diff --git a/app/lib/search/models.dart b/app/lib/search/models.dart
index 47beb3f222..cd21d75554 100644
--- a/app/lib/search/models.dart
+++ b/app/lib/search/models.dart
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 // for details. All rights reserved. Use of this source code is governed by a
 // BSD-style license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
 
+import 'dart:math';
+
 import 'package:clock/clock.dart';
 import 'package:collection/collection.dart';
 import 'package:json_annotation/json_annotation.dart';
@@ -68,7 +70,7 @@ extension UpdateLikesExt on Iterable<PackageDocument> {
       if (i > 0 && list[i - 1].downloadCount == list[i].downloadCount) {
         list[i].downloadScore = list[i - 1].downloadScore;
       } else {
-        list[i].downloadScore = (i + 1) / list.length;
+        list[i].downloadScore = pow((i + 1) / list.length, 2).toDouble();
       }
     }
   }
@@ -77,13 +79,12 @@ extension UpdateLikesExt on Iterable<PackageDocument> {
   /// The score is normalized into the range of [0.0 - 1.0] using the
   /// ordered list of packages by like counts (same like count gets the same score).
   void updateLikeScores() {
-    final sortedByLikes = sorted((a, b) => a.likeCount.compareTo(b.likeCount));
-    for (var i = 0; i < sortedByLikes.length; i++) {
-      if (i > 0 &&
-          sortedByLikes[i - 1].likeCount == sortedByLikes[i].likeCount) {
-        sortedByLikes[i].likeScore = sortedByLikes[i - 1].likeScore;
+    final list = sorted((a, b) => a.likeCount.compareTo(b.likeCount));
+    for (var i = 0; i < list.length; i++) {
+      if (i > 0 && list[i - 1].likeCount == list[i].likeCount) {
+        list[i].likeScore = list[i - 1].likeScore;
       } else {
-        sortedByLikes[i].likeScore = (i + 1) / sortedByLikes.length;
+        list[i].likeScore = pow((i + 1) / list.length, 2).toDouble();
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/app/test/search/mem_index_test.dart b/app/test/search/mem_index_test.dart
index f9b6a73119..b92e8ff799 100644
--- a/app/test/search/mem_index_test.dart
+++ b/app/test/search/mem_index_test.dart
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ server.dart adds a small, prescriptive server (PicoServer) that can be configure
         'totalCount': 1,
         'sdkLibraryHits': [],
         'packageHits': [
-          {'package': 'async', 'score': closeTo(0.71, 0.01)},
+          {'package': 'async', 'score': closeTo(0.68, 0.01)},
         ],
       });
     });
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ server.dart adds a small, prescriptive server (PicoServer) that can be configure
         'totalCount': 1,
         'sdkLibraryHits': [],
         'packageHits': [
-          {'package': 'chrome_net', 'score': closeTo(0.33, 0.01)},
+          {'package': 'chrome_net', 'score': closeTo(0.30, 0.01)},
         ],
       });
     });
@@ -148,8 +148,8 @@ server.dart adds a small, prescriptive server (PicoServer) that can be configure
         'totalCount': 2,
         'sdkLibraryHits': [],
         'packageHits': [
-          {'package': 'async', 'score': closeTo(0.71, 0.01)},
           {'package': 'http', 'score': closeTo(0.69, 0.01)},
+          {'package': 'async', 'score': closeTo(0.67, 0.01)},
         ],
       });
     });
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ server.dart adds a small, prescriptive server (PicoServer) that can be configure
         'totalCount': 1,
         'sdkLibraryHits': [],
         'packageHits': [
-          {'package': 'async', 'score': closeTo(0.37, 0.01)},
+          {'package': 'async', 'score': closeTo(0.35, 0.01)},
         ],
       });
     });
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ server.dart adds a small, prescriptive server (PicoServer) that can be configure
         'sdkLibraryHits': [],
         'packageHits': [
           {'package': 'http', 'score': closeTo(0.92, 0.01)},
-          {'package': 'async', 'score': closeTo(0.52, 0.01)},
+          {'package': 'async', 'score': closeTo(0.46, 0.01)},
         ],
       });
 
