What is AMP
Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) started as an open-source project by Google. Its goal is to create web pages that load faster on mobile devices. Although Google played a significant role in its early development, the AMP Open Source Project now oversees its maintenance. Originally known as Accelerated Mobile Pages, AMP has since been rebranded as Accelerated Mobile Platform. This open-source framework, created by Google, focuses on delivering quick-loading web experiences tailored for mobile users.
Current Status: Google promoted AMP a lot in its early years. Now, its importance in search ranking has decreased. Google's focus has shifted towards Core Web Vitals as a broader measure of page experience. However, AMP remains relevant for specific use cases, such as the "Top Stories" carousel in Google News. The AMP framework has grown beyond web pages. It now includes Web Stories and AMP for Email.
Here's a breakdown of its key points:
Purpose
- To make web pages load faster, we need to fix slow-loading mobile websites. This will improve the user experience on mobile devices.
- To offer an alternative to other mobile-optimized solutions like Facebook Instant Articles and Apple News.
How it works
- AMP uses a specific set of HTML components and JavaScript libraries optimized for mobile performance.
- AMP pages can be pre-cached by Google and other AMP Cache providers, allowing them to load instantly for users.
- AMP restricts certain features that can slow down pages, such as complex animations and resource-intensive scripts.
Benefits
- Faster loading times: AMP pages usually load much faster than regular web pages on mobile devices. This leads to a better user experience.
- Improved SEO: Google prioritizes AMP pages in search results on mobile devices, potentially leading to increased traffic.
- Wider reach: AMP pages can be shared easily on platforms like Google Search, Twitter, and Pinterest. This helps reach a larger audience.
Drawbacks
- Limited functionality: AMP pages have restrictions. They may not work well for all websites, especially those needing complex features or interactivity.
- Development effort: Creating and maintaining AMP versions of web pages requires additional development work.
- Potential SEO trade-offs: While prioritized on mobile, AMP pages may have lower visibility on desktop searches.
Overall, AMP is a valuable tool for improving the mobile user experience of websites. It's important to think about its limits. You should weigh these against your needs and goals before using them.