On April 21, 2015, Google confirmed their mobile-friendly algorithm update will favour mobile-friendly websites. In addition, apps that are indexed through Google will rank better as well.
As we continue to rely more on mobile devices, finding appropriate content and information easily have become an important factor. The development of useful mobile apps has allowed users to access information more easily. Due to its usability, many mobile device users choose to use apps to find necessary information. In fact, Google once said, “sometimes the best answer is on a website, and sometimes it’s in an app”.
App Indexing allows apps to be easily found in Google search. When an app is indexed through Google. mobile users searching for specific information related to the app can see an install button in search results to the Android app. Including an install button directly on the Google search engine result pages increases the likelihood of having the app installed.
In addition to an increased exposure of your app on SERPs, App Indexing can encourage users to use an app more. For example, if a user has a recipe app installed on their mobile device and they search for “chick linguine” in Google, search results will display relevant content within the recipe app installed.
As explained by Dan Cristo of SEW, Google crawlers are not every efficient when it comes to indexing App content. A typical crawler largely relies on hyperlinks for crawling. However, Apps don’t use hyperlinks for App discovery unlike web pages. Therefore, Google has to rely on an API, Mobile App Indexing API, to discover in-app content.
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Yes, until now, it was only applicable for Android Apps. However, it’s slowly extending to iOS. Currently, Google is testing the feature with a small group of test collaborates before releasing to the masses. In its current form, App indexing for iOS offers most of the functionality found in its Android counterpart, including the ability to open/install an App directly from Google Search.
Anyone with an App on Play Store can have their app indexed by Google Search. However, there are required instructions in order to do so. As for iOS apps, it will need to wait a little longer before seeing their apps appearing in the Google search results. Also, it’s good to note that there are much fewer iOS apps indexed in comparison to Android apps.
Before we get started on having your app indexed, it’s important that you enable deep linking in your app.
Now that you’ve enabled deep linking, follow these steps to have your app indexed by Google:
For Android:
iOS:
In May, Bing announced that they are indexing apps from the Windows Phone store and Windows Store. Their app indexing will also support both iOS apps, Android apps, and Windows 10. However, Bing stated that the content from the apps will not be ranked on their search engine, but it may in the near future.
App indexing is bold in its influence towards healthy mobile search and usage. Both marketers and business owners need to think about the power of apps for their business.
However, not all businesses should develop an app for the sake of app indexing and Google. It needs to be relevant to your product and service.
If you’re not a company that is suitable for app creation, then make sure you have a mobile-friendly website!
Dhavan is a SEO Blogger with an Australia based leading IT company Intesols that offers wide range of digital solutions for businesses across Australia. I have 3+ years of experience in digital marketing. I am passionate about blogging, social media marketing and digital branding. I help small businesses utilize social media and digital branding tools to nurture their growth.
Website: → Intersols Intelligent Solutions
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