@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ server.dart adds a small, prescriptive server (PicoServer) that can be configure
         'totalCount': 1,
         'sdkLibraryHits': [],
         'packageHits': [
-          {'package': 'chrome_net', 'score': closeTo(0.08, 0.01)},
+          {'package': 'chrome_net', 'score': closeTo(0.03, 0.01)},
         ],
       });
     });
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ server.dart adds a small, prescriptive server (PicoServer) that can be configure
         'sdkLibraryHits': [],
         'packageHits': [
           {'package': 'http', 'score': closeTo(0.92, 0.01)},
-          {'package': 'chrome_net', 'score': closeTo(0.08, 0.01)},
+          {'package': 'chrome_net', 'score': closeTo(0.03, 0.01)},
         ],
       });
 
@@ -443,7 +443,7 @@ server.dart adds a small, prescriptive server (PicoServer) that can be configure
         'totalCount': 1,
         'sdkLibraryHits': [],
         'packageHits': [
-          {'package': 'async', 'score': closeTo(0.52, 0.01)},
+          {'package': 'async', 'score': closeTo(0.46, 0.01)},
         ],
       });
 
@@ -677,7 +677,7 @@ server.dart adds a small, prescriptive server (PicoServer) that can be configure
             'totalCount': 2,
             'sdkLibraryHits': [],
             'packageHits': [
-              {'package': 'def', 'score': closeTo(0.85, 0.01)},
+              {'package': 'def', 'score': closeTo(0.78, 0.01)},
               {'package': 'abc', 'score': closeTo(0.70, 0.01)},
             ],
           },
@@ -693,7 +693,7 @@ server.dart adds a small, prescriptive server (PicoServer) that can be configure
             'packageHits': [
               // `abc` is at the first position, score is kept
               {'package': 'abc', 'score': closeTo(0.70, 0.01)},
-              {'package': 'def', 'score': closeTo(0.85, 0.01)},
+              {'package': 'def', 'score': closeTo(0.78, 0.01)},
             ],
           },
         );
@@ -705,7 +705,7 @@ server.dart adds a small, prescriptive server (PicoServer) that can be configure
             'totalCount': 2,
             'sdkLibraryHits': [],
             'packageHits': [
-              {'package': 'def', 'score': closeTo(0.85, 0.01)},
+              {'package': 'def', 'score': closeTo(0.78, 0.01)},
               {'package': 'abc', 'score': closeTo(0.70, 0.01)},
             ],
           },
@@ -721,7 +721,7 @@ server.dart adds a small, prescriptive server (PicoServer) that can be configure
             'sdkLibraryHits': [],
             'packageHits': [
               // `abc` is at the original position
-              {'package': 'def', 'score': closeTo(0.85, 0.01)},
+              {'package': 'def', 'score': closeTo(0.78, 0.01)},
               {'package': 'abc', 'score': closeTo(0.70, 0.01)},
             ],
           },
@@ -737,7 +737,7 @@ server.dart adds a small, prescriptive server (PicoServer) that can be configure
             'sdkLibraryHits': [],
             'packageHits': [
               // `abc` is absent
-              {'package': 'def', 'score': closeTo(0.85, 0.01)},
+              {'package': 'def', 'score': closeTo(0.78, 0.01)},
             ],
           },
         );
@@ -775,7 +775,7 @@ server.dart adds a small, prescriptive server (PicoServer) that can be configure
           'nameMatches': ['abc_def'],
           'sdkLibraryHits': [],
           'packageHits': [
-            {'package': 'abc_def', 'score': closeTo(0.55, 0.01)},
+            {'package': 'abc_def', 'score': closeTo(0.48, 0.01)},
             {'package': 'abc_def_xyz', 'score': closeTo(1.0, 0.01)},
           ],
         });
diff --git a/app/test/service/entrypoint/search_index_test.dart b/app/test/service/entrypoint/search_index_test.dart
index e3a4cadd7d..8ced0b4eaa 100644
--- a/app/test/service/entrypoint/search_index_test.dart
+++ b/app/test/service/entrypoint/search_index_test.dart
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ void main() {
           'totalCount': 1,
           'sdkLibraryHits': [],
           'packageHits': [
-            {'package': 'json_annotation', 'score': greaterThan(0.5)},
+            {'package': 'json_annotation', 'score': greaterThan(0.47)},
           ],
         });