Post on 16-Apr-2017
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Using Apps to Drive Mobile-
First SEO Traffic
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Android&
iOS Intent
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Understanding App Packs
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New Android App Packs
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Types of App ResultsApp Pack App Single App Carousel Deep LinksIcon Deep Links
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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
App Store Model
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“Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it
universally accessible and useful.”- Google’s initial mission statement -
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App Store Model vs. Search Engine Model
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Android Deep Linking User Experience
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“Google will be considering "high quality" apps to be a positive ranking factor in mobile search.”-Mariya Moeva (Google Webmaster Trends Analyst, SMX West 2015)
Website Parity = Positive Signal for Websites
WebApp
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Google App Indexing: Android
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Custom URL Scheme
HTTP URL Scheme
Android: Create Intent Filters
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Android: Create Intent Filters
Intent Filters need:<action>
<data> android:schemeandroid:path
<category>
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Deep Link to previously-viewed ‘Calafia Café’ screen in the Zagat app
Android App Indexing API
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...public class MainActivity extends Activity {
static final Uri APP_URI = Uri.parse("android-app://com.example.android.recipes/http/recipe-app.com/recipes"); static final Uri WEB_URL = Uri.parse("http://recipe-app.com/recipes/"); private GoogleApiClient mClient; ... }
@Override public void onStart() { super.onStart(); ...
@Override public void onStop() { ... // Call end() and disconnect the client String title = "App Indexing API Title"; Action viewAction = Action.newAction(Action.TYPE_VIEW, title, WEB_URL, APP_URI); AppIndex.AppIndexApi.end(mClient, viewAction); mClient.disconnect(); ...
Full code sample here: bit.ly/appindexingAPIcode
Android App Indexing API
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...public class MainActivity extends Activity {
static final Uri APP_URI = Uri.parse("android-app://com.example.android.recipes/http/recipe-app.com/recipes"); static final Uri WEB_URL = Uri.parse("http://recipe-app.com/recipes/"); private GoogleApiClient mClient; ... }
@Override public void onStart() { super.onStart(); ...
@Override public void onStop() { ... // Call end() and disconnect the client String title = "App Indexing API Title"; Action viewAction = Action.newAction(Action.TYPE_VIEW, title, WEB_URL, APP_URI); AppIndex.AppIndexApi.end(mClient, viewAction); mClient.disconnect(); ...
Full code sample here: bit.ly/appindexingAPIcode
Android App Indexing API
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Update App’s Robots.txt:
User-Agent: GooglebotAllow: /
Android App Robots.txt
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Android Custom Schemes
Requirement: Web Markup
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android-app://com.travel_app/travel_app/travel-app.com/hotels/curtis-hotel-denver
Protocol PackageID Scheme (custom)
Host Path
Google’s Android Deep Link Format
Deep Link URL Format:
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Rel=alternate XML Sitemaps Schema
<head> ... <link rel="alternate" href="android-app://com.travelapp.android/http/travelapp.com/examplescreen" /> ...</head>
<head> ... <link rel="alternate" href="android-app://com.travelapp.android/travelapp/examplescreen" /> <link rel="alternate" href="ios-app://123456/travelapp/examplescreen" /> ...</head>
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Rel=alternate XML Sitemaps Schema
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?><urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9" xmlns:xhtml="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><url> <loc>http://travelwebsite.com/examplepage</loc> <xhtml:link rel="alternate" href="android-app://com.travelapp.android/travelapp/examplescreen" /> <xhtml:link rel="alternate" href="ios-app://123456/travelapp/examplescreen" /></url> <xhtml:link rel="alternate" href="android-app://com.travelapp.android/http/travelapp.com/examplescreen" />...</urlset>
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Rel=alternate SchemaXML Sitemaps
<script type="application/ld+json">{ "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "http://travelwebsite.com/examplepage", "potentialAction": { "@type": "ViewAction", "target": "android-app://com.travelapp.android/http/travelapp.com/examplescreen" }}</script>
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Verify Website in GP/ Log Into GSC with GP Account
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Google App Indexing:
iOS
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The Good News Is…
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The Bad News Is…
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iOS: Support Universal Links
https://subdomain.domain.com/path/subpath/
Scheme“http” or “https”
Domain or Host Name Path or Prefix
Anatomy of a Universal Link:
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iOS: Support Universal Links
Requirements:• A registered domain• SSL access to your domain• Ability to upload a JSON file to your domain
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iOS: Support Universal Links
1 Get Your App Ready• 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-ReferenceWATCH: http://bit.ly/appleuniversallinks
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iOS: Support Universal Links
2 Get Your Server Ready• 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.
{ "applinks": { "apps": [], "details": { »ABC0123.com.domain.App": { "paths":[ "*" ] } } }}
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iOS: Support Universal Links
2 Get Your Server Ready• 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.
{ "applinks": { "apps": [], "details": { »ABC0123.com.domain.App": { "paths":[
”/folder/subfolder/”,
”/folder2/subfolder2/*”, ] } } }}
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iOS: Support Cocoapods
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iOS: Support Cocoapods
1. Use most up-to-date version of CocoaPods
2. Add ‘GoogleAppIndexing’ pod to Podfile
3. Save and Install Pod
4. Import GoogleAppIndexing
5. Register app
pod 'GoogleAppIndexing'
pod install
#import <GoogleAppIndexing/GoogleAppIndexing.h>
[[GSDAppIndexing sharedInstance] registerApp:your iTunes ID];
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Google App Indexing:
Web Markup
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Google App Indexing:
Web Markup
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Google Search App Ranking Factors
Positive Ranking Factors:
• App Installation Status• Proper Technical
Implementation• Website Signals• APP INDEXING API
(extra boost!)
