![#SMX #31A @Suzzicks
Using the Android App Deep Linking API
Update the App Code to include Google Play Services
Upload App Association file to HTTPS Web Server
https://domain[:optional_port]/.well-known/assetlinks.json
Define Indexable Activities in the App
– View/Search/Watch/Like/Listen/Reserve, Etc.
(https://developers.google.com/android/reference/com/google/android/gms/app
indexing/Action)
Modify App Activities with proper API Annotation – Each
Activity Includes:
– Title & Description
– Web Url, Multiple Web Urls or ‘Null’
Verify in Search Console – If Live, Also Check
https://history.google.com/history/ from a Device that Used the
App
*NoWeb Components Required -Will Probably Work When Google Begins Indexing Non-Parity Content](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/appdeeplinking2-160314020212/85/What-You-Need-to-Know-About-Google-App-Indexing-SMX-West-2016-40-320.jpg)
What You Need to Know About Google App Indexing - SMX West 2016
- 1. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks How to Get Your Apps Indexed & Ranking ASAP! What You Need To Know About Google App Indexing Cindy Krum, CEO, MobileMoxie SMX West 2016
- 2. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks App Discovery & App Content Discovery Have Both Been Historically Problematic for Google Indexing
- 3. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks What is App Indexing?
- 4. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks Deep App Links Go to Apps
- 5. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks App Links Go to App Stores
- 6. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks App Packs ≠ Deep Links But Deep Links are a Small Ranking Factor for App Pack Results.
- 7. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks iOS App-Installed User Experience App Deep Link Corresponding Web Link
- 8. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks iOS App-NOT Installed User Experience No App Store Landing Page Corresponding Web Link
- 9. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks Android App-Installed User Experience App Deep Link Corresponding Web Link
- 10. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks Android App-NOT Installed User Experience No Google Play Landing Page Corresponding Web Link
- 11. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks So What are the Benefits of App Indexing?
- 12. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks • Main Benefits • App Discovery – More Opportunities • Deep App Content Discovery – New Possibility • Marketing & Sharing in Non-Search Context (Email, Social, etc) • Web/App Rankings – Algorithmic Boost – Single or Double • Potential Future Benefits • Inclusion in for App Streaming (Later) • Hedge Against Potential Future Non – Parity App Rankings (https://developers.google.com/app-indexing/app-only) So What are the Benefits of App Indexing?
- 13. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks Apps Are A Big Deal 60% of this Time is in Communication & Media Apps
- 14. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks A Few Apps Get a Bulk of the Visitors
- 15. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks Things to Think About Before You Start: 1.Website Parity 2.Public vs. Private 3.Indexing Method
- 16. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks Things to Think About Before You Start: 1.Website Parity 2.Public vs. Private 3.Indexing Method
- 17. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks Party Time?
- 19. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks It All Starts with Parity Between App & Website Home Category Category Sub - Category End-Level Category TOS Home Category Category Sub - Category End-Level Category TOS Web Url App Screen
- 20. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks It All Starts with Parity Between App & Website Home Category Category Sub - Category End-Level Category TOS Home Category Category Sub - Category End-Level Category TOS Web Url App Screen
- 21. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks It All Starts with Parity Between App & Website Web Url App Uri
- 22. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks It All Starts with Parity Between App & Website Web Url App Uri
- 23. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks Parity vs. Non-Parity Content Web Url App Uri Web Content Missing from the App
- 24. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks Things to Think About Before You Start: 1.Website Parity 2.Public vs. Private 3.Indexing Method 23
- 25. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks 2 Kinds of Deep Links
- 26. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks 2 Kinds of Deep Links Publicly Indexable: Static Navigational Deep Links Corresponds to Primary Navigation or Publicly Indexable User Flow Submitted via the Google API Privately Indexable: User-Determined, Non- Navigational Links Privately Indexed Screens, Only Indexed Once Accessed by the Logged in User – Google’s Private Index on Android – Google’s Private Index on iOS Chrome – Apple’s Index in Mobile Safari via NSUserActivity
- 27. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks Private Index Pages: • Shopping Cart • Personal Dashboard • History • Personal Favorites PRIVATE Private vs. Public Indexing Web: App:
- 28. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks Things to Think About Before You Start: 1.Website Parity 2.Public vs. Private 3.Indexing Method
- 29. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks Understanding Android App Developer-Speak Intent: A bundle of technical information describing a desired activity in an app. These can be explicit, for behavior within the app, or implicit, for broader interaction with other apps like phone books, browsers or chat/SMS clients. Intent Filter: How app components advertise their capabilities to interact with various intents. Activity: Represents a single screen in the app. Fragment: A portion of an Activity in the user interface. These are often used to accommodate and re-configure app presentation for different screen sizes and orientations.
