Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP)

Google initiated the Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) project to make the mobile web faster and more enjoyable to use. This open-source framework allows for the creation of streamlined website versions which are optimized for quick loading on mobile devices.

To achieve this, it implements a special type of HTML known as AMP HTML, which restricts certain tags and scripts to reduce the size and complexity of the page. What’s more, Google stores AMP pages on its servers for even faster loading speeds, improving load times.

With AMP, they strive to enhance the mobile web browsing experience. We work to decrease page load times, boost user engagement, and improve search engine rankings.

What is AMP?

Google initiated the Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) project to accelerate and enhance the performance of mobile web pages. It’s an open-source framework that enables web developers to craft streamlined versions of web pages tailored to load quickly on mobile devices.

AMPs (Accelerated Mobile Pages) are a great way for web developers to create streamlined versions of web pages to make them load quickly on mobile devices. AMP utilizes a specific type of HTML, called AMP HTML, which restricts the use of certain tags and scripts in order to minimize page size and complexity. For instance, AMP HTML doesn’t enable the use of certain JavaScript libraries and custom fonts, which can slow down page loading. Additionally, AMP pages must use a simplified layout, which further improves load times.

Google caches AMP pages on its servers, which further improves load times. When a user requests an AMP page, the cached version is served directly from Google’s servers instead of the publisher’s server, allowing faster load times.

Additionally, Google has implemented a validation process for AMP pages to ensure they meet the required technical specifications, which helps the page load faster on AMP-compatible web browsers.

AMP aims to create a faster and more user-friendly mobile web by reducing page load times, improving user engagement, and boosting search engine rankings. AMP pages are also designed to work seamlessly across different platforms, allowing for a consistent and positive user experience no matter the device used.

Technical overview of the AMP HTML framework.

The AMP HTML framework is a subset of HTML used to create AMP pages. It is similar to regular HTML but with some restrictions and additional tags designed to improve the performance and speed of the page.

Here are some key features of the AMP HTML framework:

• Limited use of JavaScript: AMP HTML pages are not allowed to include any custom JavaScript, which can slow down page load times. Instead, developers can use a set of pre-approved JavaScript libraries AMP provides.
• Simplified layout: AMP HTML pages are required to use a simplified layout, which can help to improve load times. This includes using specific tags for certain page elements, such as the ‘amp-img’ tag for images, which automatically adds the appropriate size and layout attributes to the image.
• Restrictions on some of the usual HTML tags: Some of the usual HTML tags, like form or input, are not supported. Instead, specific AMP versions, like ‘amp-form’ and ‘amp-input’, are designed for better performance.
• Use of AMP-specific tags: AMP HTML includes several additional tags specific to the AMP framework. For example, the ‘amp-accordion’ tag allows for the creation of expandable sections, and the ‘amp-video’ tag can embed videos with the appropriate attributes for faster loading.
• Use of mandatory and optional attributes: AMP HTML requires certain attributes for specific tags to improve performance and ensure compliance with the AMP specifications. For example, the ‘img’ tag must include the ‘width,’ and ‘height’ attributes to allow the browser to pre-render the page.

All these elements work together to load AMP pages faster while keeping relevant and essential information, providing an improved user experience on mobile devices. It’s important to note that AMP HTML isn’t a replacement for regular HTML, but it provides an alternative for creating fast-loading pages, especially for the mobile web.

Key features of AMP

Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) is designed to improve the speed and performance of mobile web pages. Here are some of the key features that contribute to its ability to load pages quickly on mobile devices:

1. Reduced page size: AMP HTML pages are designed to be smaller and more straightforward than regular HTML pages, which helps to reduce the amount of data that needs to be downloaded and processed by the browser. This can lead to significantly faster load times, particularly on slower mobile networks.
2. Caching: Google caches AMP pages on its servers, which allows them to be served directly from Google’s servers instead of from the publisher’s server. This can further improve load times.
3. Prioritization of loading resources: AMP HTML has a built-in mechanism to prioritize the loading resources, such as images and scripts. This ensures that the most critical content is loaded first, while less essential resources are loaded in the background, allowing the user to see the content faster.
4. Restriction of Javascript: AMP HTML pages cannot include any custom JavaScript, which can slow down page load times. Instead, developers can use a set of pre-approved JavaScript libraries AMP provides.
5. Responsive design: AMP pages are designed to work seamlessly across different platforms, allowing for a consistent and positive user experience no matter the device used. AMP pages are automatically adjusted to fit the screen size and orientation of the device and work on various platforms and devices.

