We all know that feeling you get when the site you want to visit loads too slow. When you are in a rush to do important things that could really become a problem. Google AMP just might be the solution to this problem.
What is Google AMP?
Google AMP (Accelerate mobile pages) is an open source framework that assists developers in making fast loading pages with static content. The goal is to make the web a better place for users and publishers. To reach this goal the AMP team has developed a new web page format, which is a simplified version of HTML, specifically for mobile devices. You can distinguish which links are AMP search results when you see a lightning icon below the title of an AMP article. Google supports AMP and its purpose is to make websites load constantly fast, deliver high performance, and provide flexibility.
What is it made of?
AMP consist of three core pieces:
- AMP HTML
- AMP JavaScript
- AMP Cache
The combination of these three is what gives the super-fast AMP experience.
- AMP HTML is HTML with some restrictions for reliable performance. It is restricted to work better with other pieces. The firm describes it as ‘’new open framework built out of existing web technologies.’’
- AMP JS- the AMP JavaScript library ensures the fast rendering of AMP HTML pages. It implements the best practices for performance and manages resource loading to ensure the pages renders quickly.
- AMP Cache- the Google AMP Cache can be used to serve cached AMP HTML pages. It is built on existing skill sets that web developers already have. Only valid AMP pages can be displayed to users.
,,If our site takes a long time to download, it doesn’t matter how great out journalism is, some people will leave the page before they see what’s there’’ - The Washington Post
Google gives higher rankings to publishers who meet the AMP requirements because it improves the overall experience of the web. In the near future Google AMP will probably serve as a standard for web pages. Improving website speed, mobile experience, and content delivery. Publishers and websites experience near instantaneous loading, smooth scrolling, styling, and branding flexibility. Not only do they satisfy the user’s love of fast content loading but they also retain the look and style of the brand.
Faster reading=More consumption
Companies linked to AMP pages include Google, Bing, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and eBay.
What are the benefits?
The benefits of adopting AMP is not only improving your website’s loading time and user experience, but also gaining a boost in rankings. With Google AMP placing an emphasis on the overall user experience, another thing you might want to consider is working with an experienced digital partner. That way you could gain a better understanding of how your website is performing in comparison to the competition through analysis and research.
Adobe reported in February 2017 that 7% of all web traffic for top publishers in the United States is related to AMP. Many businesses report increased results with AMP, some of which are Greenweez, CNBC, Wego, NoBroker, etc. AMP is often compared to Facebook Instant Articles and Apple News.
AMP pages typically load in less than 1 second. This improves low engagement rates as readers give up on slow sites.
- 75% of mobile sites take more than 10 seconds to load.
- 53% of mobile site visitors leave after 3 second of load time.
- Mobile ad revenue doubles for sites that load in 5 seconds vs 19 seconds.
The elimination of pop-ups is also a big factor because studies have shown that they have a negative effect on the reader. A broad range of ads that are more user friendly supports monetization. Frustrated by slow loading websites and ads that block you doing what you do can create bad user experience. Good websites require constant update and effort to maintain, though. That is why some experts believe that AMP could be helpful in creating a faster web experience.
For all we know, Google has acted as an index that points people away from Google to other websites. With AMP, Google is gathering content on its own servers and keeping readers on Google. Whether this is a good or a bad thing, you should answer for yourself.
Sources Used:
https://www.ampproject.org/learn/overview/
https://developers.google.com/amp/
https://www.wired.com/2016/02/googles-amp-speeding-web-changing-works/
https://searchengineland.com/library/google/google-amp-project
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/05/19/open_source_insider_google_amp_bad_bad_bad/
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