Google AMP is a lie
AMP, which stands for Accelerated Mobile Pages was introduced by Google in 2015. The concept of AMP framework is to make website load faster, especially on mobile devices. While the idea is great, the execution is poor, leading to the âblurrinessâ of URL, and less revenue for web publisher. Why does it get a lot of hates? Is the reason provided by those 'privacy-enthusiastic web devs' are true? I will try to explain it below.
It is not the same as the original did
Because AMP is a stripped-down version of your original content, you are at Googleâs mercy when it comes to how (and even if) your content is actually displayed. You give up the overall styling of your page in return for a really quick download. If your site features a lot of video, AMP would not be that beneficial for you as the download time would pretty much remain the same.
If youâre visiting a website without AMP in mobile, you will be served with the page format that the publisher actually want you to view.
2. Youâve reading it on Googleâs sites, not the actual website
One of the problems with the Accelerated Mobile Pages concept is that content built utilizing AMP is served up through a cache on Googleâs server rather than actually linking to the original page on a publisherâs website. This means that the reader is spending more time on Googleâs site and will be seeing Google advertising as opposed to any paid advertising on the content providerâs site. More money for Google, less money for the actual content creator.
Although in 2018 Google stated that it is working on fixing this problem so that linked pages will appear under the original publisherâs URL, until now the easiest way to copy URL (which is address bar) still shows Google address first.
3. Googleâs control
The content loads off of Googleâs own server, not from the website itself.
Another point is that Google are pushing AMP adoption by their regular means of propaganda â âAMP sites will rank higher on Google!â. Moreover, a partnership with WordPress might bring AMP enabled by default to millions of unsuspecting webmasters. Of course, my blog will never use it, although Iâve ever use it when I just started out on WordPress (because at that time I didnât knew anything about AMP)
Search engines are in a powerful position to wield influence to solve this problem. However, Google has chosen to create a premium position at the top of their search results (for articles) and a âlightningâ icon (for all types of content), which are only accessible to publishers that use a Google-controlled technology, served by Google from their infrastructure, on a Google URL, and placed within a Google controlled user experience.
-from AMP open letter
So what we can do about this?
First, if you have a website that utilize AMP, remove those codes or disable them entirely. Second, when youâre searching through the internet with Google, avoid content that has a âlightningâ icon. Third, use âRedirect AMP to HTMLâ extension in your browser. Hopefully with these in mind, we can avoid AMP altogether & reduced the general usage of AMP.
Conclusion
As a result of AMP implementation, most web surfers wonât ever leave Google, since everything they search for will be served to them on Googleâs âwallet gardenâ. This is not really a âwebâ of interconnected websites anymore, but a centralized dystopian future. Remember, The Web is not Google, and should not be just Google.
Sources:
- Dan Buben in Why AMP is bad for your site and for the Web created in 28 February 2018
- Ethan Marcotte in AMPlified. created in 13 February 2018
- AMP open letter