All these features work together to make AMP pages load significantly faster, which results in an improved user experience and increases user engagement. Google also shows AMP pages with a lightning bolt icon next to them in their search results, making it more likely for users to click on them, which can help increase traffic and visibility to publishers using AMP.

Benefits of AMP

There are several benefits of using Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) for both publishers and users.

For publishers:

• Improved search engine rankings: Google has stated that AMP pages are more likely to appear higher in search results. This can increase visibility and drive more traffic to a publisher’s site.
• Increased user engagement: Faster page load times can lead to increased user engagement, such as longer time spent on the site, more pages viewed per visit, and a higher click-through rate.
• Better mobile experience: AMP provides a better mobile experience for users, which can help increase brand loyalty and return visitors.
• Cost savings: Creating AMP pages requires fewer technical resources and, therefore, can save publishers on development costs.

For users:

• Faster page load times: AMP pages are designed to load quickly on mobile devices, making for a much more positive user experience. Users are likelier to stick around if pages load quickly and don’t take too long to download.
• Consistent experience across devices: AMP pages are designed to work seamlessly across different platforms, allowing for a consistent and positive user experience no matter the device used. This increases the chances of user engagement.
• Better mobile web experience: With the rise of mobile web usage, having fast-loading pages on mobile devices is crucial, and AMP provides that.

Overall, AMP is designed to improve the mobile web experience for users and increase the visibility and engagement of publishers. By providing a faster and more user-friendly mobile web, AMP can help to boost search engine rankings, improve user engagement, and provide cost savings for publishers.

Statistics about the improvements

Regarding page load times, AMP pages can load up to four times faster and use ten times fewer data than non-AMP pages. This can result in a more positive user experience, making users more likely to stick around and engage with the content.

Regarding user engagement, AMP pages can lead to increased time spent on the site, more pages viewed per visit, and a higher click-through rate. This can result in increased revenue for publishers through ad clicks or increased sales.

Regarding search engine rankings, Google has stated that AMP pages are more likely to appear higher in search results. This can increase visibility and drive more traffic to a publisher’s site. Additionally, many publishers have noticed a boost in their organic traffic due to AMP pages appearing higher in the search results.

Some case studies have shown a significant improvement using AMP, for example:

• The Washington Post reported that AMP pages received 25% more clicks, 20% more return visits, and 35% less likelihood of the user bouncing from the site.
• Pinterest’s AMP pages got 2x faster page load time, a 20% higher click-through rate, and a 23% higher conversion rate.
• The New York Times also reported that AMP pages on their site get 20% more clicks than their non-AMP counterparts.

These are just a few examples of the many available benefits of using AMP. It’s important to note that the actual results may vary depending on the implementation, the type of content, and the audience.

Implementing AMP

Creating AMP versions of web pages involves the following steps:

1. Convert your HTML to AMP HTML: This involves modifying your existing HTML code to conform to the AMP HTML specifications. This includes using the appropriate AMP HTML tags, such as ‘amp-img’ and ‘amp-video’, and removing any disallowed tags and scripts. You can use online tools such as the AMP validator or AMP Project’s web-based template to check your code for errors.
2. Add the AMP JS library: To enable AMP’s built-in performance optimizations, you will need to include the AMP JS library in the head of your AMP HTML document. This library is responsible for handling many of the performance optimizations in AMP, such as pre-loading resources and handling layout.
3. Create a Google AMP Cache version: Create an AMP version of your web page that lives on the Google AMP Cache. This is optional, but it will allow your pages to be served directly from Google’s servers, which can further improve load times. To create a cache version, you will need to add a specific tag in the head of the page, indicating the URL of the AMP version of the page.
4. Add Analytics: AMP provides a built-in analytics mechanism that tracks user engagement and interaction on AMP pages. It’s essential to configure analytics to track the AMP pages’ user behavior, performance, and revenue.
5. Validate your AMP pages: Before publishing your AMP pages, use the AMP validator to check that they meet the required technical specifications and best practices.

