In response to Apple News and Facebook’s Instant Articles, AMP was created by Google to allow mobile users to access content quickly and conveniently from their phones. AMP, or Accelerated Mobile Pages, is an HTML initiative that aims to create lightweight and fast-loading mobile pages. AMP works by generating a simplified version of the HTML code, which aids in the speed of website loading on mobile devices. As of February 23, 2016, Google had included AMP-powered websites in their mobile search results.
Accelerated Mobile Pages are an open-source initiative that aims to assist web publishers in creating mobile-optimized content that runs instantly on all screens. Google’s objective with Accelerated Mobile Pages is to provide its consumers with the greatest mobile experience possible. However, AMP was never widely accepted. It was contentious from the start and attracted a lot of pushback and hatred.
Why Was AMP Removed?
So many websites, primarily news publications, felt like prisoners and were compelled to embrace Accelerated Mobile Pages with the promise of increased search traffic as the primary motivator. So many website owners have wondered for years if they should utilize AMP to keep their sites functioning correctly.
In June 2021, Google came out with Core Web Vitals and the page experience algorithm, which meant that Accelerated Mobile Pages were no longer given preferential consideration in Google’s search results, Google News, or Top Stories carousel.
Google’s purpose was always to rank websites that loaded quicker. Still, instead, they ended up ranking websites that utilize AMP, and having the world’s largest advertising corporation dictate how sites can be developed is hardly a path to a healthier, more transparent internet.
Google has been encouraging sites to utilize AMP for years.
However, for sites designed for speed, AMP pages are often slower than the actual pages. Google was subjected to extensive criticism due to AMP, which may have influenced Google’s change of heart. AMP gave Google control over websites. It deprived sites that felt obliged to use Accelerated Mobile Pages of control and independence.
Limitations Of AMP
Less functionality
AMP is a constrained framework that only enables 75kB of inline CSS and 150kB of third-party JS, limiting its usefulness and interaction with a web page. As a result, publications must utilize pre-built AMP libraries to ensure good performance. Due to this constraint, AMP pages may have a drastically different appearance than their non-AMP counterparts.
Double legwork
Even simple components take significant effort to make them AMP-compatible, which is usually not a challenging process for a non-AMP website. Plus, once the AMP page is online, you will need to optimize it to make it SEO-friendly, just like any other website.
Weak brand identity
Users that arrive at your website using Google AMP Viewer do not see the URL. Instead, the actual URL is saved on the AMP page beneath the information button at the top. This confuses visitors and makes determining where the traffic comes from complex for publishers.
Now that AMP is gone, all websites have a choice. If you want higher search engine rankings and more traffic, you must optimize your website for an improved, more performant, and faster customer experience. Google no longer requires AMP to create a faster-loading website.
Even without employing the constrained and Google-controlled method for creating a website, you can create a website with top Core Web Vitals scores and an excellent page experience. You can safely ignore AMP when creating a more exciting and diverse web, free of any artificial constraints imposed by Google.
