Does AMP affect your Google Ranking?

Google has introduced Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) to make the mobile web experience faster. In other words, Google wants users to have streamlined mobile experiences with fewer slow pages and waiting times. As a result, you might think that AMP will have an impact on your site’s ranking. But is it true? Does AMP really affect your ranking? 

Read on to understand how AMP works in search results.

Is AMP a Google Ranking Factor?

AMP is a Google-created HTML framework that helps deliver ultra-fast mobile versions of webpages initially designed for desktops. Then, this has led to claims that AMP gives pages a ranking advantage in mobile search over non-AMP pages.

When you think about what AMP brings to you, there are several benefits to using AMP that suggest it could be a ranking factor:

• Developed by Google.
• Makes websites more mobile-friendly.
• Improves page speed.

There’s been a lot of debate recently about whether or not AMP is a ranking factor. While there’s no definite answer, the evidence seems to suggest that it isn’t.

AMP is designed to improve the speed of mobile pages, but it’s not clear that it actually has any impact on rankings. 

Besides, Google has confirmed that they don’t use AMP as a ranking factor. This may come as a surprise if you’ve been actively encouraged to use AMP. 

“While AMP itself isn’t a ranking factor, speed is a ranking factor for Google Search. Google Search applies the same standard to all pages, regardless of the technology used to build the page. For more information on the benefits of using AMP, see the AMP Project success stories.”

As Google mentioned above, AMP can have an impact on other factors that influence search engine rankings, like page speed. Sites that use AMP can potentially benefit from improved page speed ranking signals.

As of July 2018, page speed has been a ranking factor for mobile searches. Because AMP loads pages instantly, it can help sites send stronger ranking signals to search engines regarding mobile page speed.

So while AMP may improve the speed of your mobile pages, it doesn’t seem to have any impact on your rankings. 

Why do users think AMP is a Google Ranking Factor?

Some believe that AMP has become a ranking factor because Google has a vested interest in its success as a technology. 

While it is true that Google is responsible for creating AMP and they do encourage its use as part of a larger effort to speed up the web. However, there is no guarantee that they will continue to do so. 

In theory, Google could increase the adoption rate of AMP by turning it into a ranking signal; thus giving any site using AMP a boost in rankings. Of course, this would not be fair to those sites not using AMP, and so it remains to be seen if Google will take this route.

Besides, Google may use AMP to rank search results, which would mean that sites would have to use AMP technology to stay relevant.

However, that’s not how search works. AMP is still important for SEO, even though it doesn’t directly impact search results.

Conclusion

Google has repeatedly said that AMP is not a determining factor in their ranking system. AMP used to have some benefits that could potentially increase click-through rates, such as a unique icon and the fact that it was exclusive to Top Stories. 

However, those advantages are no longer present. While AMP can still positively impact other ranking factors (such as speed), it is not a factor on its own.

So, if you’re looking to improve your rankings, you should focus on other things like optimizing your content and building links,…

EverRanks has compiled the necessary information about The Google AMP above. Hopefully, you will be able to use them to implement methods that are truly suitable for bringing good results to your website.