I have read about App Indexing and Deep Linking for android apps.
As far as I can find both are the same and deep linking is much easier since it just requires to add an intent filter in the Manifest.xml file.
So why do I need to use app indexing?
What makes it different from deep linking?
A different way of coding(android) is required to implement
Fire Base App Indexing
Here is a link that guides about Fire Base App Indexing:
https://firebase.google.com/docs/app-indexing/
Is that necessary?
App Indexing actually uses deeplink kind method but helps you to achieve different goal. In a simple business scenario you would want if user searches for your business from mobile browser he should get app link and that link open different screens for different urls (search keywords). As you can see post so far talks about keywords, searches that means App Indexing is more about search engine optimization keeping mobile apps in mind and App Search Optimization too.
About deeplinks they are simple urls (or url set) that we define in our app and tell mobile system that if matching url is clicked our App can also handle it.
In case of deeplink there can be several apps claiming to open same
url but app indexing result will open only your app.
I hope this answer clarifies things well.
In simple words:
App Indexing is to make app searchable from google.
Deep Linking is to open the app activities by an url.
They are different but related things which complement each other. Both work together to make your app content searchable.
Deep linking is the part where you add filters in your app manifest to make your app content searchable. App indexing is the other part where you add link elements in your app's sitemap or in the header segment of each webpage corresponding to your app content (indicated by the filters you added as part of deep linking). GoogleBot (Google crawler bot) connects both the dots and create searchable index for your app. In order for your app content to appear in Google public search results, deep linking and app indexing has to work hand in hand.
More on this in case you haven't gone through it - https://developer.android.com/training/app-indexing/index.html
Related
We have several landing pages that link to Google Play and iOS App Store. I would love to know the landing page that a person came from within the app code. I have searched around and can't find any clear answer. Lots of gray area.
I just want to access the landing page URL in Java or Swift.
I realize iOS and Android are two separate beasts. But does anyone know how I could achieve this?
You will need to use Firebase Dynamic Links this helps you create various links using various alternatives as shown in this quote from the official Firebase source:
You create a Dynamic Link either by using the Firebase console, using a REST API, iOS or Android Builder API, or by forming a URL by adding Dynamic Link parameters to a domain specific to your app.
Then your app can access the link in code using Java or Swift and the link will work even if the user has your app already in their phone and you can set a logic to handle that too and the links are also automatically direct the user to AppStore or PlayStore depending on which device is used.
Dont worry about whether the link will work for both Android and iOS and you can use the api to access the link as this quote says.
With Dynamic Links, your users get the best available experience for the platform they open your link on. If a user opens a Dynamic Link on iOS or Android, they can be taken directly to the linked content in your native app. If a user opens the same Dynamic Link in a desktop browser, they can be taken to the equivalent content on your website.
In addition, Dynamic Links work across app installs: if a user opens a Dynamic Link on iOS or Android and doesn't have your app installed, the user can be prompted to install it; then, after installation, your app starts and can access the link.
You can get more information on dynamic links here and check if it will solve your problem.
Can anyone explain in real life example what is the difference between
App Links - https://developer.android.com/training/app-links/deep-linking.html
Deep links - https://developer.android.com/training/app-links/index.html
App Indexing - https://developer.android.com/studio/write/app-link-indexing.html
in Android?
Have read too many posts and documentations, but still cannot get the exact gist.
I understand that App links works with Android 6.0 and Deep Links with 4.2. but in performance, they are doing the similar task.
App Indexing allows Google to crawl your app content (as it would on a website).
Deep Links vs Android App Links:
App Links are just deep links that have been verified for a website, AND allows opening URLs in the associated app directly without asking the user to select the app (via the disambiguation dialog). With App Links, your app designates itself as the default handler of a given type of link (though the user can override it from device system settings)
A nice overview of the differences is at https://developer.android.com/training/app-links/verify-site-associations?authuser=0
Also see comparison table below, lifted from the above link at the time of writing
If you have an app or are developing an app, app indexation and deep
linking are things you definitely need to be paying attention to.
Basically, Google wants to treat your app like a website. It wants to
crawl it and index it so that search results can return specific pages
from an app in mobile searches. That ability to return specific pages
within an app? That’s deep linking.
What is Deep Linking?
