Using Deep Linking to Improve App Discoverability

By allowing search engines to index in-app material and giving consumers a smooth, direct route to particular content from external sources like websites, advertisements, and social media, deep linking enhances app discoverability.

Key Ways Deep Linking Enhances Discoverability

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Deep links allow search engines like Google to crawl and index specific pages within an app, much like they do for websites. This means that when users search for specific content (e.g., a product or an article), organic search results can display a direct link to that content within your app, boosting visibility and organic traffic.
• Seamless User Experience (UX): Instead of users landing on an app’s generic homepage and having to navigate manually, deep links take them directly to the information they are looking for. This reduces friction, drop-off rates, and user frustration, making users more likely to engage with the app and return.
• Effective Marketing Campaigns: Marketers can embed deep links in various channels to drive acquisition and re-engagement:
  • Email & SMS: Directing users from a promotional email to a specific product page or an abandoned cart.
  • Social Media: Guiding users from ads or organic posts to an in-app offer or a shared piece of content.
  • QR Codes: Using QR codes on physical materials (e.g., product packaging or in-store displays) to lead users to specific in-app content or an app download page.
• User Acquisition & Onboarding: Advanced techniques like deferred deep linking ensure that even if a user doesn’t have the app installed, they are first directed to the appropriate app store to download it and then, upon the first launch, seamlessly guided to the specific content they originally clicked on. This personalized onboarding experience helps increase new user retention rates.
• App-to-App Integration: Deep links facilitate smooth transitions between different apps (e.g., from a social media app to a shopping app’s product page), creating a connected digital ecosystem and expanding reach.

In order to enhance the user experience in mobile applications, deep connections are crucial tools. By directing users directly to particular material within the app, these connections reduce the number of steps needed to obtain requested information. In addition to improving user pleasure, this straightforward navigation raises engagement and app retention rates. Additionally, by enabling search engines to index app content, deep links enhance search engine optimization (SEO) and increase the app’s exposure in search results.

What is Deep Linking?

A deep link is a link that directs your mobile app user to content that is relevant to what they clicked through. This could be within the mobile app or to another product of the app. Deep links basically eradicate the need for a mobile user to install an app and open it to search for content they want to see, enhancing their user experience. 

Simply put, the mobile user can first go through the content that interested them and then decide whether or not to download the app. 

Here’s a visual representation of how directing users with a deep link and without a deep link works: 

Types of Deep Linking

1. Standard deep linking 

A standard or traditional deep link is one that directs users to a specific part of your app or relevant content, using the app URL. One of the shortcomings of this deep link is that they only work if the user already has the mobile app installed. They otherwise lead to an error page, leading to the user bouncing off from their journey with your app. 

2. Deferred deep linking 

This type of deep linking applies when the mobile user has the app installed. The deep link directly takes them to the relevant content inside the app. But if they don’t have the app installed, it instead takes them to the right app store and asks them to download the app to view the content. 

Simply put, the deep linking here is ‘deferred’ until the application is installed by the user. 

Here’s how deferred deep linking works: 

3. Contextual deep linking 

This type of deep linking takes a user directly to the content they have shown interest in or an appropriate app store if the app isn’t already installed. It additionally stores user data to help developers and marketers offer users a personalized and targeted app experience right after they open an app. These links also enable app marketers to gather information on how marketing campaigns and different channels are performing. 

Contextual deep links work similarly to the standard and deferred deep links. The only difference is that they not only pass user data to an app through the install so that users are redirected to where they’re supposed to be but also record information about them – who they are, where they are from, who referred them or which promotional code they want to apply for in-app conversions.   

Benefits of Using Deep Links in Your App

1. They enhance the mobile buyer’s journey

A deep link connects the user to relevant content with a single click. There are no multiple paths confusing the user or creating any friction in their journey with the app – irrespective of the stage they are at (awareness, consideration, decision). 

