AMP is a stripped-down form of HTML framework formulated by Google in 2015 to help web pages load faster on mobile web browsers. The idea behind the whole platform is all about boosting the speed and readability of all formats of web content. Thus, making the user’s mobile web experience superior and faster. Google reports that AMP-enabled pages without pre-rendering typically load in less than one second and use ten times less data than the non-AMP pages in Google’s search result page. Whereas with pre-rendering, the AMP-enabled pages load approximately nine times faster than the non-AMP version.
It is a known fact that AMP is not a direct ranking factor itself, and having AMP pages on your website won’t necessarily increase its rankings immediately. Google’s John Mueller had also confirmed this in a tweet in 2017. So then, how would AMP impact SEO in website ranking? Let’s check out.
The Accelerated Mobile Page or AMP is a refined version of the HTML framework of the existing webpage content that offers faster load time than standard HTML documents. For a few years now, it has become an integral part of SEO. Here are the five ways it influences SEO:
1. AMP is an indirect ranking factor of the Google search engine. The web pages making use of AMP appear within special places on top of the carousel of the Google mobile SERP (search engine result page).
2. Users are more likely to click on AMP-enabled pages first, leading to increased click-through rates and thus improves the website ranking.
3. AMP will impact SEO significantly when it comes to speed. A vast improvement in loading time, including images, videos, and all forms of web content, will load instantaneously. The key to AMP’s speedy delivery of content is the page’s streamlined version of CSS. Thus, it appears to be an area that ranks high with users and increases website traffic. For example, two websites might rank similarly, but the one with the most speed would get prioritized in ranking.
4. The next higher importance of AMP is mobile-friendliness. Although desktop is still the leading source, mobile usage is gaining importance in recent years. Google’s AMP is best in standardizing a mobile version of the website and optimizes the mobile browsing experience for all users.
5. One of the distinguished differences is that for AMP-enabled pages, everything is trimmed- down, and some functionality that you currently have on your website may not work. However, you are compromising design and functionality to make speed the top priority.
The AMP is not a piece of cake for all websites. Considering the fact that AMP is basic in terms of functionality and design, sites with a large percentage of website traffic from mobile users, particularly content sites, will benefit from implementing the AMP for the mobile version of the website.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Accelerated mobile pages or AMP is an indirect ranking factor. It serves users a trimmed version of a webpage by reducing the elements of a webpage. This is an excellent opportunity for publishers of content sites like news sites to get a mobile head start.
When users search on Google mobile search engine, an AMP page is likely to rank much higher than a regular mobile page. AMP will impact SEO significantly when it comes to speed. However, Google has explicitly stated that moving to AMP will not alone help in boosting page rankings. But if a web page is already ranking higher and has an AMP version available, it will definitely impact.
To watch the latest Google SEO Office Hours, please check out the video below:
Durga
About The Author…
Durga has a master’s degree in engineering. Technological advances in digital space interest her a lot. Digital marketing is her forte and she passionately follows latest trends in the digital marketing space. She has written many trending articles on various social media platforms. Her areas of interest include SEO Optimization, structured data, SMM, Keywords research and analysis etc. She is focused, resourceful and dedicated.