AMP is known as a useful tool developed by Google to increase page loading speeds on mobile devices. However, for beginners, Google AMP can lead to unavoidable mistakes that may impact your website's performance. This article will highlight some common mistakes when using Google AMP and provide solutions for each case.
Should you implement AMP for your website?
What is AMP? AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) is a technology developed by Google to optimize and improve web page loading speeds on mobile devices. Statistics show that the number of internet users on mobile devices has now far surpassed those on desktop computers. Meanwhile, AMP plays a crucial role in reducing page load times, providing a user-friendly interface, and prioritizing visibility in search results. This is highly significant for enhancing user experience, retaining visitors, and increasing website traffic.
As you can see, implementing AMP for your website is essential as the number of mobile users continues to grow in the future.
Common mistakes when using AMP
If you are preparing to install the Google AMP WordPress plugin, or if you have already used it but haven't seen results, check out these common mistakes below so you can avoid them or find effective ways to fix them.
1. Not following AMP HTML rules
AMP HTML is an extended version of HTML with custom AMP attributes. In it, besides standard HTML tags, some tags can be customized and replaced with specific AMP tags. Problems arise when you use invalid or unsupported tags in AMP HTML. This causes your AMP page to not display correctly on mobile devices or be rejected by Google and excluded from search results.
2. Not optimizing images
This is a common issue many people face in AMP website design. It involves using large, uncompressed, or incorrectly formatted images when uploading to your site. Unoptimized images will slow down page load speeds and result in a poor user experience.
3. Missing AMP meta tags and structured data
Failing to include the <meta charset="utf-8"> tag and missing structured data is another common mistake when building an AMP WordPress website . This oversight hurts your SEO rankings because the site is not properly optimized for search engines.
4. Not checking the compatibility of AMP components
Many people add custom JavaScript without checking if these components are compatible with Google AMP . As a result, your website may break or stop working. This can have a significant negative impact, especially for e-commerce sites.
5. Missing content in AMP tags
Another issue you might encounter is providing incomplete or irrelevant content within tags like <amp-img> or <amp-video>. AMP page will become boring and unappealing to users. This, in turn, reduces user engagement and lowers traffic to AMP link.
How to fix errors when implementing AMP for your website
If you are encountering any of the mistakes mentioned above, here is how to fix them. You need to address these errors as soon as possible to quickly get your WordPress AMP website back to working effectively.
1. Follow AMP HTML rules
Use supported AMP HTML tags and adhere to AMP guidelines. You can refer to Google AMP documentation for more details. Additionally, you can use Google's AMP compatibility testing tool to identify and fix errors. AMP Validator is a great option you can use. This extension automatically checks your website's source code. It will display "pass" if it meets the requirements or "fail" if it does not.
2. Optimize images
Fixing this issue is not difficult. You just need to ensure you use the correct image formats, such as WebP or JPEG 2000, and compress images to reduce file size before uploading them to your WordPress AMP website. Tools you can use include ImageOptim and TinyPNG. These tools allow you to optimize image file sizes to the lowest possible level while maintaining quality that is virtually indistinguishable from the original.
3. Add meta tags and structured data
You simply need to add the <meta charset="utf-8"> tag and use JSON-LD for structured data. Google Structured Data Markup Helper is an online tool designed to help you create structured data easily and quickly. You enter your website URL into the tool, select the type of data you want to format, and the Google Markup Helper will allow you to select page elements and label them.
4. Check the compatibility of AMP components
To prevent this from happening, use AMP components instead of custom JavaScript. You can seek support from AMP Project documentation or AMP Playground to test the compatibility of AMPcomponents.
5. Ensure content within AMP tags
Ensure the content within Google AMP tags is complete and relevant to the main content of the page. Use an AMP editor and content validation tools to obtain high-quality images and videos to capture the attention of mobile users.
Using AMP for WordPress can bring many benefits to your website, but it also carries potential pitfalls that can affect performance. We hope this article has provided you with useful information to avoid common mistakes when using AMP for WordPress.
