AMP: Does It Really Boost Ranking on SERP?

 

In the race for visibility on Google, website speed and user experience matter. This is where AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) often enters the conversation. But a common question persists: Does AMP really boost ranking on SERP?

 

Let’s explore what AMP does, how search engines rank content, and whether AMP is still a worthwhile strategy in 2025.

What Is AMP?

AMP stands for Accelerated Mobile Pages, a framework developed by Google to make web pages load faster on mobile devices. It uses stripped-down HTML and streamlined CSS to reduce page load time dramatically.

 

AMP pages were introduced to improve mobile web performance, especially for content-heavy sites like news blogs and online publishers.

 

What Are the Benefits of AMP?

AMP has been praised for several key benefits:

• Faster load times on mobile
• Lower bounce rates due to speed and minimal distractions
• Improved mobile user experience
• Eligibility for inclusion in Google Top Stories carousel (especially for news content)
• Better Core Web Vitals performance, which impacts ranking signals

Fast-loading pages not only reduce user frustration, they also keep visitors on your site longer, a positive signal for search engines.

Do AMP Pages Rank Higher?

Not directly. Google has confirmed that AMP is not a direct ranking factor. However, AMP can improve metrics that influence ranking, such as:

• Mobile friendliness
• Page speed
• User engagement
• Core Web Vitals performance

While AMP pages don’t automatically rank higher, they can contribute to a better experience, which may indirectly improve ranking on SERPs.

In essence, AMP is a tool, not a guaranteed boost.

How Is SERP Ranking Determined?

To understand AMP’s impact, you must understand how SERP ranking is determined. Google’s ranking algorithm considers hundreds of factors, including:

• Content relevance (based on keyword intent)
• Page quality and authority
• Mobile usability
• Site speed and performance
• Backlinks and user engagement
• Core Web Vitals — including loading time, interactivity, and visual stability

Speed is one of the factors, and AMP helps improve that. But if your content is weak or irrelevant, AMP alone won’t help you rank.

How to Increase Ranking on SERP (With or Without AMP)

If your goal is to improve SERP visibility, AMP is just one option. Here’s what to focus on:

1. Publish High-Quality Content
   Write content that answers real questions and matches search intent. Use clear headings and structure.
2. Optimise for Mobile
   Ensure your site is mobile-responsive. AMP helps, but so do good UX practices.
3. Improve Site Speed
   Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or Lighthouse. Compress images, use caching, and minimise JavaScript.
4. Strengthen On-Page SEO
   Optimise your title tags, meta descriptions, headers, and internal links.
5. Build Backlinks
   Create shareable content and earn links from credible websites.
6. Improve Core Web Vitals
   Focus on LCP (Largest Contentful Paint), FID (First Input Delay), and CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift).
7. Use Structured Data
   Help search engines understand your content better with schema markup.

AMP can complement these efforts, but it’s not a shortcut to the top of Google.

Is AMP Still Relevant in 2025?

AMP’s influence has shifted over the years. With improvements to general mobile performance, many websites now achieve great speed without needing AMP.

However, AMP remains useful for:

• News websites that want to appear in the Top Stories carousel
• Publishers with content that needs ultra-fast delivery
• Sites where mobile traffic dominates and the bounce rate is high

That said, modern responsive designs with performance optimisation may replace the need for AMP in most industries.

So, does AMP boost ranking on SERP?

Not directly. But it improves the factors that matter, like speed and mobile usability, which can indirectly help your site rank better.

If your site is already fast, mobile-friendly, and delivering great content, AMP may not be necessary. But for content-heavy or news-driven websites, it’s still a tool worth considering.

Focus on what truly impacts SEO: user experience, speed, and high-quality content. AMP is just one piece of the puzzle.

 

 

Action Point

PS: I know you might agree with some of the points raised in this article or disagree with some of the issues raised.

Please share your thoughts on the topic discussed. We would appreciate it if you could drop your comment. Thanks in anticipation.

 

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