The Fast
A couple years ago, consumers waited over 5 minutes just to get internet access. Today, users don’t have that kind of patience and won’t wait more than three seconds for a page to load before leaving it. Fast. Efficient. Results. Consumers want information immediately. Speed has become one of the most important factors in the digital world. It’s not only vital to retaining users but it’s crucial to a business’ success as well. Kissmetrics has even revealed that a one second delay in loading time could result in a 7% reduction in your conversions. This is why speed has become a large part of the conversation when it comes to user experience.
But how fast pages load isn’t the only element to consider for UX. Where these searches are taking place is the next thing to think about. Mobile searches overtook desktop searches last year and that trend will continue. With people moving at the speed of life, they’re expecting technology to keep up. Information must be readily available for the next search and you’ll never know when your business might be the right answer to a user’s question. Statista shows in 2015, 157.6 million users accessed search services on their mobile devices.
That’s why Google has made responsive web design and mobile optimized content a priority with its accelerated mobile pages.
The Mobile
Now more than ever, instantaneous, mobile results are important to reach consumers. Before you head into work, what was the score of the Knick’s game last night? You didn’t have time to watch the whole story on TV while you were eating breakfast, but NASA is sending another probe to Mars? Consumers are constantly on the move and want answers, when they want answers. With accelerated mobile pages, Google has brought businesses up to hyper speed and as of last month, there are over 600 million AMP pages on 700,000 domains. Make sure your website is one of these pages because Google is rewarding those who are adopting responsive web design solutions.
The whole point of the initiative was to create websites that load faster and are more easily accessible. What the Google team understands, is that optimizing for mobile everywhere is the next step the digital world has to take together– in order to progress even further. AMP started off with news sites but there is already expansion into other web pages that feature shopping, cooking, travelling, ecommerce, entertainment… etc. Soon the entire internet will be accelerated and you want your business to be on the front end of this race.
The Results
So far, AMP publishers are very pleased with the results. Accelerated mobile pages are not only meant to help drive mobile search, but to help drive engagement as well. Major online brands are seeing the benefits of AMP with an influx of traffic and according to SearchEngineLand, 90% of them have seen a greater engagement per CTR. The Washington Post has seen a 23% increase in mobile search users who also return within a seven day period. Wired has experienced a 25% increase in click through rates from stories that are AMP.
This shows is that AMP provides positive results for businesses.
Although Google team members Gary Illyes and Paul Haahr previously mentioned AMP would not affect current overall rankings, content that is optimized for mobile performs will be favored over content that is not. If there are two versions of a page, one that is AMP and one that is not, Google will select the former. This is a contributing factor to the reason 80% of publishers are realizing higher view rates. If your site is not mobile friendly, this is a sign that it needs to be. Increase your business’ brand awareness by optimizing your website for mobile.
Another important factor SearchEngineLand emphasizes is density of content. For all sites that have less content on their mobile version than desktop, you should think twice. This is why Google has recommended switching your site to a responsive web design. Adapt or die is the rule of nature and the web. For the future success of your business, it’s important to keep up to date with the latest Google updates. Jumping the gun and joining the bandwagon may not be the most glamorous but it will yield positive results for your website. Don’t lose out on a lifetime consumer because your page wasn’t mobile friendly! Optimizing for mobile not only creates a better experience for your users, but provides your brand with more opportunities for interaction with your target audience.
The Rewind
The Fast – Google’s accelerated mobile pages is dedicated to delivering consumers with content at unparalleled speed
The Mobile – Mobile optimization is a must in order to continue thriving in today’s digital world
The Results – Positive increase in views, click through rates, and conversions
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