How to Track and Analyze the Success of Deep Linking in Your Mobile App?

You’ve done deep linking, great! But ever wondered if your deep linking strategy is performing as expected and fetching the right results?

Half of you must have, while the rest might not have! If you haven’t, you must, as deep linking is a substantial investment. Thus, you have every reason to track and analyze the success of your deep liking strategy. Besides, it is crucial to know a few other aspects as well.

So, let’s understand the reasons you must track and analyze the success of deep linking in your mobile app and also how you can do it in this blog.

What is Deep Linking and Types of Deep Linking?

Deep linking helps direct users to a particular page, section, or content within a mobile app or website instead of dumping the user to the Homepage. The technique helps enhance user experience, and engagement and contributes positively to conversion rates by minimizing the number of navigation steps. Thus, users reach their destination in fewer clicks.

Deep linking can be categorized into different types, depending on what it does. Let’s look at some of the types of deep linking types.

• Traditional Deep Linking: The link uses standard URLs to direct users to a particular page within an application or a website. However, it works only when the user has a particular app installed on the mobile phone. Thus, if the user sees an offer or discount ad on a retail application, the traditional link will only work and transport the user to the content if they have the app on their phone.
• Deferred Deep Linking: This type of linking directs users to specific in-app content even if they haven’t installed the application. If the user hasn’t installed the app, the link will first take the user to the app store to download and install the app and after that, it will redirect them to the intended content.
• Contextual Deep Linking: This is similar to deferred deep linking. However, includes additional data like referral sources, promo codes, or user preferences. Contextual deep linking is used for personalized experiences, onboarding flows, and targeted promotions.

Deep linking has numerous benefits associated with user experience and growth. However, you can optimize and understand whether you are reaping those advantages only when you track and analyze your deep linking performance. Here’s why it is crucial. 

The Need for Tracking and Analyzing the Success of Deep Linking

Let’s look at some reasons that make measuring deep linking performance vital.

• Identify Usability Issues

Deep link transports users to specific in-app content, reducing friction and enhancing navigation. Analyzing deep linking performance helps you identify usability issues and optimize the user’s journey with your content.

• Measure Retention Rates

Users engage when they land on the relevant content instead of a generic homepage. Tracking deep linking success and performance helps you measure user’s retention rate and refine linking strategies to optimize user retention.

• Align Linking Strategy

Deep links streamline the road to key actions, which could be signups, purchases, subscriptions, etc. By analyzing deep linking numbers, companies can also measure click-through rates and conversions. They can refine their linking strategy for optimal impact.

• Optimize Marketing Campaign

Marketers can measure how users interact with deep links from campaigns. By measuring performance data, you can calculate which channels drive the most value for you.

• Improve Personalization

Analyzing user behavior from deep links helps you drive better content recommendations. This results in a more personalized app experience and more user satisfaction.

• A/B Testing and Optimization

By measuring your deep linking performance, you can compare different deep linking strategies and refine your performance. You can test variations in link placement, messaging, etc., to drive continuous improvement.

How to Track and Analyze the Success of Deep Linking?

So, here’s how to measure the performance and success of your deep linking strategy.

• Define Your Goals: Establish what success means to you. Is it associated with increased app installs and conversions or does enhancing user engagement and retention matter to you more? Are you looking to enhance personalized user experiences or do you want your in-app purchases or subscriptions to increase? Having clear goals will help you measure the right metrics and align the strategy.
• Establish Deep Linking Tracking: Use various tools like AppsFlyer, Branch, Adjust, ChottuLink, etc., to see how users interact with deep links, their origin, and the actions they take in your application.
• Track Key Metrics: Once you have tracking, focus on metrics, including Click Through Rate (CTR), retention rate, activation rate, install attribution, and conversion rates. Each rate gives you a new perspective. For instance, install attribution helps you determine whether deep links lead to app installs. On the other hand, conversion rates help you measure how often deep-linked users complete valuable actions.
• Analyze User Behaviour: Deep linking is fundamentally associated with seamless user experience. To assess that, check where users drop off in their journey, which deep links perform the best, and how various audience segments respond to deep links. You can use techniques like heatmaps and funnel analysis to help you visualize user behaviour, enabling informed improvements.
• A/B Testing: You shouldn’t rely on or work with a single format. Instead, you must use different link formats, messaging, and placements. A/B testing can help you identify factors that drive better engagement and conversions.
• Regular Analysis: Analysis isn’t a one-time job or activity. It must be a continuous one. Thus, you must regularly analyze your deep linking data and align your strategy accordingly. Links with low engagement must undergo improvements through refined targeting or making the app content more relevant.

Relying on Firebase Dynamic Links? Soon to Close! Your Options?

Firebase Dynamic Links has been a default choice for deep linking for long. However, it will be closing its service on August 25, 2025. So, what options do you have? The answer is ChottuLink – a premium, yet convenient and affordable deep linking service. 

ChottuLink offers an effortless switch between Firebase Dynamic Links. It offers universal compatibility across iOS, Android, and web, supports deferred deep linking, and provides custom domain support. Want to avail of ChottuLink’s services? Join the waitlist.