SAN FRANCISCO - Apple says it will start showing paid ads when people search for apps in its popular mobile store.

The ads are among several changes that Apple hopes will bring in more money for itself and independent software developers who want to promote apps for the iPhone or iPad.

Users spent more than $20 billion in the App Store last year, but with more than 1.5 million apps available, developers say it's getting more difficult to compete for attention.

Apple says it will show no more than one ad, marked in blue, at the top of the list that appears when someone searches for apps by name or category. Google started showing similar ads in its Play Store last year.