Negative Ranking Factors:
Content Mismatch/ Back Button Errors
Interstitials
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Google Search App Ranking Factors
Positive Ranking Factors:
• App Installation Status• Proper Technical
Implementation• Website Signals• APP INDEXING API
(extra boost!)• Coming soon:
Engagement?
Negative Ranking Factors:
Content Mismatch/ Back Button Errors
Interstitials
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Deep Links Without Website ParitySocial Media
Apple Search Email & Paid Ads
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Apple Search App Indexing
in iOS 9
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“Apple’s App Store commission is now at a
run-rate of $9 billion, more than its total revenue in the year the iPod launched.”
- Benedict Evans, @BenedictEvans -
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Apple Search
SPOTLIGHT SAFARISIRI
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High-EngagementApp ScreensSuggested in
‘Siri Suggest’ on iOS 9 Spotlight
Siri’s Predcitive Search Uses App Indexing
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DEVICE INDEX(PRIVATE)
CLOUD INDEX(PUBLIC)
Apple Search Sources from Two Indexes
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Apple Search App Indexing Methods
CoreSpotlight NSUserActivity Web Markup
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Apple Search App Indexing
Option 1: NSUserActivity
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Core Spotlight NSUserActivity Web Markup
Used for… Indexing public app screens that mirror content on the webDOES require corresponding web content
Add code to WEB
Public Cloud Index
Used for… Indexing app screens that contain private/ personal dataDoes NOT require corresponding web content
Add code to APPPrivate Device Index
Used for… Indexing private and public navigation points in the appDoes NOT require corresponding web content
Add code to APPPrivate Device Index and/ or Public Cloud Index
Private Public
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Private or PublicPublic Only
Search results meta data for
display and rankings
‘Canonical’More info here: bit.ly/NSUserActivity
NSUserActivty
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CoreSpotlight NSUserActivity Web MarkupNSUserActivit
y
with var eligibleForSearch with var eligibleForPublicIndexing
Private/Device Index
Public/ Cloud Index
PRIVATE APP SCREEN PUBLIC APP SCREEN
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Apple Search App Indexing
Option 2: Core Spotlight
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Core Spotlight NSUserActivity Web Markup
Used for… Indexing public app screens that mirror content on the webDOES require corresponding web content
Add code to WEB
Public Cloud Index
Used for… Indexing app screens that contain private/ personal dataDoes NOT require corresponding web content
Add code to APPPrivate Device Index
Used for… Indexing private and public navigation points in the appDoes NOT require corresponding web content
Add code to APPPrivate Device Index and/ or Public Cloud Index
Private Public
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Search results meta data for
display and rankings
More info here: bit.ly/corespotlight
Core Spotlight
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Apple Search App Indexing
Option 3: Web Markup
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CoreSpotlight NSUserActivity Web MarkupNSUserActivit
y
with var eligibleForSearch with var eligibleForPublicIndexing
Private/Device Index
Public/ Cloud Index
PRIVATE APP SCREEN PUBLIC APP SCREEN
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Core Spotlight NSUserActivity Web Markup
Used for… Indexing public app screens that mirror content on the webDOES require corresponding web content
Add code to WEB
Public Cloud Index
Used for… Indexing app screens that contain private/ personal dataDoes NOT require corresponding web content
Add code to APPPrivate Device Index
Used for… Indexing private and public navigation points in the appDoes NOT require corresponding web content
Add code to APPPrivate Device Index and/ or Public Cloud Index
Private Public
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Web Markup – Provide URLs to Apple
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Twitter Cards AppLinks Smart App Banners
Web Markup
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Twitter Cards AppLinks Smart App Banners
Web Markup
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Twitter Cards AppLinks Smart App Banners
Web Markup
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Web Markup – Meta Data (Schema & Open Graph)
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bit.ly/applesearchvalidator
Test URLs for Web Markup
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Apple Search App Ranking Factors
Positive Ranking Factors:• App Installation Status• Personalized App
Engagement • App Result Click-Through
Rate • Keywords/ Title• Aggregated Engagement• Structured Data on Web • Canonical App IDs• Strength/Popularity of Web
URL
Negative Ranking Factors:
Low Engagement Over-Indexing Returns Keywords Spamming Interstitials JavaScript blocking Applebot
(web only)
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Deep Linking in Email &
Social Media
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Deep Link Redirectors in Email and Social Media
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Deep Link Redirectors in Email and Social Media
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The End