How important are accelerated mobile pages “AMP” for SEO and UX

What is amp?  Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) refer to an initiative by Google, created to compete with Facebook’s instant Articles. Its main role is to design fast mobile pages. This online publishing format is optimised to for use on the mobile web. This project aims at enhancing the performance of the internet. It eases the creation of ads and websites that perform well across all distribution platforms at high speeds.

Technically, AMP refers to an HTML page designed to be light and load at fast speeds. It is a form of HTML that is stripped down to enhance super fast loading of pages on different platforms. HTML of this kind comes with some restrictions to enhance reliability. Google launched AMP-HTML officially in February 2016.

In most cases, the HTML pages are customised to make common patterns that ease their performance. There are three options of AMPS for you to choose. These include non-AMP version, a simple AMP version of an AMP version of your page.

How to create AMP pages WordPress

Creating AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) in WordPress involves installing and configuring plugins that generate AMP versions of your site’s pages. Here’s a detailed guide on how to create AMP pages in WordPress:

  • Install an AMP Plugin: The first step is to install a WordPress plugin that adds AMP functionality to your site. Some popular options include “AMP for WP – Accelerated Mobile Pages” and “AMP”. You can find and install these plugins from the WordPress plugin repository by navigating to Plugins > Add New and searching for the plugin by name.
  • Activate the Plugin: Once you’ve installed the AMP plugin, activate it from the Plugins page in your WordPress dashboard.
  • Configure Plugin Settings: After activation, go to the plugin’s settings page to configure how AMP pages will be generated and displayed on your site. You can customise aspects such as AMP design, logo, colours, and more to match your site’s branding.
  • Review AMP Pages: With the plugin activated and configured, your WordPress site will automatically generate AMP versions of your pages. You can view the AMP versions of your pages by appending “/amp/” to the end of the page URL (e.g., example.com/page/amp/).
  • Customise AMP Templates (Optional): Some AMP plugins allow for further customisation of the AMP templates to match your site’s design and functionality. You can edit the AMP template files or use the plugin’s customisation options to modify the appearance and layout of your AMP pages.
  • Test and Validate: It’s essential to test and validate your AMP pages to ensure they comply with the AMP specifications and provide a smooth user experience. Use tools like the AMP Validator or the Chrome Developer Tools AMP Validator extension to check for errors and warnings.
  • Optimise Content for AMP: AMP pages have certain restrictions and guidelines, such as limiting the use of JavaScript and CSS. Ensure that your content is optimised for AMP by following best practices for HTML, CSS, and image optimisation.
  • Submit to Search Engines: Once your AMP pages are created and validated, submit them to search engines for indexing. This helps improve the visibility of your AMP content in mobile search results.
  • Monitor Performance: Continuously monitor the performance of your AMP pages using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights and Google Analytics. Optimise as needed to maintain fast loading times and a seamless user experience.
  • Stay Updated: Keep your WordPress AMP plugin and related themes/plugins up to date to ensure compatibility with the latest WordPress versions and AMP specifications.

By following these steps, you can create AMP pages for your WordPress site, providing users with fast-loading and mobile-friendly versions of your content. AMP can improve your site’s visibility in mobile search results and enhance the overall user experience on mobile devices.

Components of the Accelerated Mobile Pages

AMP has several elements that enable the system to perform better. The AMP JS (Java Script) library speeds up the rendering of MP HTML pages. It actualises all of AMP’s excellent performance, manages the loading of resources and provides custom tags to enhance quick rendering of the client’s page. It asynchronies everything coming from external sources thereby ensuring smooth page rendering. This feature blocks all barriers that limit effective page rendering. It also sandboxes all i-frames and pre-calculates the layout of all page elements before loading the resources. This technique also disables the slow CSS selectors that might hinder the overall page performance.

AMP Cache

AMP cache made by Google is used to serve the cached HTML pages. The Google AMP cache refers to a network that uses a proxy to deliver all valid AMP documents. It selects AMP pages, stores them and enhances their performance automatically. With Google AMP cache, all JS files, the document and the images load from one origin that uses HTTP 2.0 for enhanced efficiency. The cache has a validation system that confirms the validity of the page. The validation system proves that the page is made to work without depending on external resources. This system confirms this by running several assertions that confirm the page’s markup qualifies as per the AMP HTML specifications.

There is also another type of validation that comes with every AMP page. This validation system logs errors directly to the console of the browser during the rendering of the page. This feature allows you to understand the effect of complex code changes to the page performance and experience of the user.

Best AMP plugin for WordPress

Choosing the best AMP plugin for WordPress depends on your specific needs and preferences, but here are a few highly regarded options:

