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Google’s New Format of Accelerated Mobile Pages

Google AMP

To better understand why Google is using enhanced formats for their accelerated mobile pages, otherwise known as AMP, it is necessary to grasp the importance of mobile pages. First and foremost, mobile users are different than desktop users. They require information and transactions to occur quickly and with ease. Mobile pages also see more traffic from users than desktop pages do. Mobile users tend to engage with these pages while they are watching TV, commuting to work, or on-the-go because it more convenient than desktop. Optimizing the website to adapt to a mobile page will also increase your conversions and decrease your bounce rate. Call to actions on your mobile pages should be clear and easy to click. A company is more likely to create conversions when the content is concise and the format is easy for the consumer to follow. This idea is the same for the bounce rate. If a company does not optimize their mobile pages and it is hard to follow, the consumer is likely to leave the page within seconds.

What exactly is AMP?

As mentioned, they are accelerated mobile pages that aim to make the web better for all. They enable the creation of websites and advertisements that are visually appealing, fast, and high performing across various devices. Websites and ads load almost instantly and provide a smooth, clear page for consumers to interact with. Today AMP users include 25 million domains, over 100 different technology providers, and platforms that range from areas of advertising, publishing, e-commerce, small businesses, and more.

Google’s AMP Stories

Google has released a new visually focused format for its AMP framework, known as AMP Stories. These are a series of web stories designed to create visually engaging content focused on interactive photos and text, and accelerate the speed of web content and advertisements. These stories were specifically designed for mobile webpages and offer a new and creative way of “storytelling” to consumers. Google states that they do not intend this form of AMP to match companies non-mobile content because it is content that should be unique and fulfilling to mobile pages. Users can see these AMP stories when searching various companies including The Washington Post, Cosmopolitan, People, Mashable and more. This can be done by searching the company using the Google search engine on a mobile device. Headlines for AMP stories may include “Visual Stories from…” or “Top Stories from…” and they appear on the SERP (Search Engine Results Page). Below is an example of how the AMP stories would appear on the SERP. They occur at the top of the page to grab the consumer’s attention and provide an exciting new way to get information and become engaged.

Google AMP on mobile device

Publishers Push for AMP

The AMP framework has been successful since their first launch and it has only made even more successful strides since then. The framework continues to create more feature-rich experiences for users when using mobile devices. Many publishers have started using AMP’s format for their mobile pages, but will they singly rely on AMP’s format as it becomes increasingly popular? AMP’s stories and its creative layout for users pushes publishers to join the AMP format as well. Will consumers turn to mobile-only pages because of AMP and the features they have to offer? Only time will tell.

Remember to always contact Brawn Media for the latest strategies and tactics for your company’s mobile advertising needs.