What is Deep Linking and What are Deep Links Used for?

Imagine clicking on a link on your phone, and being dumped into an app’s homepage, where you are compelled to navigate a laundry list of menus. In a situation like this, you often struggle to find the offer that drove you.

Frustrating, right? The link appears as a promised shortcut to what you were shown but instead you get lost in the maze of options!

We've all been there and gone through those few frustrating seconds at some point.

Enter deep linking – a concept fresh from the oven, prepared to change the rules of the game and transform user experiences.

However, what is deep linking, and what makes us say that it will drive the next revolution across the digital cosmos? Let’s find it out in this blog.

What is a Deep Link?

It is an exclusive link that transports you directly to a specific page or location inside a mobile application instead of just opening the app’s homepage.

For instance, you see an eCommerce Facebook ad offering 30% off on sports shoes. Intrigued by the offer, you click on the ad. After that, it whisks you away directly to the product page, prepared to browse or buy. So, deep linking is about sticking to the context and making digital experiences more convenient.

Now, how does deep linking benefit users and businesses? It is obvious.

Users click on a particular link, and it takes users to precisely the content with which they are engaged. The linking makes navigating the page more effortless and quicker. For businesses, it means quicker decision-making by the user, potentially more sales conversions, and better returns on mobile marketing campaigns.

But wait! While all that seems great, what if the user doesn’t have the application installed in their mobile phone? How does deep linking work in that case?

Deferred Deep Linking

OK. You don’t have to guess. The answer is deferred deep linking.

Let’s suppose you see a music concert ad on your phone with a ticket booking link (through a mobile app) at the bottom. But you don’t have that app on your phone. This is where deferred deep linking steps in. It bridges the gap and enables an effortless transition from app discovery to content access.

If you do not have an app installed in your phone, deferred deep linking will first direct you to the app store where you download the app. Once you install the app, the system takes you to the specific content piece (in this case, the concert’s ticket booking page) with which you originally interacted.

The benefit of doing all this? It refers to end-to-end hand-holding. Requiring to download an app and finding a specific page can deter users. They may cancel the interaction halfway through. However, deferred deep linking stays with the user, ensuring the user reaches the page they engaged with initially.

Accordingly, deep linking can help businesses retain users, enhance engagement rate, increase app downloads, and drive more numbers through the campaign.

What are Deep Links Used for?

Deep links serve as a single answer to various objectives, including the following.

• Seamless User Experience: Deep links eliminate friction and enhance user journeys by taking them to the content they need, quickly and efficiently.
• Driving App Engagement: They drive more engagement by saving the user’s time and effort in searching the content with which they initially connected.
• Cross-Platform Promotion: Deep links connect platforms, enabling businesses to use them in SMSs, emails, push notifications, etc., and benefit from cross-platform marketing.
• App Indexing and Search: Deep linking makes your content more visible and discoverable for search engines, enhancing app visibility and increasing the number of organic downloads.
• Analytics and Tracking: You can tag deep links with parameters to track campaign performance and understand user interactions with your app. Such a data-driven approach can help you optimize your marketing efforts and derive more value from them.

Is Deep Linking the Future of Digital Marketing?

Interestingly, although new, it has already embarked on its journey to drive a paradigm shift across the virtual space. As it continues to grow and evolve, it will become even more beneficial, helping businesses build more value and augment return on investments through digital marketing campaigns.

Need more insights into deep linking or leverage it? Connect with us, and let’s meet over a cup of coffee to explore possibilities.