  1. AMP for WP – Accelerated Mobile Pages: This plugin is one of the most popular choices for implementing AMP on WordPress sites. It offers extensive customisation options, including design settings, AMP-specific widgets, and compatibility with popular plugins like WooCommerce and Yoast SEO.
  2. AMP: Developed by the AMP Project Contributors, this plugin provides a straightforward solution for adding AMP functionality to WordPress sites. It offers basic customisation options and is regularly updated to ensure compatibility with the latest WordPress versions and AMP specifications.
  3. Glue for Yoast SEO & AMP: If you’re already using the Yoast SEO plugin on your WordPress site, this plugin seamlessly integrates Yoast SEO with AMP. It ensures that your AMP pages maintain proper metadata and structured data, helping improve their visibility in search engine results. (Not been updated since March, 2023)
  4. AMP for WP – AMP & PWA: Another feature-rich option, this plugin not only enables AMP functionality but also includes support for Progressive Web Apps (PWAs). It offers advanced customisation options, AMP analytics integration, and compatibility with various WordPress themes and plugins.
  5. AMP by Automattic: Developed by Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, this plugin provides a simple solution for implementing AMP on WordPress sites. It focuses on delivering a seamless user experience while ensuring compatibility with WordPress core features and themes.
  6. WP AMP Ninja: This plugin offers a user-friendly interface for creating and customising AMP pages on WordPress sites. It includes features like drag-and-drop AMP page builder, AMP analytics integration, and compatibility with popular WordPress themes and plugins. (Not been updated since 2019)

Before choosing a plugin, consider factors such as ease of use, customisation options, compatibility with your existing plugins and themes, and ongoing support and updates. Additionally, it’s a good idea to test the plugin on a staging site before implementing it on your live site to ensure compatibility and desired functionality.

What Does AMP Provides

Accelerated Mobile Pages make the loading speeds faster because they only include CSS and basic HTML. They, therefore, promote the higher performance of search pages and engagement. All web pages published in the AMP format load very fast thus affording the users an engaging and smooth online experience both on the desktop and mobile. It also provides advertisers and publishers with a choice of presenting their content online while enhancing key performance indicators.

How to Create Accelerated mobile pages

Creating Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) involves following a set of guidelines and utilising specific HTML and CSS components to optimise the performance of web pages on mobile devices. Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating AMP:

  1. Understand AMP: Familiarise yourself with the AMP project and its goals. AMP is an open-source initiative aimed at improving the performance of web content on mobile devices by utilising a specific set of rules and restrictions.
  2. Set Up Your Development Environment: Ensure you have a text editor and a browser for testing your AMP pages. You can also use various AMP-specific development tools and frameworks like the AMP Start or AMP Toolbox.
  3. Start with a Basic HTML Structure: Begin by creating a basic HTML document structure. Include the required AMP boilerplate code, such as the <!DOCTYPE html> declaration and <html amp> tag.
  4. Include the AMP JavaScript Library: Add the AMP JavaScript library to your document by including the <script async src=”https://cdn.ampproject.org/v0.js”></script> tag within the <head> of your HTML document. This library enables the rendering of AMP components.
  5. Use AMP Components: Replace standard HTML elements with their corresponding AMP components. These components are specifically optimised for performance and adhere to the AMP guidelines. Some common AMP components include <amp-img>, <amp-carousel>, <amp-ad>, <amp-video>, and <amp-analytics>.
  6. Ensure Valid Markup: Validate your AMP markup using the AMP Validator tool or the Chrome Developer Tools AMP Validator extension. This ensures that your AMP pages adhere to the AMP specifications and are eligible for inclusion in Google’s AMP cache.
  7. Optimise CSS: AMP has strict rules regarding CSS to ensure fast rendering times. Use inline CSS or include external stylesheets using the <style amp-custom> tag within the <head> of your document. Minimise CSS and avoid external CSS files wherever possible.
  8. Test and Debug: Test your AMP pages across various devices and screen sizes to ensure they render correctly and quickly. Use tools like the AMP Test Tool and Chrome Developer Tools to debug any issues.
  9. Monitor Performance: Continuously monitor the performance of your AMP pages using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights and Lighthouse. Optimise as needed to maintain fast loading times and a smooth user experience.
  10. Submit for Indexing: Once your AMP pages are ready, submit them to search engines for indexing. This helps improve visibility in mobile search results and enables the pages to benefit from features like AMP Carousel and Google’s AMP cache.

By following these steps, you can create AMP pages that deliver a fast and engaging user experience on mobile devices, ultimately improving your website’s performance and visibility in mobile search results.

Reasons for Using AMP

There are many reasons for using AMP for your website. Using AMP makes your site to be displayed differently on Google. You can notice the AMP level in your Google search results easily by looking at the carousel. The benefits of using AMP include;

Increased Speed

AMP enabled pages load faster as compared to normal pages. This factor reduces the bounce rates when people try to access your website. A page that loads faster is most likely to increase conversions.

Improved S.E Ranking

Google has developed a mobile-friendly ranking boost. Despite the fact that AMP works independently, the pages that load fast and are user-friendly thus very good for SEO, UX and as well as an opportunity to increase their ranking.

Increases Click through Rate

The Content displayed in the AMP enabled pages has higher visibility as compared to that of normal pages. This factor encourages visitors to clock on your website thereby increasing the click-through rate.

Supports on-site Ads

Pages that are AMP enabled support many types of ads including info-links, Ad-Sense, Media-Net and much more. This feature provides a sure way of monetising your pages.

Assured Quality

Many big companies such as LinkedIn, Pinterest, Chartbeat, WordPress among others use AMP. Major media companies including Times Inc, CNN, The Washington, ABC and Fox news use AMP. This factor is a clear assurance of AMP’s role and value.

It is worth-noting that the entry of AMP into the market defines the order of things with Search engines. It promotes faster web experience thereby promoting online business. Most companies and individuals are yet to understand the role of AMPs. However, the few who have adopted them are smiling all the way. AMP is one of Google’s latest open-source developments that has revolutionised life on the net and Internet marketing.