There is no doubt that we live in a mobile-optimized world. In fact, a 2016 study by HubSpot Research on global browsing trends showed that mobile notifications for published content has increased 34%, with upwards of 33% stating that their primary browsing device was their smartphone. Digital marketing teams have accepted that a mobile-optimized website is a must and that a mobile-focused inbound marketing strategy is critical to reaching today’s audience.
We rely on our mobile devices for everyday use. In fact, in many ways, we simply can’t function without them. In response to the growth of mobile searches, Google has launched the Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) project. So, what is AMP, how will it impact websites and what does it mean for your company and your digital strategies? Read on.
Understanding Google’s AMP
AMP is an open-source platform driven by the collaboration of thousands of publishers, websites and tech companies. The goal is improved mobile web browsing by limiting the issues caused by multiple JavaScript tools and libraries, ones that often impede web browsing performance. The result are mobile AMP webpages that load almost instantaneously.
Digital advertisements and analytics are a critical element for any inbound marketing strategy, and critical to the web itself, so the impetus isn’t to remove JavaScript entirely. Instead, it’s about limiting the amount of JavaScript without affecting CSS or HTML styling. Faster mobile page load times increase customer engagement. The AMP solution means that text-based content is prioritized and loaded first before other content mediums render the rest of the page.
This move isn’t just an altruistic one by Google. It’s not just about improving content distribution through faster mobile page load times. Ultimately, it’s a decision driven by competition. AMP allows Google to compete with Facebook Instant Articles, Apple News and other app-based content delivery solutions. In Google’s view, this has moved content delivery from platform-specific solutions like Facebook and Apple, to a more wide-open and universal web browsing mobile experience.
Defining the Benefits of the AMP Initiative
Obviously, the biggest benefit for mobile web browsing is faster page load times. User experiences improve when content is delivered near-instantaneously and there’s ample evidence to support that thinking. Digital marketing teams analyzing the performance of their content marketing strategies understand that longer page load times lead to high bounce rates.
The longer a page takes to load, the higher the bounce rate, and the lower your conversion rates on visits. Users simply abandon pursuit and continue their search elsewhere. This impacts your website’s PageRank and affects your search engine results page (SERP). Ultimately, a lower PageRank due to high page load times directly affects your inbound marketing strategy and your company’s ability to grow its business.
Another benefit is that publishers don’t have to deal with multiple formats and platform-specific content delivery solutions like Facebook and other social media sites. Google has aligned itself with multiple publishers and tech companies to create a renewable source of “Top Stories” in Google search results. So, faster page load times benefit users, but what does this change mean for companies and their digital marketing teams? Better yet, what does it mean for digital advertisements and what do companies need to do now to stay ahead of the game?
The AMP Project Benefits Websites and Digital Advertising
Think about the payoffs associated with a mobile AMP-formatted web page that loads within 0.7 seconds compared to the typical mobile page that can take upwards of 20 seconds or more. First, it ensures that you retain more of your audience. It’s common for users to immediately abandon pursuit when a page takes too long to load. Again, high bounce rates affect your entire digital strategy. Your PageRank suffers, click-through rates suffer and so do your conversions.
Second, AMP-formatted content pages have higher visibility in Google mobile searches. In fact, AMP content will be at the top of search results. This means digital marketing teams producing AMP-formatted content will have that content prioritized over regular content. Users will ultimately drive this initiative as mobile websites with AMP content will have higher retention rates than websites without AMP-formatted pages.
Third, faster page load times could improve a company’s PageRank. While page speed alone doesn’t automatically mean you’ll attain a higher ranking, it does add to the signals that Google tracks. Digital marketing teams that embrace a proactive search engine optimization (SEO) strategy within their content marketing strategy should benefit from AMP-formatted content.
Fourth, digital advertising will also improve. AMPHTML ads load up to six (6) times faster than standard ads. They’re more secure and free of malware which will improve the user experience and protect your company’s online brand. The AMPHTML ads must be validated before running which means there's a further layer of protection against unwanted viruses and embedded spyware. Ultimately, the only difference between the look and feel of AMPHTML ads and regular ads is that the AMP ads are loaded within a half second.
Hitting the Ground Running
Get started now. Your team will need to start putting AMP-formatted pages together. The restrictions on HTML are severe so your team will need to get used to how AMP pages work. Once you’ve created a page, you can go directly to the AMP project website and click on the AMP Validator under the tools tab. Here you can input your AMP-formatted page and the AMP Validator will give you a pass or fail. Unfortunately, this means that you’ll have two copies of the same page. However, there are some new CMS system plugins that should make this an easier transition.
Digital marketing teams are constantly having to adjust their inbound marketing strategy to Google's changing requirements. It's by no means easy. However, staying abreast of these changes will help your company stay at the front of the pack and it may just help to position you ahead of your competition.
If you need our guidance or insight into making AMP-formatted pages a reality, or if you need some help on navigating the complex world of AMPHTML advertising, then contact us.
Written By: David Carpenter
