Google’s accelerated mobile pages (AMP) really do improve organic search performance on smartphones, according to the first large-scale study of the mobile-centric initiative by Stone Temple and WompMobile.
Content that is optimised with AMP sees a considerable 27.1% increase on organic traffic, a 33.8% uptick in SERP impressions, and a 15.3% rise in the number of SERP click-through rates. The research looked at the performance of 26 web domains and millions of AMP pages across the web.
Google has long touted the positive benefits of AMP, and the findings suggest that brands should do everything they can in 2019 to get webpages updated and optimised for mobile. All but four of the sites featured in the study saw notable gains in organic search on smartphones, tablets and other small devices after implementing AMP.
“We’ve confirmed the impact of AMP at large scale, proving the bottom-line benefits of faster page loads,” WompMobile’s CEO Madison Miner said. “For brands competing for consumer mindshare, AMP provides a competitive edge by guaranteeing performance, resulting in 27% more traffic and better engagement.”
While AMP has a positive impact on organic traffic, it is not a quick fix for websites with poor loading speeds and navigation or sub-par content. The study found that around a fifth of sites have not seen any tangible benefits from AMP implementation.
Stone Temple said that sites that are already in decline and experiencing diminishing traffic will not see an immediate rebound, though AMP can flatten the lows and stabilise performance.
