Many businesses, both small and large, strive to improve their digital identity. To this end, they have resorted to using Search Engine Optimization(SEO), a robust, valuable, and crucial digital marketing tool. Recently, a technology called Accelerated Mobile Pages was launched to improve mobile optimization. Read along to know more about SEO, Google AMP, and their correlation. For accelerated SEO, check this page.
What Is SEO?
SEO is a strategy used to increase your website’s ranking, making it more visible and authoritative on the web. By increasing the organic search engine traffic, you can gain customers’ trust and consequently increase sales. To demonstrate that you have an official and valuable website to search engines, you can do off-page SEO through guest blogging and email outreach. You can also do on-page SEO, focusing on keywords, content optimization, and internal links to highlight a website’s strengths.
What Is Google AMP?
Google describes Accelerated Mobile Pages as an open-source, web-based solution to help publishers create mobile-friendly content instantly loads on all devices. AMP allows pages with entertaining content like video, animations, and graphics to be loaded instantly. In essence, Google AMP aims to give its users the best possible mobile experience.
As the mobile web becomes more popular, so does the need for faster loading pages. Enter Google AMP. AMP is a project by Google that aims to improve the performance of web pages on mobile devices. One way AMP improves page speed is by using a hybrid traffic system that combines the best of both the traditional server-side rendering and client-side rendering approaches.
How does AMP work?
AMP is an open-source HTML framework, which offers a straight path to create quick loading pages and prioritizes user experience. It involves creating a stripped-down, mobile-optimized AMP replica of existing HTML 5 page content. JavaScript powers the optimization. Customizable styling is available through CSS3. In addition, AMP offers pages the ability to be cached.
Technically, AMP pages are directed to Google’s server to be introduced. It permits Google to cache, preload, and pre-render the content before a user clicks the link in search results.
When the user hits the link, it is displayed as either Google AMP viewer or Signed exchange. Hence, by dividing HTML, pre-rendering AMP content, and preferring AMP pages, Google influences website building and monetization to direct the internet in its favour.
Is AMP necessary?
Although AMP can help you in the SEO process, it is not crucial for SEO in some cases. It is widely used by websites that post a high capacity of articles and blogs. AMP comes with performance optimization features such as image hosting, file caching, and loading text before images beneficial to publishers.
It is not a Google ranking element, but it can enhance your website’s experience and performance through various factors considered by the Google algorithm.
Therefore, Google AMP is just one of the ways to optimize page speed and mobile experience that are critical for SEO.
Who Should Choose To Implement AMP?
Well, people have different opinions regarding AMP. Some believe it positively affects publishers and industries, while others do not fancy it. Read to know whether you should opt for AMP or not:
- AMP is not for users who operate mainly from their desktops, as it does not work there. That means that several excellent features of AMP are not displayed on the desktop.
- For sites that have been skillfully developed to load below the 2.5-second standard loading time, switching to AMP is not worth it, as the increase in speed and the organic session would not be affected much. It will be better to invest in other opportunities available out there.
- AMP is an excellent solution for sites that cannot reach the standard quality to highlight themselves in SEO.
Benefits Of Google AMP:
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Improved website engagement
The lightweight AMP content interconnects mobile users with unstable internet connections very well. It also motivates website visitors to stay longer due to the fast loading time.
2. Better ranking and traffic
In Google’s search algorithms, AMPs are prioritized as they offer faster loading services.
3. Lower bounce rates
Again linked to pages loading faster, users are less likely to leave the site.
4. Amplified ad views
Using AMP, the complete usability of banners and images is increased through HTML code. Publishers can gain monetary benefits with higher ad viewability rates through AMP.
5. Great click-through rates
The Google mobile-SERP ranks higher than the AMP pages. Therefore, users are more likely to choose them and increase click-through rates.
Drawbacks Of AMP
Although AMP delivers an excellent mobile experience to the users, you must be vigilant of some downsides while implementing AMP for the site:
- AMP HTML does not select creativity and chooses efficiency; therefore, AMP is not the best choice for you if you want your web experience to be visually appealing.
- On AMP pages, you are permitted to post limited images. Apart from this, you are allowed to display only one ad on one page.
- It is expensive as it costs double the amount for a single portion of the content.
- AMP dilutes the brand individuality because, in the address bar, a Google domain is displayed. Although there is a button to visit the actual site at the top of the AMP page, users generally ignore it as it takes up time. It negatively affects the content developer’s site traffic.
- AMP only works when the user clicks on the actual account of a webpage.
What Does AMP Mean For SEO?
It is crucial to understand that AMP does not directly affect the search engine rank. However, speed has a significant role in search engine ranking. For example, if two pages have the same score in all characteristics but one grade higher in rate, emphasis is given to the faster loading article.
Mobiles are becoming predominant in every aspect of people’s lives, and the majority uses Google to search the internet. Therefore, AMP is an essential tool to enhance your site’s findability on the web.
AMP has excellent potential, but its future is also uncertain. As of now, Google AMP stands a better chance of gaining worldwide popularity as a standard than its competitors like Facebook Instant Articles or Apple News. Hence, publishers are likely to lean towards AMP.
