Google just announced that Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP pages) are included in organic search results in mobile SERPs. Although not a ranking factor (at least not yet), Google is actively pushing this new technology and it’s likely that AMPs are the future of mobile search.

What is AMP?

AMP pages are lightweight web pages stripped of the cumbersome elements that cause the page to display slowly on mobile devices. With these elements removed, AMP pages load lightening-fast: nearly instantaneous, with practically zero load time.

The result: a better mobile web experience for everyone. Site owners will see increased engagement from mobile visitors because of fewer bounces and corresponding improvements in digital marketing ROI.

Why You Should Care About AMP Content

Since announcing their participation in the Accelerated Mobile Pages Project, Google has already indexed more than 150 million AMP documents, with over 4 million new pages added every week. Huge publishing companies are buying in, ‘AMPing up’ their content in anticipation of this feature being ‘more broadly available later in 2016’.

Just as searchers on mobile devices gravitate towards search results tagged ‘mobile-friendly’, searchers are also likely to do the same with content designated AMP by Google.

One final reason to consider ‘AMPing’ your content: Google’s VP of Engineering, David Besbris, has made clear that ‘where there are two identical pages, one AMP and one-mobile friendly, Google will serve the AMP page’.

To learn more about AMP, visit www.ampproject.org or read a case study on how AMP helped the Washington Post increase returning users from mobile search by 23%.

We are testing this new content format for viability and lessons we can share with our clients. Drop us a line if you want to hear how it can work for you! You can reach us at client.services@hdmz.com