Photo credit: Pressman Tech
Google is rolling out its Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) that will supposedly enable lightning fast mobile Web browsing. Without naming sources, Ad Age said Google will introduce the pages on Feb. 24. With the new pages, Google continues to emphasize the importance of speed in achieving high search engine rankings. Perhaps more importantly, AMP may counter online ads that hurt the mobile Web experience and ad blockers that threaten the digital publishing ecosystem.
AMP is viewed as a direct response to Facebook’s Instant Articles and Apple News. However, unlike those proprietary platforms, it is open source, meaning it’s available for use by anyone. With faster pages, Google and publishers can encourage people to cruise the mobile web rather than download apps.
“Over time we anticipate that other Google products such as Google News will also integrate AMP HTML pages,” wrote David Besbris, Google vice president, engineering, search, in a blog post. “This is the start of an exciting collaboration with publishers and technology companies, who have all come together to make the mobile web work better for everyone.”
The open source code known as AMP HTML simplifies HTML, CSS and JavaScript elements and reduces page elements to only the most vital elements. Websites that adopt the framework will improve site performance by 15% to 85%, according to Google. Companies and other organizations that move quickly to adopt the technology will gain an advantage in mobile search.
The Importance of Speed
Google has stated that site speed is a search ranking factor, although Google maintains its search algorithm won’t favor AMP sites in particular. Last year it started testing “slow” warnings on slow-loading sites.
Visitors tend to leave sites that load slowly. Mobile websites and apps suffer a 29% drop off if users find they are either too slow or don’t provide the right information upfront, according to Google. Pages that take 10 seconds to load see a 58% drop off.
To show what AMP will look like, Google posted a preview demo, with content from a limited set of participating publishers. Users see a blue bar at the top of the screen if publishers have adopted AMP. Users can view a list of AMP-compliant partner sites.
Like the Google News box when it debuted, the AMP module disrupts the search experience by appearing at the top of the search engine results page and pushing everything else down, says Kenny Chung at Search Engine Watch. Clickthrough and impressions, he predicts, will probably increase for sites with AMP and decrease for those without it.
A Battle against Disruptive Ads
AMP is Google’s weapon to battle disruptive online ads that slow page loading and prompt users to install ad blockers, which in turn threaten the digital economy, says Frédéric Filloux at Monday Note. “Privately, Google people make no mystery of their intention to clean the advertising mess,” he says.
Google’s goals and mobile Web users conflict with those of advertisers, Filloux notes. While Google places a priority on the user experience and promotes fast-loading pages, creative teams design flashy, slow-loading ads to meet the presumed desire of their clients.
Nevertheless, the advertising community seems to back AMP. Richard Gingras, head of news at Google and project lead, stated in a blog post that major media buyers have pledged their support. Because it integrates advertising and analytics, publishers will probably accept the coded.
“To me, the surest way to make progress is a decisive move from the creative advertising side,” Filloux opines. “Instead of fighting for the status quo, agencies should devote more resources to come up with truly creative formats that fit AMP specs. And publishers should take the user’s side.”
Bottom Line: Google’s new super-fast mobile pages are a major advance in the fast-evolving digital landscape. By improving the user experience, Google hopes to obviate the need for ad blockers and encourage people to use the mobile Web rather than its competitors’ proprietary platforms. It’s essential for marketers to be aware of Google’s initiative and to work with their technology teams to implement the technology where appropriate and to minimize the loading times of display ads.
William J. Comcowich founded and served as CEO of CyberAlert LLC, the predecessor of Glean.info. He is currently serving as Interim CEO and member of the Board of Directors. Glean.info provides customized media monitoring, media measurement and analytics solutions across all types of traditional and social media.
