AMP (accelerated mobile pages) is a concept that Google and other top search engines are insisting on so much to prioritize mobile search. With accelerated mobile pages, web pages are able to load very fast when viewed using mobile devices. For visitors, the pages they see are deconstructed and lack the pomp common in ordinary designs to make pages load faster. Only the page image and content are visible.
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Why amp for blogs?
- Makes the pages load faster for better user experience.
- Helps diversify your content availability in some platforms including mobile devices.
- Allows you to play by Google rules so that your blog content gets priority in mobile searches.
- Though AMP is currently only enabled in a few countries, it is set to roll out worldly in coming months.
Here is a step by process of setting up AMP in your WordPress Blog
Step 1: Install the AMP plugin
Log into your WordPress dashboard and go to plugins. Look for “amp”, select AMP plugin by Automatic, and activate it.
Go back one step to the plugins, select add new, and search for Yoast Amp. Once Glue for Yoast SEO and AMP plugin shows, click install and activate button. Adding Glue plugin is very important because it contains other important features that help to optimize the AMP setup.
Step 2: Configuring
Navigate to Yoast and select AMP. Here, you should select the types of posts that you will be using AMP on.
You will note that “posts” is enabled automatically by default. For many people, this is exactly what they need. However, if you will be making other posts, you will need to enable their types.
Make sure to save the changes after completing the configuration process.
Step 3: Customizing
This step is very critical because it determines how the blog page will appear on mobile devices. Click the tab named design and start working on style. This step allows you to upload the page’s icon of 32 x 32 pixels. A default image with a width of 696 pixels can also be added for posts that lack images. Here, the blogger is also able to change the page header, adjust colors, content colors, link colors, and style, as well as applying custom CSS.
At this point, it is important to play and test with various aspects of the customizer until a perfect fit for your blog is identified. For example, you might want to use the Photoscape to identify hex color codes. This might differ slightly depending on the computer you are working on. For example, people working on MAC computers may find the Color Picker application a great tool to use.
Once through with customizing, make sure to save the changes and the process will be complete. You have successfully set up AMP on your WordPress blog. For many people, even after the process is done, they still want to keep customizing the outlook of the blogs. Make sure to visit the page to check its appearance and if unsatisfied, head back to customization and alter various aspects.
On any of your blogs posts, add /amp/ at the end of URL string to have a view of how the post will look like. This is the address that visitors will see on their mobile phones or get redirected to if you hyperlink any word or icon on other pages.
Make sure to add Analytics Tracking Code so that Google will be able to track your post for easier ranking. However, if you have a Google Analytics plugin, you will not need to add a different tracking code.
Hope everything is clear so far? Let get a recap of the entire process again
- Make sure that you already have Yoast SEO. This is the beginning point you must get right.
- Install the AMP plugin and activate it. The plugin of choice is by Automattic.
- Look for Glue for Yoast plugin, install and ensure it is activated.
- Carefully establish the type of posts that you want to use AMP on your website.
- Include some style and pomp by adding the AMP pages using inbuilt design tools. It is because of advanced tools that Glue for Yoast was selected.
For blogs and website owners who want to remain on the Google’s safe side, it is important to play by their rules. Recently, they have been releasing very many of warnings, and it is advisable to set up AMP in your WordPress blog before it is too late. Also, experts on Webmaster forums have strongly indicated that this is a great pillar that Google is considering to ensure visitors can get the info they want easily.
Make sure to check results in webmaster tools
Google webmaster is a great platform that helps to indicate how your blog page is working. If you do not have an account with them, sign up and visit in a few days. Here, you will be able to check how the Accelerated Mobile Pages is doing and whether there are error reports. If there are errors, you can go to the AMP website to learn more about documentation. Note that some errors are more complex and may require reaching the plugin developer for assistance while others may only require following back the AMP set up process.
Conclusion
While using Accelerated Mobile Pages may have a disadvantage of losing a few items when articles and displays are shown on mobile phones, you are sure of getting huge traffic from people who prefer to use their smartphones as opposed to desktops. Besides, this is a start and improvements will be coming along the way so that everything on your website can be visible on various mobile platforms.
Therefore, do not think of being left behind and getting on the wrong side of Google and other search engines. Use the outlined few steps to how to set up AMP in your WordPress blog to increase traffic and conversions on your pages.
