Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) is a Google Project that started back in 2015. It promised to provide faster webpage loading, higher levels of user engagement, and better flexibility. AMP offers more than the average SEO update that Google rolls out almost every year without fail. It is excellent news for those using 3G mobile networks and slower Wi-Fi connections. This project attempts to make the internet (the websites) accessible to all.At the moment, the AMP websites are enjoying high visibility and higher organic traffic. One way to see it is that Google has reserved the better share of search list real estate for the websites that employ AMP. It is just another way of implementing a new change that most sites are bound to adopt. Otherwise, spending millions in research would be foolhardy on Google's part. Almost all the results that you see on the first couple of ranks on a Google Search Result List are AMP-enabled sites.
Perks of staying in good terms with AMP
During specific searches, you will notice that the AMP sign shows up next to the search result "cards." That is because Google reserves the most visible spots for AMP sites and your website is quite unlikely to show up here unless you have adopted AMP too. It is especially important for mobile users. You can think of these as the premium space for all mobile browsers starting with Chrome. WordPress sites are inherently lighter, and they tend to climb higher than usual on SRLs, but when the competition is between AMP and non-AMP sites, the non-AMP ones will inevitably lag behind.
You need a faster site for mobile views
You may counter this by citing examples of searches that do not use cards. Well, even then, the position of your site will depend on the extent of AMP adoption of your site. It is one of the leading signals that Google considers while ranking a website. You may recollect a very famous post from Webmaster Trends Analyst, Gary Illyes back in 2016 that stated that AMP undoubtedly does not influence SEO. However, right now, experts opine that the only way to enjoy the top ranks and features is by AMP-lifying your website.
How does AMP affect SEO in your website’s daily life?
Another very compelling study shows that when page loading speed increases, the time spent on your website can easily double within a short span of time. The AMP sign is a badge of trust and quality that directly affects the first impression of your new visitors. With AMP on your team, it is much easier to increase conversion rates as well. So, even if you want to believe that AMP does not impact SEO, you need to consider its direct effect on the click-through rates, dwell times and conversion rates of any website. A recent stat shows that for Amazon, a 0.1-second delay in page loading can lead to a decrease in sales by 1%. Because Amazon has an annual turnover of over $130 billion per year, it directly corresponds to losses worth $1.3 billion. When one-tenth of a second can cause the damage of over $1.3 billion for an e-commerce mogul, page speed surely deserves more serious consideration.
How to optimize your WordPress site for increased traffic?
Over 51% of the internet users are more likely to click on your website link if it bears the AMP sign on the left corner. At a very grassroots level, it influences everything that a webmaster cares about including organic ranking, organic traffic, bounce rate, CTR, UX, and conversion rate.WordPress has effectively come up with the easiest ways to integrate your WP site with the AMP project.
AMP plug-in from automatic
Automattic, the brain behind the leading CMS and website building platform, has released a unique plug-in that can integrate AMP features to your existing website. Despite coming from one of the pioneering app and plug-in makers, this release from Automattic has been the subject of many criticisms across the web and other WP forums. AMP from Automattic is somewhat erratic and does not provide a reliable UI.
AMP for WP
AMP for WP is another similar plugin that serves the same purpose. It is a more straightforward and lighter plug-in that is more stable as compared to AMP. Although it comes from a third-party developer, it bears better ratings and reviews.AMP for WordPress is possibly one of the simplest tasks you can perform during website maintenance and upgrade. This website building platform has a welcome tendency of creating user-centric experiences that provide high value to the sites, and at the same time, require less labor. You can install the plug-in like you would install any other plug-in via the WordPress admin dashboard. The activation process is quite the same, and it does not interfere with your existing website layout.You should always pick a design format from within the plug-in options. Pick the type of columns you need for your AMP content. For example, pages, categories, and posts. Follow this up with the integration of analytics and SEO tools like Google Analytics and Yoast for SEO. Many WordPress users also recommend using All in One SEO Pack for WordPress along with this range of plug-ins. You can keep configuring it and tweaking with it till you find your perfect setting. It comes with heaps of customization options that make WordPress unique when it comes to website maintenance.If you are a WordPress aficionado that is all you have to do to give your website a mobile-friendly upgrade.
Endnote
Becoming a part of the Google AMP project is no longer an option that you can consider later. It is a must if you want to see a steep rise in traffic that converts. When it takes just one plug-in to embrace the newest trends in SEO, that install button is undoubtedly worth clicking!
What’s a Rich Text element?
The rich text element allows you to create and format headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, images, and video all in one place instead of having to add and format them individually. Just double-click and easily create content.
The rich text element allows you to create and format headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, images, and video all in one place instead of having to add and format them individually. Just double-click and easily create content.
Static and dynamic content editing
A rich text element can be used with static or dynamic content. For static content, just drop it into any page and begin editing. For dynamic content, add a rich text field to any collection and then connect a rich text element to that field in the settings panel. Voila!
How to customize formatting for each rich text
Headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, figures, images, and figure captions can all be styled after a class is added to the rich text element using the "When inside of" nested selector system.
