Do you remember the old Nokia phones? People were so excited about being able to send text messages and play snake. Fast forward a few years and Smartphones have become a staple for most people, so businesses have to adapt to consumer trends. One of the latest things companies must consider is accelerated mobile pages.
In 2018, mobile usage finally took over desktop, meaning Google had to come up with a way to help websites optimise themselves for mobile browsing. Their solution is AMP.
What is AMP?
AMP was developed by Google to improve how websites are optimised for mobile search. In basic terms, AMP refers to a framework that works around existing HTML to create an effective way to streamline the information browsers exchange with each other.
By using AMP, users get a faster browsing experience, and loading speed for mobile pages is instantaneous. The most significant advantage of AMP is it integrates well with all browsers and content management systems.
Accelerated Mobile Pages SEO Benefits
It’s important to note here that while AMP isn’t a ranking factor for your SEO, but implementing it does offer two major benefits. Let’s look at them now.
Faster Page Load Times
Google recently announced that in 2021, its ranking factors would change to include user experience. One of the most significant aspects their algorithm will look for is page loading times. AMP can boost the speed of your web pages, which will result in your search result page ranking.
According to Google, implementing AMP into your website means your web page loading time could be under one second. As Website Magazine points out, slow loading pages are one of the most significant reasons people leave a web page so that AMP can make a big difference to your SEO.
More Visibility in Search Results
Google makes certain websites that use AMP are rewarded by enhanced visibility in the search results. As you can see from the image below, AMP pages are highlighted by a lightning bolt so users can see which sites use it.
AMP is also a deciding factor in if top stories will rank highly in the search results. If you don’t implement AMP, Google won’t include your post in the top stories carousel, so for blogging and content marketing purposes, AMP looks like it will become a vital integration for all sites soon.
Things to Think About
Implementing AMP is a good idea, but before you dive in head first, there are a few things you should consider.
Is AMP a stable investment?
What we mean by stable investment is can you invest once in AMP and expect to not make any future investments on upgrades? Unfortunately not. Google continually updates its algorithm, and it’s likely accelerated mobile pages.
Is there more work involved?
You’ll need to either have a development team in place or partner with a developer if you want to create content. SEO is more complicated with accelerated mobile pages, so it’s worth considering if you can afford the extra costs, time and input.
The Bottom Line
AMP holds a lot of benefits, but it seems while larger companies embrace it, SMB’s need to think about whether the pros outweigh the cons. There’s no doubt that accelerated mobile pages for SEO are important, but it’s not a cheap option for companies on a budget.
If you’d like to know more about how to boost your website performance, check out our guide on how to keep users on your website using internal linking.