- 30. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks Understanding iOS App Developer-Speak Xcode: Xcode is the Apple software interface where you type your app code, compile it and execute (run) it. Plist: Flexiable XML files where you can store information about your application. Method: Represent the actions that an object knows how to perform. They're the logical counterpart to properties, which represent an object's data CocoaPods: Centralized dependency manager, libraries and ecosystem for Xcode projects. The dependencies for your projects are specified in a single text file called a Podfile CoreSpotlight & NSUserActivity: Allows Apple (but not Google) indexing of key app screens based on the app navigation and specific instances within app screens based on actual use of the app Google App Indexing SDK: Translates information from CoreSpotlight (and possibly NSUserActivity) into Indexable information that can accommodate Googles App Indexing API
- 31. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks How Do You Set Up Deep Links? Markup to Link Web Urls w/ App URIs in HTML or in XML Sitemaps Google App Indexing API (HTTP Urls, Android M Urls & Universal Links)
- 32. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks How Do You Set Up Deep Links? Markup to Link Web Urls w/ App URIs in HTML or in XML Sitemaps Google App Indexing API (HTTP Urls, Android M Urls & Universal Links) Easiest for SEO’s
- 33. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks How Do You Set Up Deep Links? Markup to Link Web Urls w/ App URIs in HTML or in XML Sitemaps Google App Indexing API (HTTP Urls, Android M Urls & Universal Links) Easiest for App Developers!
- 34. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks How Do You Set Up Deep Links? Markup to Link Web Urls w/ App URIs in HTML or in XML Sitemaps Google App Indexing API (HTTP Urls, Android M Urls & Universal Links) Easiest for SEO’s
- 35. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks Deep Linking Markup Connects App Screens w/ Web Pages Website: <link rel="alternate" href="android- app://com.gizmos.android/http/gizmos.com/example " /> <link rel="alternate" href="ios- app://123456/http/gizmos/example" /> App: Enable App Deep Link schemes in your app - ideally with HTTP Schemes in Android, and Universal Links in iOS. JADON-LD Libraries like http://mobiledeeplinking.org/ can be used to make this process easier with pattern matching, wild cards and regular expressions http://www.domain.org/product/123 domain://product/123
- 36. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks Adding in-App Markup for Deep Link Optimization
- 37. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks • You can include Deep App Links as Rel=“Alternate” in your XML sitemap too Deep Links in Sitemaps
- 38. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks How Do You Set Up Deep Links? Markup to Link Web Urls w/ App URIs in HTML or in XML Sitemaps Google App Indexing API (HTTP Urls, Android M Urls & Universal Links) Easiest for App Developers!
