App search engine provider Chomp has unveiled a technology that gives app advertisers greater visibility to consumers searching for apps.

Chomp’s search technology allows users to search by what apps actually do rather than just their name, an approach that is becoming more important as the number of mobile apps surges.

The Chomp Search Ads technology – which has been launched as a private beta – allows developers to bid for keyword or phrases which will deliver their app ads to users when they search those terms.

The model is designed to match ads with the most relevant customers using a similar approach to Google. Chomp searches will show app ads based on the bid price and relevancy to the search term.

Chomp will recommend search terms for developers to bid for based in the apps they want to advertise and developers can request terms themselves. Bids for keywords are based on maximum daily spend as well as bid price.

When mobile users clock on the ‘Get It’ button in an ad, advertisers will be charged from their pre-paid ad accounts. Chomp will provide campaign reporting to advertisers so they can gauge the effectiveness of Chomp Search Ads.

With developers spending 20 to 30 percent of their app revenue on acquiring new users through marketing and advertising, Gartner forecasts that total app advertising spend will hit US$15-20 billion by 2014.

Chomp has also launched a new version of its iPhone app. Chomp for iPhone has a new interface and features which Chomp claims help users find apps more quickly. Amongst the new features are app cards containing ratings and prices which are displayed after a search term has been entered and users can flip through to find the most suitable app. The home screen also features the top trending app search terms.