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Searchmetrics study shows most apps are not utilizing Google App Indexing

While most top websites have apps, only 30% of those Android apps and 19% of those iOS apps have deployed App Indexing.

Barry Schwartz on March 10, 2016 at 8:50 am

Searchmetrics published a study on App Indexing showing that of the top 100 sites they monitor, very few actually deploy App Indexing in their apps.

The study showed that while 84 percent of the top 100 domains offer an Android app, and 88 percent of those web sites have an iOS app, only 30 percent of those Android apps deploy App Indexing and 19 percent of those iOS apps deploy App Indexing.

“Many companies have invested heavily in apps, yet on average 20 percent of the apps a person installs on their device are only ever opened once,” said Marcus Tober, CTO and founder of Searchmetrics. “App indexing is a fantastic opportunity to maximize the investment in your app — by helping to drive more traffic and interaction and potentially even conversions. On top of this, if your app supports app indexing, Google has indicated that it could potentially appear more prominently in searches.”

This is potentially a huge missed opportunity for these companies that already have apps.

Marcus Tober says App Indexing leads to more customer loyalty within the app, more app installs, a ranking boost for your app and potentially more conversions. Google also released case studies on the benefits of deploying App Indexing.

Here is a chart from the study showing the breakdown of these top web sites that have apps:

Here is the breakdown of those apps that have deployed App Indexing by iOS and Android platforms:

To download the full study, go here.

Postscript: A Google spokesperson sent us the following statement:

Getting app content indexed can be a great move for most apps and we encourage app owners to consider how implementing it could bring them additional benefits in discovery and re-engagement. The implementation method tracked in the study (adding rel=alternate elements in the <head> section of the corresponding webpage) is only applicable for custom schemes. App developers have a much easier way to implement app indexing by supporting HTTP links and adding the App indexing API.

About The Author

Barry Schwartz

Barry Schwartz is Search Engine Land's News Editor and owns RustyBrick, a NY based web consulting firm. He also runs Search Engine Roundtable, a popular search blog on SEM topics.