- 39. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks Set Up Universal Links, App Indexing SDK & Add Site Association File to the Web Server App Indexing Elements by OS App Indexing API OR Do Nothing CocoaPods = = + + +
- 40. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks Using the Android App Deep Linking API Update the App Code to include Google Play Services Upload App Association file to HTTPS Web Server https://domain[:optional_port]/.well-known/assetlinks.json Define Indexable Activities in the App – View/Search/Watch/Like/Listen/Reserve, Etc. (https://developers.google.com/android/reference/com/google/android/gms/app indexing/Action) Modify App Activities with proper API Annotation – Each Activity Includes: – Title & Description – Web Url, Multiple Web Urls or ‘Null’ Verify in Search Console – If Live, Also Check https://history.google.com/history/ from a Device that Used the App *NoWeb Components Required -Will Probably Work When Google Begins Indexing Non-Parity Content
- 41. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks Noindex.XML for Blocking App Indexing on Certain Screens • Blocks certain aspects of the app from Google indexing • Save it here: res/xml/noindex.xml • Reference it from the AndroidManifest.xml with this: <meta-data android:name="search-engine" android:resource="@xml/noindex"/> • The XML looks like this: Open For Indexing Private – Indexable to the Private Index Noindex– Blocked from all Indexing
- 42. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks App Indexing Elements by OS App Indexing API OR Just Don’t Block Crawlers Set Up Universal Links, App Indexing SDK & Add Site Association File to the Web Server = = + + +CocoaPods
- 43. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks App Indexing Elements by OS App Indexing API OR Just Don’t Block Crawlers Set Up Universal Links, App Indexing SDK & Add Site Association File to the Web Server = = + + +CocoaPods
- 44. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks Setting Up iOS App Indexing with the SDK Setup Universal Links – App Code: List domains that will get deep links from your app in the proper Xcode entitlement (com.apple.developer.associated-domains) – Website: Create apple-app-site-association file for each domain that gets deep links from your app & upload to your HTTPS webserver http:///apple-app-site-association App Code – Setup CocaoPods – Call the RegisterApp method in the FinishedLaunching method like this: AppIndexing.SharedInstance.RegisterApp ("YOUR_ITUNES_ID"); – Add Google’s App Indexing SDK All Google is Crawling is the App Site Association File, so Keyword Relevance for Deep App Links is Based on Keywords in the Web Content
- 45. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks Visual for iOS App Indexing Website & Server App Code Files CocaoPodsWebsite Markup: Schema, OGTags,Twitter Cards & AppLinks.org Apple-app-site-indexing file on HTTPSWeb Server at http:///apple-app-site- association Google App Indexing SDK RegisterApp with Google in the FinishedLaunching method List web domains that get deep links from your app in the Xcode entitlement (com.apple.developer. associated-domains)
- 46. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks SUMMARY: App Indexing for Android vs. iOS Android iOS Step 1: CreateWeb Parity withYour App & Add Web Markup Step 2: Set up Deep Links inYour App Manifest Set up Universal Links.Add Cocao Pods & the App Indexing SDK Pod Step 3: Optimize Deep Links in the App with API Markup OptimizeWeb Markup* Step 4: Submit Deep Links for Pre-LaunchCrawling in Google Search Console & Fix Errors Say a meaningful prayer to the god of your choice and/or grab a doughnut Step 5: Go Live &Verify Proper Indexing & Behavior from SERPS *Doh! Google can’t actually crawl or extract information from iOS apps, so all keyword relevance comes from the markup on the corresponding web pages.This includes page meta data, Twitter Cards, OGTags, Schema.org & AppLinks.org markup.
- 47. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks NEW: Android M Deep Link Indexing (Not the OS) • Ambiguous & Announced to Developers but Not Explained to Webmasters Yet • Seems Like Just Android • Seems Useful for iOS too… • Uses an HTTP or HTTPS link scheme • Declare the Website-App Association by hosting a Digital Asset Links (App Association) file assetlinks.json • Use the autoVerify attribute in the manifest to associate the App URI’s with the Web URLs for Google
- 48. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks Deep Link Ranking Factors Positive Ranking Factors Installation Status App Indexing API (Android) Good Technical Implementation Website/SEO Signals Positive Engagement (Soon) Negative Ranking Factors Content Mis-Match Technical Errors Interstitials Installation Status (Esp for iOS) Negative Engagement (Soon) + -
- 49. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks What Breaks Deep Links? • Blocking GoogleBot on Your Website • Forgetting to Deep Link Pages on an mDot subdomain, Mobile Subdirectory & other Subdomains • Android Users Signed into the Wrong Account • Apple Products and Policies • Bad Custom Url Schemes
- 50. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks Improving Deep Links for Better Integration with Google Now on Tap (The Assistant) Deep Links Can Surface in Now on Tap for Android Phones Running Marshmallow
- 51. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks Driving Contextual Results from Now on Tap Providing Global App Context • Enhances Results & Cross-App Behavior by Adding Actions Like Play, Email, Photo to the Search Result • Update the App to Include Schema.org Markup in JASON-LD • Some of this Can Happen Naturally if the App is Considered ‘Accessible’
- 52. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks Android App Accessibility 1. Fill in the android:contentDescription attribute. Pay particular attention to ImageButton, ImageView and CheckBox 2. Accompany all audio prompts with visual prompts 3. Enable navigation gestures and directional controlling for input fields & user interface elements 4. Integrate with Android Accessibility API’s http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/ui/acces sibility/apps.html 5. Check out Google’s Accessibity Checklist http://developer.android.com/training/accessibility /testing.html
- 53. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks Now on Tap Ranking Signals • Ranking signals appear to be heavily weighted in favor of social signals – Notice that Lance Ulanoff is out ranking me, even on my own Twitter page. • Also notice, Now on Tap has not indexed my Twitter account, Google+ Account or Images to my name.
