Google is at it again!
In 2018, we will see AMP begin to take over users’ mobile experiences as companies scramble to implement the new structure in compliance with Google’s ominous warnings. Well today, those warnings sound even louder with a new update…
As reported by Search Engine Land, Google has said that beginning in February 2018, Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) and canonical pages must match or have very “close parity.” AMP pages that do not match the content of canonical pages “will not be considered for Search features that require AMP, such as the Top Stories carousel with AMP.”
Think of it this way… Companies may set up AMP pages, but not include the full content from the original source. This helps them deploy AMP quickly, but requires readers to click twice to see the full breadth of content. This is bad for the user, but good for the website owner.
While parity has been a requirement for a while, this step towards higher reinforcement and the incorporation of AMP (although that would not cause a penalty) is a huge move. 2018 will show how these mobile-first issues are going to take the driver’s seat, urging people to optimize their sites immediately.
“If Google finds a non-compliant AMP page after the deadline, it will send users to the ‘non-AMP equivalent.’ If that’s a slow-loading page, users are likely to abandon. Google also says that it will ‘notify the webmaster via Search console as a manual action message and give the publisher the opportunity to fix the issue before its AMP page can be served again.’” – SEL
What this means is that not only is AMP imperative to step above your competition, but retaining parity within those AMP versions is a step even further.
Google is aiming to improve a consumer’s experience, and that’s up to businesses to hop on the wagon. “Web pages and ads published in the AMP open-source format load near instantly, giving users a smooth, more engaging experience on mobile and desktop,” states Google on their AMP website.
It will be interesting to see this rollout in 2018 as he higher enforcement of AMP rules and parity continue to be the topic of mobile discussions.
Source: Search Engine Land
