Google & Bing App Indexing Tips for Mobile Marketers

Google & Bing App Indexing
Emily Grossman, Mobile Marketing Specialist, MobileMoxie

 Meta-data can provide a
“preview” of the type of
content in the app
 You don’t know what’s IN the
app until you download it
 App Store search is heavy on
brand and head terms vs. long
tail
@goutaste #SMXMunich Emily Grossman | MobileMoxie 2

“Google’s mission is to organize the
world’s information and make it
universally accessible and useful.”
- Google’s initial mission statement -

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g33388-
d83020-Reviews-
The_Curtis_Denver_a_DoubleTree_by_Hilton_Hotel-
Denver_Colorado.html
tripadvisor://Hotel_Review-g33388-d83020-
Reviews-
The_Curtis_Denver_a_DoubleTree_by_Hilton_Ho
tel-Denver_Colorado.html

App Packs ≠ Deep
Links
But Indexed Deep Links are a Small
Ranking Factor for App Pack Results.

App Pack Links Go to App Stores
7

Deep Links Go To App Content
8

Google App Indexing
bit.ly/appindexinggoogle

Android VS iOS Apps
Android iOS
Step 1: Create Web Parity with Your App
Step 2: Set up HTTP Deep Links in Your App Manifest,
Exclude Deep Links with noindex.XML
Set up Universal Links in App & Server,
Exclude by Not Supporting for All Deep Links
Step 3: Optimize Deep Links in the App with API
Markup
Optimize Web Markup* Add Cocoa Pods & App
Indexing SDK Pod to App
Step 4: Submit Deep Links for Pre-Launch Crawling 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 extract Title &Description info from iOS apps, so all keyword relevance comes from meta data on corresponding web
pages.

Custom URL Scheme
HTTP URL Scheme
Intent Filters (Where Android Deep Links are Born)

Custom URL Scheme
HTTP URL Scheme

Intent Filters need:
<action>
<data>
android:scheme
android:path
<category>

Control Indexing
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<search-engine
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
<noindex android:value="notification"/>
<noindex uri="http://examplepetstore.com/dogs/hidden-page"/>
<noindex uriPrefix="http://examplepetstore.com/cats/hidden_prefix"/>
</search-engine>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
package="com.example.android.Petstore">
<application>
<activity android:name="com.example.android.PetstoreActivity" ...>
...
</activity>
<meta-data android:name="search-engine" android:resource="@xml/noindex"/>
</application>
...
</manifest>
Noindex.xml
Reference it
in the
Manifest:

Control Indexing
<search-engine
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
<noindex android:value="notification"/>
<noindex uri="http://examplepetstore.com/dogs/hidden-page"/>
<noindex uriPrefix="http://examplepetstore.com/cats/hidden_prefix"/>
</search-engine>
<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
package="com.example.android.Petstore">
<application>
<activity android:name="com.example.android.PetstoreActivity" ...>
...
</activity>
<meta-data android:name="search-engine" android:resource="@xml/noindex"/>
</application>
...
</manifest>
Noindex.xml
Reference it
in the
Manifest:

Prepare App:
• Modify your application delegate
• Adopt an entitlement in Xcode that
lists each domain associated with
your app
READ:
http://bit.ly/ios9universallinks
http://bit.ly/UIApplicationDelegate-
Reference
WATCH: http://bit.ly/appleuniversallinks
Universal Links (Where iOS Deep Links Are Born)

{
"applinks": {
"apps": [],
"details": {
»ABC0123.com.domain.App": {
"paths":[ "*" ]
}
}
}
}
Associate App with Website:
• Create an apple-app-site-
association file for each associated
domain with the content your app supports
and host it at the root level.
NOTE: The association file must be hosted on a
domain that supports HTTPS/TLS, even if the HTTP
deep links are not themselves served via HTTPS.
Universal Links (Where iOS Deep Links Are Born)

{
"applinks": {
"apps": [],
"details": {
»ABC0123.com.domain.App": {
"paths":[
”/folder/subfolder/”,
”/folder2/subfolder2/*”,
]
}
}
}
}
Modify apple-app-site-association
file to specify only the content that is parallel
between the app and the website.
Control Indexing

App Indexing API (Where Android Deep Links are Discovered)
– Update App Code to include Google Play Services
– Define Indexable Activities or Fragments in the
App
• View/Search/Watch/Like/Listen/Reserve, Etc.
(https://developers.google.com/android/reference/com/
google/android/gms/appindexing/Action)
– Modify App Activities or Fragments with proper
API Calls – Including:
• Title & Description
• Web Url, Multiple Web Urls or ‘Null’

...
public class MainActivity extends Activity {
private GoogleApiClient mClient;
private Uri mUrl;
private String mTitle;
private String mDescription;
@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
mClient = new
GoogleApiClient.Builder(this).addApi(AppIndex.API).build();
mUrl = "http://examplepetstore.com/dogs/standard-poodle";
mTitle = "Standard Poodle";
mDescription = "The Standard Poodle stands at least 18 inches at the
withers";
}
...
Full code sample here: bit.ly/appindexingAPIcode
Android App Indexing API