- 54. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks Deep Link to Previously- Viewed ‘Calafia Café’ Screen in the Zagat App Android App Indexing APINow on Tap Can also Surface Privately Indexed Content that is Not Available for Public Indexing
- 55. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks Further Reading for a Deeper Understanding of Deep Linking @Goutaste http://searchengineland.com/app-indexing-new-frontier-seo-apple-search-ios-app-indexing-223880 http://searchengineland.com/app-indexing-new-frontier-seo-google-search-deep-linking-226517
- 56. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks http://searchengineland.com/android-marshmallow-seo-series-sponsored-google-now-cards-23-234719 http://searchengineland.com/android-marshmallow-seo-series-googles-private-index-screen-crawling-234711 @Suzzicks Further Reading for a Deeper Understanding of Android Marshmallow & Now on Tap
- 58. #SMX #31A @Suzzicks SEE YOU AT THE NEXT #SMX THANK YOU! 2 Months Free Deep Link Validator Tool Access Promo Code: SMXWEST16
Editor's Notes
- #4: A Process that Allows Google to Understand & Rank App Content in Mobile Search Results Associate Places or ‘Screens’ in Apps with Web Urls Potentially Lets Save Places or ‘Screens’ to Android’s Private Index Even without Web Urls SEO value of the Web Url is Passed to the App Screen First-Adopter Ranking Boost is passed from the App to the Website Users Choose if they Prefer the App or Web Experience What are the Benefits? What is the Deep Link UX? How Do You Set Up Deep Links? What Conditions Impact their Presentation? What is the Future of Deep Linking?
- #12: Easier App Discovery & Engagement in Search (For Android) App Engagement From Search (For iOS) User Controls App or Web Decision Better Engagement from Other Marketing Channels Email Social App Action & Google Now Integration Organic Rankings Boost for App Site Association Additional Organic Rankings Boost for App Indexing API Integration
- #13: Easier App Discovery & Engagement in Search (For Android) App Engagement From Search (For iOS) User Controls App or Web Decision Better Engagement from Other Marketing Channels Email Social App Action & Google Now Integration Organic Rankings Boost for App Site Association Additional Organic Rankings Boost for App Indexing API Integration
- #14: http://digiday.com/platforms/mobile-apps-driving-digital-growth-5-charts/
- #15: http://digiday.com/platforms/mobile-apps-driving-digital-growth-5-charts/
- #31: App Manifest: Organizing information for the app like what code it runs, what actions are possible and what permissions are necessary. Let the system know what the components are and under what conditions they can be launched
- #36: In Android, create intent filters that specifies the scheme, host, and path pattern of URLs that it wants to handle: in this case, https://www.example.com. To Check the JASON File Links, use this API: https://digitalassetlinks.googleapis.com/v1/statements:list? source.web.site=https://<domain1>:<port>& relation=delegate_permission/common.handle_all_urls
- #38: http://developer.android.com/training/app-indexing/enabling-app-indexing.html
- #48: https://developers.google.com/app-indexing/reference/deeplinks
- #51: Until recently, Google’s App Indexing API has been used solely to index previously-viewed android deep links for inclusion in Google’s autocomplete, but now it’s Google’s preferred method for app indexing. This is because, if your app supports HTTP scheme URLs, Google can now use the App Indexing API to discover new screens in your app as they are created. This is great for Google because they no longer have to rely on their web crawler to find App Screen URLs.
- #52: http://developer.android.com/training/articles/assistant.html http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/ui/accessibility/apps.html
- #55: Until recently, Google’s App Indexing API has been used solely to index previously-viewed android deep links for inclusion in Google’s autocomplete, but now it’s Google’s preferred method for app indexing. This is because, if your app supports HTTP scheme URLs, Google can now use the App Indexing API to discover new screens in your app as they are created. This is great for Google because they no longer have to rely on their web crawler to find App Screen URLs.