What is app indexing? And its significance for mobile application

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What is app indexing?

Mobile App Indexing is a Google indexing process that directly links organic search results with deep linking with content from the corresponding app. It helps your app’s content to be indexed on the google search engine. So that when someone searches for a query, your content will appear on the search result. Google gets data from both websites and apps from the play store. Mobile app indexing on google search is primarily offered by google search apps that are installed on tablets or smartphones.

App indexing is a great process for users as it helps users to find the relevant authoritative result in the search engine. Despite that, they are looking for an app or website. Also, indexing is good for marketers and developers as well as enabling the users to showcase the application to the larger audience base. Consequently increasing the app download and traffic.

Read Also: What are Mobile Apps? Understanding Web and Native Applications.

Why is there a need For mobile app indexing?

Mobile app indexing service will help to enhance your online business in numerous ways

Enhance the visibility of an application on google search

The ultimate goal of app indexing is to enhance the brand viability of your business by ranking the application search results. This is the most effective way to showcase your app to a possible audience searching for similar results. If your app ranks higher on the search results, it will definitely increase your app downloads.

Increasing click-through-rate for mobile

Your mobile app will be listed on the google search, the app preview, and the icon through indexing. Which consequently will increase the clicks on your application. An attractive title and rich content in the description urge visitors to click on it.

Increasing traffic and retention rate

Indexing also helps in increasing retention rate and traffic. Indexing your application on the google search engine will help in increasing the traffic and retention rate.

Start your online journey with a fast and appealing mobile application

How does Mobile App indexing work?

In 2013, Google announced that it would index the mobile application content also. This implies that mobile application content also appears in search engine indexing. When anyone searches for the content already present in the mobile app, they can view the app directly in the search result. Also, when the application is installed on the user’s device. And someone searches for the content contained in the app. Users can view the option inside the app instead of the webpage. Google indexes content either through a search console or sitemap.

Firebase App Indexing

Firebase App indexing or google app indexing enables visitors to re-engage with their installed applications through unruffled integration with a google search. Suppose any user searches for any query on google related to the app. Then google will display your app in search results with an option to directly launch your app.

Utilizing Firebase app indexing not only helps drive user engagement. But, it also helps improve the ranking of your app’s content in search results.

Even if users dont have your mobile application installed on their device, an installation card will display where they are looking for an app similar to yours in the search results.

A 2021 mobile-indexing update

Google tests different presentation and testing models in search results as a part of app indexing. A few years back, google worked on the mobile-first indexing trend. After that, it has switched to indexing most of the web pages with a google-bot smartphone. Google planned to accomplish mobile-first indexing by the end of March. But due to numerous issues encountered with sites like lazy loading, the problem with robots meta tags, blocked assets etc., google decided to move the timeline open for the last steps of mobile-first indexing.

How to index an app on Google?

So already mentioned in this post the importance of indexing for the growth and success of the online business. Here are some steps how to implement it in a proper manner.

For iOS

1. Link the result to the specific page of the app through UIApplicationDelegate.
2. Create a connection between your site and the application.
3. Test what you have experienced.
4. Make improvements in your implementation.
5. After implementing all these steps in a proper manner your app will be indexed in the search engine.

For Android

1. First, you need to add firebase to your android application.
2. Then add app indexing library
3. Enable public and personal content indexing.
4. Log user action.
5. Test your implementations.
6. Improve the search performance.
7. Also, you could migrate to the latest API.

So if you are planning to build an outstanding mobile application for your online business it is quite difficult to stand out in this overcrowded market. But with the help of indexing, you will be able to showcase your business app on the top of the search results. Which will help increase your visibility, retention rate and attract new visitors.

Read Also: How to enhance mobile app user experience?

Why Do This Matters?

Generally, users have several mobile applications installed on their devices that are unused or used very little. However, this is not good for app owners, which can be solved easily with the help of indexing. Once your app is indexed in the search engine, it will appear if the user searches for a similar query. And clicking on the app by the user will result in user engagement with the app already installed on the user’s device.

App indexing matters because mobile results incorporate mobile app results also and it is increasing exponentially. With the emergence and growth of the latest technology like wearable devices, Google has the capability to index more information in algorithmic search results.

ASO Vs App indexing

ASO or app store optimization is about enhancing the app’s visibility in the app store search results. Whereas app indexing is about getting your application’s content indexed in the search results.

Conclusion

As mobile devices are increasing every day, the mobile platform is taking place as the top way for people to access the internet. Online businesses and mobile app owners want to ensure that the content on their site or application is open to their users. A few years back, there was a stark divide between the mobile and desktop. Web browsing and mobile application usage are increasing. And the content on different platforms is just beginning to merge as a single content. So online businesses must start with an interactive mobile application and get it indexed on the search engine for better results.