Pages with AMP technology: what are the benefits?
Mobile versions have become an integral part of every web resource. However, you have noticed that when loading a site on a mobile device, there are sometimes delays and page elements are not always displayed correctly. It was to solve such problems that Google proposed its solution – AMP pages. Let’s take a look at what this mobile AMP standard is and whether it’s worth using in practice for your website.
What are Google AMP Pages?
If you are planning to create your own website and aim to attract an audience using mobile browsers, then you should familiarize yourself with AMP technology. Unlike regular mobile versions, which rely on the core page structure, Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) offer improved optimization for core content loading. Despite the simplified download, AMP provides users with:
Full access to all main options and links on the page;
Convenient design that eliminates mistakes when pressing buttons.
By using Google AMP, you bypass the responsive design of standard mobile sites. There are no complex design elements like drop-down menus or unnecessary inserts for aesthetics. However, with AMP, every user gets maximum access to the useful features of your site.
Why is AMP technology important?
First and foremost, the importance of AMP lies in improving the user experience. In simple words, the ease of use for such versions of the site is at a high level. AMP technology allows:
- Speed up loading of your website;
- Make it more convenient and keep the user on the site longer;
- Increase website conversion, especially in comparison with standard mobile versions;
- Receive additional bonuses from Google in the form of income, clients and additional traffic.
However, you should not think that the AMP version of the site is a universal solution. Even the most effective one will not be able to solve the problem of lack of interesting content or unattractive material. First of all, you need to develop a convenient website. AMP and SEO go hand in hand: optimize your content and ensure it performs well using both strategies.
Pros of AMP
Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of this technology for mobile versions of websites.
- Speed: The main benefit of AMP is that it makes your site load faster. This technology allows users to enter your site 15-85% faster, especially for contextual advertising or search queries.
- Search Engine Ranking: Using accelerated pages has a positive effect on mobile rankings. Although Google does not directly affect a site’s ranking when using its services, a site with AMP will rank higher than similar content without AMP.
- Reduce Server Load: Whether you’re running your own server or hosting, using AMP reduces the load on high mobile traffic, improving your server’s performance.
Cons of AMP
However, there are also some limitations and disadvantages to using AMP.
- Limited Advertising: One of the main concerns for website owners is the limited ability to use advertising on AMP pages. Although advertising is supported, it is provided on a limited basis.
- Limited statistics in Google Analytics: Obtaining accurate statistics through Google Analytics is only possible when using a special tag on all pages of the site, adapted for accelerated viewing. Otherwise, the statistics data may be invalid.
- Dependency on search engine cache: AMP pages are basically Google’s cache, and setting them up makes sense in certain cases where you don’t care about Google statistics, are happy with the ad revenue from the desktop versions of the site, or are willing to depend on the cache when opening the page on mobile device.
Remember that using AMP is not a requirement and you can use it on top of responsive design. However, these disadvantages should be taken into account when making your decision.
How to check AMP page?
Even if you have installed plugins, you still need to test AMP and check for relevance. Google provides a tool called “AMP Page Checker” that, once you enter the full URL, will provide a detailed report on functionality and possible errors.
If you’re still unfamiliar with Google AMP, check out this tool, especially if your target audience is mobile-heavy. Fast loading times, ease of use, and efficiency make AMP a popular choice for many website owners.
