Google Decides to Drop AMP Label in Mobile Search Results
Marco Reuter
Nespresso Professional - I help companies build happier workplaces through coffee
As you already know, Google is constantly making changes to its desktop and mobile search algorithms to enhance the user experience and ensure that quality content is presented in the top-ranking position.
Well, Google is at it again.
This time, they’ve done away with the recognizable AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) logo that used to mark fast-loading mobile webpages.
What does this mean for your rankings? Since it just happened recently, it’s still too soon to tell.
But consider this: the amount of time it takes for your mobile webpage to load matters. Data shows that approximately 40% of users will completely abandon a mobile webpage if it takes longer than three seconds to load—and in some cases, even THAT’s considered too long.
Unfortunately, most branded mobile webpages clock in somewhere around 6.9 seconds, which is more than double the time that most people are willing to wait!
For that reason, it’s important to consistently test your website’s loading speed and make the necessary adjustments whenever possible. Failing to do so could mean that you’ll lose out on a lot of ample ranking and visibility opportunities.
The Uncertain Future of AMP
It’s unclear why after five years Google decided to remove the AMP logo or how this will impact website and webpage rankings. The AMP logo was an indicator of which websites and webpages had the fastest loading times.
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It was a requirement for web developers to use the AMP logo if they wanted their content to appear in Google’s Top Stories carousel. Now that Google has eliminated this requirement, many web developers are reconsidering whether or not they’ll continue to use the logo.
While this may seem inconsequential since it has no bearing whatsoever on your website’s actual loading time, it could still have an impact on your webpage impressions and in turn, your rankings. But time will tell on that one as more data is needed.
Mobile users seek instant gratification when it comes to search results. That’s no secret. The whole point of performing mobile searches is to maximize convenience and speed. What we know for sure right now is that Google will no longer prioritize previously AMP-demarcated webpages in search results.
It seems like now the focus will solely be on high-performing and fast-loading websites that no longer need to comply with specific AMP requirements.
How to Increase Mobile Site Loading Speed
Start by cleaning up your website. Perform routine audits that help you identify certain elements that may be working against you and causing your webpages to lag. These can include auto-playing videos and ads that require a lot of bandwidth, poorly formatted or large images, popups, paywalls, and any other elements that may be slowing down your loading times.
The PageSpeed Insights tool is a great resource to help you identify specific elements that are slowing down your site loading time. Simply enter in the URL and the tool will quickly analyze the performance and speed of your website and pinpoint specific points of improvement, so that you can reduce your website’s loading time.
Fractional marketing leader for B2Bs | Trainer for in-house marketing generalists that wear all the hats
3 年I was playing with AMP for a while and it was a huge slap in the face that I was leaning on design way too much for my blog content. My text alone was boring AF. So at least that was a great wake up call! Interesting to see Google is making even more adjustments to the AMP setup. Thanks for keeping us all up to date!