Application indexing – the future of SEO?

Search engine optimization (or SEO) is now widely regarded as one of the key elements of running a successful online business. The basic premise of SEO is – what use is it having a great website, products, and services, if your customers can’t find you? However, like with all things online, SEO is constantly changing and evolving at a rate that is increasing all the time. Only in the last year we have seen a major overhaul in the way that SEO works, what with Google and Bing’s mobile algorithm upgrades, and now there is another update on the horizon which could change the way that SEO and online businesses work in the future: application indexing. So, let’s look in a bit more detail at what application indexing is, and how it might affect your business and its SEO.

What is application indexing?

Application indexing is essentially the process by which the content of mobile and tablet applications is indexed for the purposes of SEO. This means that, just like your website, Google will now be scanning and indexing the content of applications in order to display links to this application content in search results for relevant keywords. So, if you search for a current news story in Google on your mobile or tablet, you will now see links to in-app results about that new story, usually for applications you already have installed on your device, or that you have had previously.

In addition, it may also display results for applications you do not have installed, and provide you with a link to the relevant app store to download them and access the content. This move comes as Google is updating its algorithms to reflect the rise in mobile internet usage over the past few years. After introducing its new mobile friendly algorithm, application indexing is seen as the next step in the worldwide mobile internet revolution.

How will it affect my business?

At present, your business will only be affected by this if it has a dedicated application available on Google Play or the Apple Store. However, what this does demonstrate is the way that SEO, and internet marketing more generally, will be changing over the coming years. As mobile usurps desktop browsing as the main way to access the internet, things like native apps will become more essential to running a successful online business. For now, however, making sure your SEO and mobile friendly aspect are up to date should see you through.