For a business or enterprise, a cross-platform mobile application and suitable SEO strategies are the two major supporting pillars. To start a business or to be an authentic entrepreneur, developing a conceivable mobile app has become a trend to approach consumers; while using pertinent SEO strategies.
We live in the age of the mobile web with desktop search usage in slow decline in favor of mobile search. 2015 was the year that mobile search officially overtook desktop on Google, and Google released app indexing by using an API* called Mobile App Indexing. This set the ball in motion for mobile apps to become a new commodity in the SEO world. By releasing the API, Google is allowing developers to notify them of where the content lives within their app, and what URL is used for their website linking to the app
PRESENT SCENARIO FOR SEO AND MOBILE APPS
The fact is this API is helping users navigate to content in the app that they already know exists, as opposed to Google discerning and examining content in the app. At this current moment, Google is not able to determine if an app should outrank a competing services Web page. But if Google knows about the content already on a Web page, it can redirect a user to the app because the API knows the app is a better experience.
As a result, Web pages and apps will now be competing for ranking and traffic at the same level. When this begins to take form, it is obvious that brands need to understand their own apps and optimize the content to prepare for Google’s search results. Even during this exciting time, there a few things to keep in mind as Google is ironing out the details and attempting to see what works, and what doesn’t when it comes to crawling apps. The ranking is still primarily based off of Web content. There is not a way to measure app success in terms of downloads and time spent on apps (yet). Google is unable to look at crawlable content with apps – links, user behavior, social activity, page structure, and other indications sent from the app content. These don’t exist with apps at the moment, but could in the future.
FUTURE OF SEO AND MOBILE APPS
1.The probability of Apps as a replacement to websites
With the changing scenario and increasing number of smartphone users, the development of mobile app has become a necessity. The reason behind developing a mobile app is to provide quick access to the services offered by a business. To run a business, websites and mobile apps, both are equally important. So, mobile apps will not be going to replace websites completely, but a slight change can be observed in the coming years.
2. Necessity of Apps
The necessity to build an app comes from the increasing number of smartphone users. Like I mentioned above, people are more comfortable dealing and interacting with apps. Mobile apps give you quick access to fulfill your needs. Nowadays, many businesses revolve around whether to create an app or not. Building an app is a one-time investment, but it might take your business to a new level. However, websites will always be there to perform research and analysis, but when you prefer quick access, mobile apps come into the picture.
3. Interactivity advantage
The reason why people are comfortable dealing with mobile apps is that mobile apps can be easily accessible in multiple ways. Initially, people have started using apps for performing a light computing task, but nowadays, apps have become the first choice to perform an instant task such as booking a cab, Photo and Video editing, gaming, booking tickets for a movie or traveling, etc.
INDEXING FOR MOBILE
To get found in the Google mobile search results, you will need to get your mobile presence into the Google index. There are several ways that you can do this:
Mobile Subdomain
Serves different code to each device, and on separate URLs. The mobile version is also commonly known as an “M dot” site, with the URL structure being something along the lines of m.example.com.
The mobile subdomain configuration tries to detect the user’s’ device, then redirects to the appropriate page using HTTP redirects along with the Vary HTTP header.
Dynamic Serving
This configuration uses the same URL regardless of device. However, the server generates a different version of HTML code for different device types based on what the server knows about the user’s browser.
Responsive Web Design
Responsive design is Google’s recommended design pattern. This approach serves the same HTML code on the same URL regardless of the users’ device (desktop, tablet, mobile, non-visual browser). However, the page adapts to each display differently and “responds” depending on the screen size.
Application Indexing
Google App Indexing is a system that allows searchers to click on listings in Google’s search results, taking them into apps on their Android and iOS smartphones and tablets.
Accelerated Mobile Pages
Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP), is a Google-backed project intended as an open standard for any publisher to have pages load quickly on mobile devices.