...
@Override
public void onStart() {
super.onStart();
mClient.connect();
AppIndex.AppIndexApi.start(mClient, getAction());
}
@Override
public void onStop() {
AppIndex.AppIndexApi.end(mClient, getAction());
mClient.disconnect();
super.onStop();
}...
“Can Haz Engagement Data?”
-Google
@goutaste #SMXMunich Emily Grossman | MobileMoxie

...
@Override
public void onStart() {
super.onStart();
mClient.connect();
AppIndex.AppIndexApi.start(mClient, getAction());
}
@Override
public void onStop() {
AppIndex.AppIndexApi.end(mClient, getAction());
mClient.disconnect();
super.onStop();
}...
“Can Haz Engagement Data?”
-Google
+ Extra
Rankings
Boost
@goutaste #SMXMunich Emily Grossman | MobileMoxie

1. Use most up-to-date version of CocoaPods
2. Add ‘GoogleAppIndexing’ pod to Podfile
3. Save and Install Pod
4. Import GoogleAppIndexing
1. Register app
pod 'GoogleAppIndexing'
pod install
#import <GoogleAppIndexing/GoogleAppIndexing.h>
[[GSDAppIndexing sharedInstance] registerApp:your iTunes ID];
Google App Indexing “Pod” (Where iOS Deep
Links Are Discovered)

Where do I put my deep link Title and Description on iOS?

bit.ly/g-app-indexing

Android VS iOS Apps
Android iOS
Step 1: Create Web Parity with Your App
Step 2: Set up HTTP Deep Links in Your App Manifest,
Exclude Deep Links with noindex.XML
Set up Universal Links in App & Server,
Exclude by Not Supporting for All Deep Links
Step 3: Optimize Deep Links in the App with API
Markup
Optimize Web Markup* Add Cocoa Pods & App
Indexing SDK Pod to App
Step 4: Submit Deep Links for Pre-Launch Crawling 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 extract Title & Description info from iOS apps, so all keyword relevance comes from meta data on corresponding
web pages.

Alternative Google App Indexing Methods (Android):
Web Markup Allow Googlebot App M URLs

Custom URL Scheme
HTTP URL Scheme
Remember This?

Custom URL Scheme
HTTP URL Scheme
If you have to use custom
schemes, you will make
Google and Mariya sad have
to use web markup to tell
Google about your deep links

Custom URL Scheme
HTTP URL Scheme
If you have to use custom
schemes, you will make
Google and Mariya sad have
to use web markup to tell
Google about your deep links
And NO API BOOST for you. 

android-app://com.travel_app/travel_app/travel-app.com/hotels/curtis-hotel-denver
Protocol PackageID Scheme
(custom)
Host Path

Update App’s Robots.txt:
User-Agent: Googlebot
Allow: /

• Uses an HTTP or HTTPS
link scheme
• Declare the Website-
App Association by
hosting a Digital Asset
Links (App Association)
file assetlinks.json

What Breaks Deep Links?
• Blocking Googlebot on Your Website
• Android Users Signed into the Wrong
Account
• Apple Products and Policies
• Bad Custom URL Schemes
• Bad handling of deep links in App Code
• Forgetting to Deep Link Pages on an mDot
subdomain, Mobile Subdirectory & other
Subdomains

You Need A
Separate Intent
Filter for EVERY
Domain Your
App Supports

Deep Link Ranking Factors in Google
Positive Ranking Factors
• Installation Status
• Good Technical Implementation
• Website SEO Signals
• App Indexing API (Android)
• Positive Engagement
Negative Ranking Factors
• Installation Status (Esp for iOS)
• Technical Errors
• Website SEO Signals
• Content Mis-Match
• Interstitials on Web
• Negative Engagement (Soon?)
+ -

@goutaste 45
Deep Links (Uninstalled) On Android

Bing App Indexing
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn614167.aspx

Bing Deep Linking = Windows Phone Apps
1
2
3
4
Publish App To Windows
Store & Define Launch
Protocol (AKA URL Scheme)
Add applinks.org markups to
webpages that you want to
link your app to.
Test implementation.
Set up “URI Activation”
(AKA a default URL Scheme)

AppLinks.Org
<html>
<head>
<meta property="al:windows:url" content=“foolinks://docs"/>
<meta property="al:windows:app_id" content="115b13de-2d8e-4c70-9a36-dfd2c6a7a923"/>
<meta property="al:windows:app_name" content=“Foo App" />
<meta property="al:windows:package" content=“Foo.Fooapp_54ggd3ev8bvz6"/>
<meta property="al:windows_phone:url" content=“foolinks://docs"/>
<meta property="al:windows_phone:app_name" content=“Foo App"/>
<meta property="al:windows_phone:package" content=“Foo.Fooapp"/>
<meta property="al:web:url" content="http://applinks.org/documentation" />
</head>
<body>
Hello, world!
</body>
</html>

FYI, This Same Protocol Used for Apple
Spotlight Search, Too
Just reference your iOS app properties instead…

bit.ly/applinks-validator

Further Reading for a Deeper Understanding of
Deep Linking
@Goutast
e
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

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

55
Emily Grossman
@goutaste
www.mobilemoxie.com
2 Months Free Code:
SMXMUNICH
facebook.com/mobilemoxie
@mobilemoxie
Thank You!

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