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Google Search Will Begin Indexing iOS App Content in Coming Weeks

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Apr 12, 2001
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Google has announced that it will begin indexing content from iOS apps in search results in the near future, enabling iPhone users to open mobile app content straight from Google Search. The company says that indexed links from an initial group of apps will begin appearing on iOS in search results in both the Google app and Chrome for signed-in users in the coming weeks.

OpenTable-Side-by-side1.jpg
Google first introduced app indexing in search results for Android in October 2013, giving developers full control over what app content they would like indexed in search results. A user looking to make a reservation at a restaurant in New York, for example, can access an indexed version of OpenTable directly from search results, book a table and return to Google by tapping the top bar.

Google also outlines instructions for developers on how to get an iOS app indexed in search results, a process that, among other steps, involves adding deep linking support to the app and submitting an iOS app indexing interest form. Google notes that filling out the form does not automatically guarantee getting app deep links in iOS search results, and encourages those interested to attend the "Get your app in the Google index" talk at Google I/O this week.

Article Link: Google Search Will Begin Indexing iOS App Content in Coming Weeks
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2015/05/27/google-search-ios-app-indexing/
This is interesting. Google obviously wants to remain relevant as the world moves to using apps instead of web pages. It's too bad that Apple's App Store search is so poor, but eventually Google might be a better solution to find iOS apps.
 
If this helps access things faster in mobile and still protects privacy (something I am still on the fence about with Google), then it's a good thing.
 
I'm unfamiliar with how this is implemented on Android. I hope you still have the option of opening the content on the web page instead of the app. Some things the website is the only way to access certain content as some apps offer only limited actions.
 
dwsolberg said:
This is interesting. Google obviously wants to remain relevant as the world moves to using apps instead of web pages. It's too bad that Apple's App Store search is so poor, but eventually Google might be a better solution to find iOS apps.
Click to expand...

Hmm, I'd argue the opposite. As web technology marches towards a native experience, I would have less need to install native apps. The world is not "moving towards" using apps instead of web pages... we currently live in that world. What the world is moving to is finding web applications that remove the need for storing and running a locally-stored application. There's still a long way to go, but web apps have come a long way and will only get better.
 
Jack Delgado said:
Hmm, I'd argue the opposite. As web technology marches towards a native experience, I would have less need to install native apps. The world is not "moving towards" using apps instead of web pages... we currently live in that world. What the world is moving to is finding web applications that remove the need for storing and running a locally-stored application. There's still a long way to go, but web apps have come a long way and will only get better.
Click to expand...

i know i would always default to the app vs a website or web app any day i do think your argument stands for the computer user not for the mobile user however the desktop user is on the decline so...
 
I'm worried about anything Google releases as a "feature". They're always looking at making money from their users. Can someone explain what information about me Google will gather from this? To avoid it do I just need to not use the google app or chrome apps? I hope it's as simple as that.
 
Bigsk8r said:
If this helps access things faster in mobile and still protects privacy (something I am still on the fence about with Google), then it's a good thing.
Click to expand...

Totally agree. When I read this story, I keep wondering how Google might use this against our privacy. I just don't trust those guys right now.

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GucciPiggy said:
I guess you'll be waiting a long time.
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I am okay waiting for ever as long as my searches remain private.

I hope apple buys DDG and incorporates it into Safari as default.

Apple, do it and raise the wall on the garden. :D
 
paulopadopa said:
I'm worried about anything Google releases as a "feature". They're always looking at making money from their users. Can someone explain what information about me Google will gather from this? To avoid it do I just need to not use the google app or chrome apps? I hope it's as simple as that.
Click to expand...

Wait what??? Somebody tries to make money from their users?????
 
japanime said:
Seems like a nice feature. Nice try, Google. But I'm sticking with DuckDuckGo.
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I would love to use and support DuckDuckGo but it returns really bad results to almost unusable. Bing is the only somewhat competitor at this point...
 
paulopadopa said:
I'm worried about anything Google releases as a "feature". They're always looking at making money from their users. Can someone explain what information about me Google will gather from this? To avoid it do I just need to not use the google app or chrome apps? I hope it's as simple as that.
Click to expand...

The point of this is not to gather (personal) data. But rather, allow you to search google and find content from inside of apps.

An example would be me searching for a restaurant.
Right now a link to yelp would likely come up. But with this new feature, yelp can allow google to make that link open the yelp app, and go directly to the review it found.

Since it uses deep linking, the developer needs to set this all up ahead of time, and only allows access to certain pages inside the app.
You may have already noticed something like this on some sites for apps (happens a lot in news apps), where it will open the app and go right to that article for you.

Google search can now just show you this information in a search result, and then open the app.
 
This looks like a regular Apple/Google mash-up alright..

Personally, i would just pick up an iPhone,,, but that's just me.
 
VPrime said:
The point of this is not to gather (personal) data. But rather, allow you to search google and find content from inside of apps.

An example would be me searching for a restaurant.
Right now a link to yelp would likely come up. But with this new feature, yelp can allow google to make that link open the yelp app, and go directly to the review it found.

Since it uses deep linking, the developer needs to set this all up ahead of time, and only allows access to certain pages inside the app.
You may have already noticed something like this on some sites for apps (happens a lot in news apps), where it will open the app and go right to that article for you.

Google search can now just show you this information in a search result, and then open the app.
Click to expand...

Awesome explanation thank you.

I suppose the benefit to Google is that they have a better search product and keep people using it to gather data. Does this require you to be logged into a google service?
 
I don't think you would need to log in.
For the end user, nothing should really change. Other than results now include pages from supported apps.
 
paulopadopa said:
I'm worried about anything Google releases as a "feature". They're always looking at making money from their users. Can someone explain what information about me Google will gather from this? To avoid it do I just need to not use the google app or chrome apps? I hope it's as simple as that.
Click to expand...

It's probably more of the same, but this will keep them relevant as the world moves to more of an app-based model.
 
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