Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) and why is it required?

What is AMP?

The main focus area while creating websites is on the loading time of web pages, faster the loading time, better the customer experience. Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) were created to enhance user experience on various devices across all platforms by improving the speed of web pages. Pages load faster as many components that slow down the web page are removed. AMP pages are copies of existing web pages on a separate URL, composed of AMP HTML, AMP JS and a bit of CSS.

AMP pages were created with the goal of loading websites in a faster manner on mobiles. Getting a website mobile responsive can be slow and bulky, as resources on desktop are plenty and heavy. There are many components in a desktop website that is not required on a mobile site. AMP pages were created with an intention to offer better customer experience, but recently Google has encouraged websites to do the same.

The importance of AMP

Research has revealed that visitors leave a website if it takes more than 3 seconds to load. With AMP, websites will load faster thereby reducing bounce rate and content will be viewed by a wide set of audience.

An algorithm, ‘Mobilegeddon’ on Google, rewards websites having faster loading time than the competition on mobiles. Therefore, AMP will help websites gain a higher rank on search engine results leading to more viewers and more monetary returns. Surfing on mobiles is usually interrupted by pop-ups and ads, which lowers the quality of user experience. When surfing on the mobile, users want webpages to load faster rather than wait for a long period of time or be interrupted with frequent ads. AMP gives a relief to mobile users while surfing with a faster and better quality user experience by dis-engaging the annoying pop-ups and ads.

Consumers are constantly engaged on smartphones making purchase decisions, searching about products and services or spending time on social media. This makes mobile content, readability and accessibility a crucial aspect for enhancing user experience. For various brands, AMP is of utmost importance as it enables them to maximize their online presence for speedy delivery of content. Every business needs to identify the impact AMP can have on reducing bounce rate and keeping customers engaged on their webpage. Given below are some key highlights on what makes AMP important.

The new AMP HTML markup enables faster code rendering of web pagesFaster access to content for the user.Eloquent content presentation through targeted viewport formatting for individuals’ devices.Preference in mobile search over other competitors in your industry by Google.Enhanced social media content distribution through integration of AMP framework.

Benefits of AMP

The crucial benefit that AMP provides is an enhanced user experience. Apart from providing enhanced user experience, there are a few other key benefits, such as:

Enormous speed

An accelerated mobile page loads 15% to 85% faster than a normal web page. Users spend a significant amount of time on their smartphone. However, as popular studies suggest a normal user, due to lack patience, switches from one page to another every 5 seconds. A user within a very short span of time consumes a lot of information. AMP ensures that content is delivered at a faster rate giving a consumer the required information on time.

Wider access

Consumers are on the constant hunt for fresh content, it enables them to stay updated with the latest happenings. AMP plays a vital role in delivering fresh content to the customers, with AMP, the customer gets a wider access to information with improved web pages.

Differentiation

AMP helps websites to present themselves in a unique manner thus attracting many visitors. Any brand currently using AMP to promote themselves will be trending among users as not every company can implement AMP, as Google own the discretionary powers on usage of AMP.

Elegant web page design

AMP gives webpages a cleaner and defined look, which elevates user experience, keeps them engaged and motivates them to return to the webpage in future. The format of AMP relates with what is required by the modern internet user.

AMP and SEO

As mentioned earlier, AMP helps webpages load faster. This invariably helps the websites to improve their rankings on search engines, making AMP an important criterion in SEO.

Website

As AMP gains popularity with is ability to load webpages faster, consumers are developing a habit of getting used to faster loading webpages. If AMP isn’t incorporated, the duration to load the webpage will be longer, thus reducing the quality of large images and minimizing the use of cookies.

Content

Content is the key to ensure viewers visit and stay on the webpage. Users will find it easier to log into the webpage a number of times to view an innovative content, if the web page loads quickly, thereby increasing webpage clicks and rankings on search engines.

Organic Search

Webpages which incorporate AMP, by default see their search results rankings improve, which results in increase of organic search making the websites fiercely competitive. To keep up with the competition, brands have to regularly improve the quality of content to take benefit of AMP and rank higher on Search results.

Paid search:

With webpages loading at a faster rate, customers can view more webpages. This provides an opportunity for more ads to be displayed. Based on Mobile ads, Google advises to focus on the following core areas:

Loading time should be as fast as AMP websitesWebsites should be visually appealing,It should be safe to use HTTPSThe ads must integrate across several platformsMeasurability

Faster loading time of webpages isn’t the only factor that needs to be monitored by SEO experts. Along with website speed, careful analysis has to be undertaken on the performance of the content.

The positives and negatives of AMP

SEO Services in Redditch, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire and other cities in the UK have shown a key interest in AMP due its rapid progress and the variety of benefits it offers. However, every development has some positives and negatives and it is important to identify what makes AMP the need of the hour and which aspects do not.

Positives:

Mobile content loads at a faster pace

Implementing ‘AMP friendly’ changes in the content is easy.Gives a better mobile web experience for users.Users do not have to endure pop-up ads

Negatives

Every type of content does not go well with AMP. Text loads faster, videos can take longer to loadWithout a code, WordPress plugin is difficult to implementImplementation of AMP is difficult without a developerThird party Java Script cannot be used Author Bio:

Bal Rai is an Internet Marketing Consultant at eTrack Media, a leading SEO company in Mumbai that provides the best web design services in Mumbai, web design and development services, SEO and social media management services to full-service marketing firms as well as end clients.

Bal Rai is an Internet Marketing Consultant at eTrack Media, a leading SEO company in Redditch, UK.