App indexing has been described as the savior for fixing the App search for both Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has not been the best of experiences for users.
The search functionalities for app both Google and Apple are usually un-refined. For example, when searching for a certain application, the search gives multiple different results. This is usually the case for most specific name searches.
App indexing is expected to eliminate such flaws by giving users the option of taking a look a look at the application content accessed by application from both software companies. Users will thus be able to bypass the search keywords and go directly into the application content. For example, a user seeking a certain recipe will be able to access the actual recipe being sought rather than having to download a general recipe app that might not even have the content.
Links to the particular search will appear and prompt users to download the application if it is not already installed in their devices. Additionally, users may also get access to accompanying websites from the developer if there is that option.
App indexing will be available both iOS and Android. However, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Google will pursue different tactics to implement it. Apple wants to implement the indexing using the same developer tools used in Handoff, while google wants to execute the indexing app information as a whole. One of the indexing tools that Apple will use includes NSUserActivity whose properties allow users to index the app states and activities so that they are available in the search results.
Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) and Apple already have measures to ensure privacy so that private information will not be discoverable. However, the two firms will also approach these using different strategies. In Android, the app content is discoverable unless the developer decides to tag it with a noindex.xml tag. iOS developers are forced to publicly avail information through an eligible ForPublicIndexing variable.