Google Adds New App Performance Tracking Tools

Google has just introduced new analytics reports that tell you how Google understands and treats your app content in search results.

The company has added the feature to Search Control, the new name for Webmaster Tools.

The Search Analytics reports will show you how your indexed app content is performing in the search results, and from which queries it appears.

It will also give detailed information on top queries, top app pages, and traffic by country.

Developers can also implement a comprehensive set of filters, allowing you to hone down to a specific query type or region, or sort by clicks, impressions, CTR, and positions.

In a blog post, Hillel Maoz, Google’s Search Console Team Engineering Lead said:

“Use the Search Analytics report to compare which app content you consider most important with the content that actually shows up in search and gets the most clicks. If they match, you’re on the right track! Your users are finding and liking what you want them to see. If there’s little overlap, you may need to restructure your navigation, or make the most important content easier to find. Also worth checking in this case: have you provided deep links to all the app content you want your users to find?”

Developers can use Google’s Crawl Errors report to show the type and number of errors Google found while indexing your app content.

The tech giant has also created an alpha version of the “Fetch as Google” tool for apps, so developers can check if an app URI works, and see how Google renders it.

Search Console is an app developer’s new go-to place for search stats.

To add your app to Search Console, you just open the page, and enter the name of your app: android-app://com.example.

You can then connect your site to your app, which will help understand and rank the app content better.

Find out more here.