Google’s AMP project is a means of making content load faster on mobile devices. This improves on the traditional model of displaying mobile content by relying on a specific type of markup language called the AMP HTML. What it does basically is streamline the content so that it shows up well on, say, an iPhone 6.
This works to give the mobile user an article layout that is just text and images, but which also loads faster than traditionally formatted content, by up to 10 times.
Why AMP Is Important For SEO
Google is very vocal about making pages load faster and having them mobile-ready, both of these being major metrics in the way they are ranked. Faster sites are more mobile-friendly too, and are a lot more likely to clicks from search users. Meanwhile, Google has come a long way, in that it doesn’t just serve up sites as results anymore, but even answers questions. The “featured snippets” feature, for example, can give simple, quick answers to people who are on a schedule.
The problem is, snippets aren’t so handy for complex questions, and for those, you have more detailed articles. If it happens that the article page is slow to load on mobile devices, users aren’t satisfied. This led to the creation of AMP, and sites using it are now likelier to figure first in SERPs.
The Pros Of AMP On SEO And Online Marketing
Articles that load faster can be good for publisher/reader relationship. Speed being the main benefit driving this improvement, the use of AMP can boost page views and returning clicks, as well as ad views and content sharing and engagement.
- Ranking higher in SERPs: AMP content has the advantage of being shown at the top of a search results page, and it will stay that way until Google decides otherwise. The current style of display has these pages in the swipe-able carousel, without a paid placement option. There will also be an icon signifying that a page has been built on AMP.
- AMP is open source: Google isn’t the only source of programming minds contributing to AMP development. Anyone with a viable improvement idea can pitch in and make changes in the specifications. This makes AMP more adaptable to the changes in publishing formats.
- Content gets to more readers: Despite the benefit to Google mainly comprising being able to rival Facebook’s Instant Articles, it also means anyone doing a relevant search will be able to see these posts, and not just someone with a Facebook account.
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