Google Search Console Adds Apps Data To Search Analytics & Fetch As Google

Google announced two new features within the Google Search Console, formerly known as Google Webmaster Tools, for webmasters who participate in App Indexing.

The new features include the ability to see how searchers are discovering the content within your native Android apps through Google search in the Search Analytics report. Plus the ability to see how Google sees your app content through an alpha version of Fetch as Google for Apps.

This comes as no surprise as Google was seeking beta testers for these new features not so long ago.

The prerequisite for this is that you (1) need to have an Android app, (2) open Search Console and enter your app name: android-app://com.example., (3) have an associated app to a site in the console and (4) of course submit the XML feed. Then you can benefit from these new features.

Search Analytics For Apps

The Search Analytics report will give you pretty detailed information on top queries, top app pages, and traffic by country for your app. It has all the normal filters that you’d see for web site content but it applies to your app including filtering by specific query type or region, or sort by clicks, impressions, CTR, and positions.

Fetch As Google For Apps

Ever wonder how Google sees the content within your Android app? Google designed a beta version of the Fetch As Google for Apps to give App developers insights into this. It will show you by app URI how Google renders the URI. Here is a picture of how one app may look like:

For more details on App Indexing, see Google’s help docs.