show unity launcher links in dash

I have added a couple of links to the unity launcher dragging .desktop files to it

I save them in ~/.local/application and then drag them to the unity launcher

But when I call the dash (win key) they don't appear in it...

all I get it the myapp.desktop file...

Is there some way that they can show up in the dash?

I found the problem...

I had my .desktop files in ~/.local/application, and they should be in ~/.local/share/applications

I just dragged them to the unity launcher and now I have them available at the dash