It’s no secret that mobile traffic has already overtaken desktop traffic, and that there are no signs of its upward momentum coming to a halt anytime soon. For years, search marketers and SEO experts have preached the importance of having a website that’s optimized for a mobile experience. Until recently, that’s mostly meant having a web design that looks clean and remains interactive when viewed on a mobile device (i.e., having functional images and videos, readable text without zooming, and so on). Google’s “Mobilegeddon” update back in April of this year proved their commitment to such mobile-optimization strategies by penalizing any site that hasn’t yet adopted these measures.
But the influence mobile devices have on SEO isn’t stopping there. In fact, a new type of SEO is starting to emerge—one that threatens to replace site-based rankings as a primary goal for search. App-based SEO is already here, but you can still have a thriving SEO strategy without worrying about it. Is that about to change in the next year?
App Indexing
App indexing is already happening—in fact, it’s been happening for a long time now. For the last few years, if you perform a mobile search using Google and a particular app is relevant to your query, chances are you’d see that app (and probably a competitor or two) embedded directly in your search results. For example, if you searched for a particular app by name, Google would provide you a link to that app’s page in your app store.
Earlier this year, Google rolled out a new function that will suggest various apps to install based on your query. For example, if you search for “local weather,” Google could recommend two or three top weather apps for you to install and use for this purpose. As long as you’re following Google’s standards for app indexing, your app will be indexed in Google’s records just like a website, and just like a website, it will be available to view for relevant queries.
App Deep Linking
The fun doesn’t stop there. Google is also offering an app deep linking functionality. A deep link on a traditional website is a link that goes to some internal page of the site, rather than a home page or main nav page. A deep link for an app, then, is a link that opens a particular app on your mobile device and immediately redirects you to a certain section or certain interface within that app.
Though the process to create an app deep link is relatively advanced compared to traditional deep linking, any app developer should have no trouble creating those protocols. Essentially, you’ll be telling Google which sections of your app are used for which purposes (as well as the type of content that’s available in those sections). Theoretically, if a user searches for something that could be answered by your app’s specific section, Google could produce a result that prompts an install of your app and takes the user to the most relevant section within. Plus, app deep links will increase your authority, which will help your app (and possibly your brand’s traditional site) rank higher in relevant searches.
Does Everyone Need an App?
These features are nice for anyone who already has an app for their business or organization. It means you’ll get an extra opportunity for search visibility without a significant amount of extra work. But are they worth creating a dedicated app for?
At this juncture, no. If an app can help you increase your brand visibility and lend extra functionality to your users, it’s definitely worth creating, but if you’re thinking about creating an app for the sole purpose of getting more search visibility, it’s not worth it in 2015. As apps become more popular and users grow more accustomed to app-based information and functionality (rather than site-based), it may become necessary in the near future. The fact that digital assistants and automated algorithms like those running the Google Knowledge Graph are providing direct answers to user queries means that traditional websites may one day become obsolete compared to indexed answers and mobile app functionality.
The Pace of Development
Up until this point, I’ve explored the groundwork that currently exists for app SEO and briefly discussed the possible future of app-based optimization. I’ve established that app SEO may one day be necessary for real brand visibility in searches, but how far away is that from being developed?
It only took a few years for mobile traffic to go from barely noticeable to completely overtaking traditional desktop traffic, but that’s still not an overnight development. Consumer trends will likely dictate another few years, at least, before the demand for apps overtakes the demand for traditional websites. Similarly, it will take at least a few years for Google’s ranking algorithms to fully incorporate the subtleties of app-based content, and for Knowledge Graph and similar algorithms to provide answers to virtually every query.
The Bottom Line
It’s not currently necessary to use app-based SEO for your brand, though it can help you substantially should you choose to pursue it. In 2016, this will continue to be the case, and may increase slightly in significance. However, my best guess is that it will still be a few more years before app-based SEO becomes fully fleshed out, and therefore, a few more years before it becomes fully “necessary.” Still, I’d advise you to think ahead and lay the groundwork now for your future app-based strategies.