Deep linking, in a general sense, involves linking to specific content
within a website or app, rather than to the homepage. Here we’re
talking in particular about getting specific elements of an app to
show up in search results on a mobile device, allowing users to open
an app directly from a search results page. Note: Users will only see
this prompt if they have the particular app installed.
Photo:
What Is App Indexing?
App indexing is the result of getting your app in Google’s index to
enable deep linking. By allowing Google to index pages within your
app, features (or promotions) within the app can begin showing up in
users’ mobile searches, driving visits (and hopefully conversions) to
the app.
What is an App Linking with the example of Facebook
When someone shares content from within an app that has Facebook App
Links applied, anyone clicking on that link will be able to access
that content through the app. This can be done using an app
alternative to existing web content, or app-only content, and works
either from ‘web to app’ or ‘app to app’. The feature works with
Android, iOS and Windows phones
Photo:
So I'm trying to figure out if it's possible to deep link a user who does not have the app currently installed. Here's what I'm trying to do:
1) User clicks deep link on website in mobile browser.
2) User is taken to the app store to install the app
3) Once installed, the user is taken to the deep link to specific content within the app.
The closest thing I've found so far is with Android App Install Banners, but that's not exactly what I'm looking for. Is this even possible?
Here's a link with the Android App Install Banners near the bottom of the page: https://medium.com/#ageitgey/everything-you-need-to-know-about-implementing-ios-and-android-mobile-deep-linking-f4348b265b49#.evsxzudwj
What you are trying to accomplish is known as deferred deep linking.
Vanilla iOS does not support deferred deep linking at all. Android can do it with the Android Google Play referrer, but it is unreliable and doesn't work at all from Chrome (the most popular Android browser by far).
To do this, you'll likely want to investigate a (free) third-party service like Branch.io (full disclosure: I am on the Branch team) or Firebase Dynamic Links. The Branch platform abstracts all the technical details and edge cases away, so all you need to worry about is defining a set of key/value parameters (for example: articleID: story123) when you create a link. Branch makes sure those parameters are returned to you inside the app the first time it launches after the user clicks the link, whether or not the app was installed when the link was clicked. You can then use the values to route/customize however you wish.
For a full explanation of what is involved in building this yourself, try this blog post.
I am implementing Google App Indexing in my app. I have followed the tutorials and my app support this kind of deep links:
http://mywebsite.tk
And I have the required code so that it supports also:
android-app://com.my.package/http/mywebsite.tk/
I can open with my app any link with both structures, opening urls from an email, and even pasting the deeplink in Chrome directly. I have also passed the tests for Google App Indexing in Android Studio.
But what I want is the following button:
I have a custom parameter inside the url so that I can show different info. How can I make Google show that button? I don't have a website, only a domain to handle the deep link, but a website is not required.
Unfortunately you can't 'make' Google show this button. All you can do is set out the bait (which you have done in spades, based on everything you've mentioned above — the only thing I can think of is that you didn't mention whether you've set up Digital Asset Links or not) and hope they eventually bite. It takes some time for them to find and then recognize the App->URL association you've set up.
Is your content currently showing in the results list at all, even without that button?
I am implementing Deep linking and App Indexing for the first time, its just a month ago it was launched for public use so lack of help online. I have read all available resources, but there are still some problems.
I am clear about things like, Deep linking should be implemented before App indexing, it should implemented android-app//com.example.com schema and many other.
So here the puzzle begins:
Confusions with Deep linking: Google is offering two URL patterns:
http://www.example.com/path/to/something
android-app://com.example.com/example/path/to/something
So almost in every example, I've found they have used both patterns. But for App Indexing only 2nd one is required.
But I know if I implement 1st one as well, it will open my app on normal web link as well. I don't know if this is good do or not?
Another problem with Deep linking, there are many browsers out there(Opera, UC) or Android OS which does't support 2nd format of URI, they simply trigger google search.
So what is the way to make none deep link supported browser to handle this uri: android-app://com.example.com/example/path/to/something?
Note: I will be using this URI Format to open my app from website: android-app://com.example.com/example/path/to/something, so problem is to handle when this url format is not support.
As far as I understand, you can use custom schemes and/or HTTP schemes for your deep links. What you should not do is to duplicate the deep link destination between the different schemes.
You can find an article regarding App Indexing best practices here (https://developer.android.com/training/app-indexing/index.html) and here (http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/android-app-indexing-is-now-open-for.html).