AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) is an open-source framework, introduced by Google in 2015, for building stripped-down web pages that load quickly on phones. It works by restricting what a page can contain and by letting Google serve a cached copy of the page from its own servers.
How AMP works
An AMP page is usually a second version of an ordinary page, often at a URL ending in /amp/. The normal page points to it with a link tag (rel="amphtml"), and the AMP page points back with a canonical tag, so search engines know which is the main version. AMP pages follow strict rules: custom JavaScript is heavily limited, CSS must be inline and small, and elements such as images and forms use AMP’s own components.
Because the format is predictable, Google could store AMP pages in its cache and preload them from the results page, which is why AMP results opened almost instantly and appeared with a google.com address in the browser bar. For several years AMP was also a requirement for appearing in the Top Stories carousel, which pushed news publishers and many WordPress sites to adopt it.
Why it matters (and why it matters less now)
That requirement ended in 2021, when Google’s page experience update opened Top Stories to any page that met its content policies and removed the AMP badge from results. Google has also been clear that AMP is not a ranking factor in itself. Speed still counts, but it is measured on whatever page the visitor gets, through Core Web Vitals, and a well-built standard page can be just as fast.
So for most UK business websites, AMP is not something to add today. Where it does matter is on sites that switched it on years ago through a plugin and forgot about it. Those leftover AMP versions cause real problems:
- Mobile visitors from Google may land on a cut-down page that lacks the enquiry form, booking widget or full navigation.
- Analytics and ad tracking are often missing or set up separately, so mobile conversions go unrecorded.
- Content updates are not always carried across, leaving outdated prices or details live.
- You maintain two versions of every page for little or no benefit.
Common mistakes
- Adding AMP to chase rankings. It gives no ranking boost in itself.
- An AMP version weaker than the main page. Missing calls to action, forms or trust signals cost enquiries from mobile searchers.
- Switching off the plugin without redirects. Every /amp/ URL Google knows about then returns a 404.
- Ignoring tracking. Sessions on the AMP cache can appear as separate visitors or not be recorded at all.
- Leaving validation errors unresolved. Invalid AMP pages lose the cache benefits while keeping all the maintenance cost.
How to act on it
First, find out whether your site uses AMP. View the source of a few pages and search for “amphtml”, or check whether Search Console shows an AMP report. If it does, compare the AMP and standard versions of your main landing pages on a phone, including forms and tracking.
If you decide to remove AMP, which is the usual outcome for a business site, take out the amphtml links, then 301 redirect each AMP URL to its standard equivalent, and keep the redirects in place. Then put the effort into making the main pages fast on mobile. Retiring AMP cleanly and improving page speed are both part of my technical SEO work.