be framed as dramatic news.

The comment section was highly active. Some users joked, 'The gossip is sliced and served, knives and forks are ready,' while others questioned the OP’s own agenda, finding the cynical, 'troll-like' tone of the post amusing. Regarding the cross-search results, some users pointed out that finding Game B when searching for Game A is perfectly normal, though it inevitably leads to accusations of 'clout chasing.'

One user sarcastically asked, 'If I search for 'tof' (the common abbreviation for 'Tower of Fantasy'), will 'Genshin Impact' pop up in my face?' Ultimately, the consensus seems to be that since these are paid search terms, it’s just standard marketing competition rather than a genuine scandal.