It’s often recommended that you should implement AMP for better AEO. However in many cases the drawbacks of implementing AMP outweigh the benefits and so in most cases it’s not recommended to use AMP on new implementations.
AMP was introduced to improve mobile page load times and user experience on mobile devices. Over time, however, the web landscape has evolved, and AMP has faced both adoption challenges and changes in Google’s approach to prioritizing web performance.
Current Status and Usage:
- Adoption:
- Decline in Adoption: AMP adoption has seen a decline over recent years. Many large publishers and content creators have moved away from AMP due to its strict limitations on design flexibility and functionality. Instead, they are focusing on optimizing their sites for Core Web Vitals directly.
- Shift in Google’s Strategy: Google has shifted its focus from AMP to a broader approach of improving Core Web Vitals across all pages. This includes making significant updates to tools like PageSpeed Insights and prioritizing native mobile page optimizations.
- Widespread Use: While AMP is still in use, it is not as widely adopted as it once was. AMP pages make up a smaller portion of the overall web compared to earlier years.
- Alternatives to AMP:
- Core Web Vitals: Google now places greater emphasis on Core Web Vitals (loading speed, interactivity, visual stability) as key metrics for page performance. This shift makes it possible to improve performance without being bound to AMP’s limitations.
- Frameworks and Themes: Many content management systems (CMS) and page builders (like WordPress with Astra) have incorporated features and best practices to directly improve Core Web Vitals and mobile page performance without relying on AMP.
- Future Prospects:
- AMP for Specific Use Cases: AMP might still be suitable for specific scenarios where strict performance metrics and fast loading times are critical, such as news articles or time-sensitive content. However, its role is expected to be more niche rather than a universal solution.
- Integration with Google Tools: AMP pages continue to be supported by Google News and other platforms that benefit from fast-loading content. However, they are increasingly viewed as just one of many methods to achieve good performance, not a mandatory requirement.
In summary, while AMP is still in use, its role and importance have diminished as the web has evolved towards a more integrated approach to performance optimization. Many sites are now focusing on optimizing their native pages for Core Web Vitals without the AMP-specific constraints.
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