Get your app in the Google index and be ready for the future of Search

Last October we worked with a small number of developers to launch App Indexing, the ability for Google to index apps just like websites. In June, we opened App Indexing to all Android developers, giving you the ability to add app deep links to search results, helping users find your content and re-engage with your app after they’ve installed it.

Today, we’d like to highlight two videos to help you set up App Indexing. Check them out below. You’re only a few steps away from driving re-engagement and unlocking new avenues of discovery for your app.

1998 all over again

In 1998, Google set out to index the web and make content easily accessible and discoverable.

Today mobile app adoption is growing rapidly. Similar to the early days of the internet, it can be frustrating for users to search through their device to find what they need, since the content within apps typically exists in silos. By implementing App Indexing, you can re-engage your users from search results.

Consider the scenario of users looking for details about a great place for some Spanish food. Users might already have a great mobile app for restaurant details installed, but they typically still rely on a search engine to pull up information about local places to eat. Wouldn’t it be great if they could jump straight into your app from those search results?

App Indexing is all about connecting users with the best content, whether it’s in-app or on the web. You can add it to your app very quickly -- simply add deep linking to your app, and then verify your website with Google. To enable re-engagement with your users, you can generate query autocompletions in the Google app using the App Indexing API.

Learn More

To learn more about App Indexing, and how you can use the API for your apps, check out this DevByte from Lawrence Chang, Senior Product Manager for App Indexing at Google.
For an in-depth look at App Indexing, demonstrating the technology, and the opportunities available with it, watch this session from Google I/O 2014: “The Future of Apps and Search.”
We’re at the beginning of a new wave of how people find and interact with content, and it often starts with search. Is your app in the index? If not, follow the steps in this post, and get ready for the future of Apps and Search!

Posted by Laurence Moroney

Laurence is a Developer Advocate at Google, working on Google Play services for Android. When not having fun with this, hes also a best-selling author of several Young Adult novels and dozens of books on computer programming.

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