Read Also: The Impact of App Size and Performance on ASO

For example, you’re running ads on Facebook and have a referral marketing program to acquire new users. With deep linking, you can personalize the onboarding experience based on where the user is coming from and what the initial hook for the install was. You can provide personalized app invites or even include incentives that can be used in-app during the onboarding. 

Similarly, a deep link can help you understand a user who is still considering making an in-app purchase. You can retarget this user based on their last in-app interaction and use a deep link to lead them straight to a page where they can avail the offer you’re making. Contrary to making them an offer on Facebook, letting them come back to your app and then finding their way to apply the discount, deep links enhance the user experience and also improve your conversions. 

2. They improve user engagement, retention and usage 

An article published on TechCrunch shared how users who were deep linked showed double the activation and retention rate. They visited the app twice as frequently as compared to those who weren’t deep linked. The reason is simple – personalization. 

It’s similar to how on every visit to Amazon, you’re offered a personalized home page. You’re able to view the products you last saw and are even recommended some similar to them. It just increases your chances of engaging with the store or even making a purchase. 

Source

3. They help re-engage inactive users

A lot of mobile users will install the app, use it a few times and then become inactive. These are users that need to be motivated to come back for another session with promotional items or exclusive access to features. You could use emails, retargeting ads, social media posts, and other channels to reach out to them. But if you make a promising offer and lead them to the homepage of your app, you’ll lose their interest again. 

That’s where deep linking comes in. No matter what channel you use for re-engaging inactive users, it takes them straight to the right in-app content screen. 

For example, when a user stops using your app, you could motivate them with a discount using a deep link. This link takes them directly to the in-app page where they can avail this discount, increasing the probability of them converting. 

4. They strengthen and optimize your marketing 

Deep links can pass data. This means you can accurately see which campaigns on what channels or sources are the most successful for your user acquisition, engagement and retention. Deep linking helps you attribute all sources, enabling you to optimize your marketing strategy better. 

Additionally, they also help you drive more revenue from your marketing campaigns. For instance, if you’re pushing a 20% discount on an in-app purchase, the deep link will take the user directly to the screen where they can convert immediately – lesser distractions lead to increased conversions and revenue. 

5. They improve app discoverability 

The search engines index mobile app deep links. This means that if your app content is optimized for the right keywords, it can show up in search engine results – similar to how a web page from a site would. 

This increases the chances of new users finding your app through search. But to turn their search intent into installs, you need a seamless way for them to reach your app. That’s where deep linking comes in to take them to the relevant app store or the content they’ve shown interest in. 

How to Create a Deep Link – Deep Linking Technologies 

1. URI schemes 

URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) schemes are the primary method of deep linking into iOS and Android apps. URIs expand upon URLs to include characters that direct users to a unique location in the app. 

A typical format for a URI is similar to myapp://path/to/content. 

But if the user doesn’t have the app installed, it gives an error, making deep linking accuracy suffer. They’re also not able to redirect the user to the relevant app store as a fallback. 

2. Universal links 

Universal links are similar to the standard deep links. But instead of defining a custom URL scheme, a universal link simply matches a set of URLs to relevant in-app locations. This deep linking technology is exclusive to Apple and is available only on iOS versions 9 and above.

When a user clicks on a URL that uses a deep link, iOS automatically redirects them to the app. It offers iOS users an integrated mobile experience. 

3. Android app links 

An Android app link similar to iOS Universal links allows an app to designate itself as the default handler of an application’s domain. It means that your deep link is verified to belong to your domain. But this deep linking technology works only on Android 6.0 (API 23) and higher. 

If the user does not have the app installed, an Android app link redirects them to the web location. If they do, it opens the app for them. Here’s a visual representation of how the Android app link works: 

Conclusion

Offering an integrated experience to users has become crucial for app developers and marketers, given the growing competition on both iOS and Android. A flawless experience guarantees that your users will continue to find value in what you have to offer in addition to being engaged with the app.