Here are some best practices for implementing AMP:

• Start by creating an AMP version of your most important pages, such as the homepage, high-traffic articles, and landing pages, then slowly expand.
• Use the pre-approved set of JavaScript libraries provided by AMP.
• Use the built-in performance features of AMP and optimize your images for faster loading.
• Test your AMP pages across different devices and browsers to ensure they work and display correctly.

There are also several tools and resources available to help with the implementation process:

• The AMP Project website provides a wealth of information, including tutorials, code samples, and best practices.
• AMP plugin for WordPress allows you to create AMP versions of your website’s pages.
• Google Search Console allows you to test and monitor your AMP pages’ performance and fix any errors.
• Various other frameworks and libraries are also available to help implement AMP for different web technologies, such as React, Angular or Vue, etc.

It’s important to note that creating AMP pages requires a good understanding of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and may require some development work. Still, the increased performance and search engine visibility may be well worth the effort.

Challenges and Limitations

Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) is a powerful tool for creating faster and more user-friendly mobile web pages, but it does come with some challenges and limitations.

One of the main challenges of AMP is the limitations of the AMP HTML framework. AMP HTML is a simplified version that removes some more complex tags and scripts, which can be limiting for developers who are used to working with standard HTML. Additionally, AMP HTML does not support more advanced features, such as forms and third-party scripts, which can make creating some types of pages or functionality challenging.

Another challenge is that AMP requires separate versions of pages. To create an AMP version of a page, the developer must create a separate version using the AMP HTML framework; this may cause extra work for the developers, the SEO, and the marketing team. This may also lead to issues with maintaining consistency between the AMP and non-AMP versions of a page and with ensuring that all the page elements are present and function correctly on both versions.

There are ways to address these challenges:

• To address the limitations of the AMP HTML framework, it’s essential to focus on creating content and functionality compatible with the framework. This may involve simplifying your pages and using the built-in AMP components and performance features.
• To address the need for separate versions of pages, it’s essential to plan and budget for the extra development time and resources required to create the AMP pages. Additionally, it’s essential to establish a workflow for maintaining consistency between the AMP and non-AMP versions of a page and to use tools to automate the process.
• To overcome some of the limitations of the AMP, custom javascript can be added through the use of “amp-script,” which allows you to use custom JS. Still, it may come with extra considerations to maintain the performance.
• To address the limitation of being unable to use forms, AMP provides some alternative components, such as “amp-form,” that can be used to create forms with limited functionality; this is also true for other components like “amp-iframe” to embed other pages.

It’s important to note that AMP is not the perfect solution for all websites and that it may not be suitable for all types of pages or functionality; the key is to understand the trade-offs and to make informed decisions about which pages to convert to AMP and which to leave as standard HTML.

Conclusion

Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) is a project started by Google to improve the speed and performance of mobile web pages. The AMP framework uses a specialized version of HTML called AMP HTML, which limits the use of specific tags and scripts to reduce the size and complexity of the page, resulting in faster load times. Additionally, Google caches AMP pages on its servers, improving load times. AMP aims to improve the mobile web browsing experience by reducing page load times, improving user engagement, and boosting search engine rankings.

The benefits of AMP for publishers and users include improved page load times, increased user engagement, and better search engine rankings. Publishers can also save on development costs. However, AMP has some challenges and limitations, such as the limitations of the AMP HTML framework and the need for separate versions of pages.

AMP’s future looks promising as more companies are starting to adopt it and as Google continues to invest in the technology. As the mobile web continues to grow, AMP will likely play an increasingly important role in providing a faster and more user-friendly mobile web experience. Additionally, with the rise of Progressive Web App (PWA), and Google working on making AMP more flexible and developer-friendly by integrating it into PWA and making it a web standard, this will enable AMP to be used in a wider variety of scenarios.