#2051 - Support Google's AMP
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By Chris Graham
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| Identifier | #2051 |
|---|---|
| Issue type | Feature request or suggestion |
| Title | Support Google's AMP |
| Status | Open |
| Tags |
Type: Cross-cutting feature (custom) Type: Mobile (custom) Type: SEO (custom) |
| Handling member | Deleted |
| Addon | core |
| Description | Google have released a framework for making high-performance mobile web pages:
https://www.ampproject.org/ It is a JS library and strict set of standards for how pages should be put together. 3rd party JavaScript is not allowed, unless via a new AMP component, running inside an iframe. Supporting this would be a big job, and a real step sideways, because it is very antithetical to the direction the web has gone in in the last 10 years. It brings back iframes, and pushes back JavaScript and responsive design. The general approach makes sense though. Issues/concerns I have: 1) Google developed this in secret alongside preselected partners, before making it 'open'. I don't like secret standard bodies that are actually corporations with their own motivations. 2) Google is acting as a gatekeeper for what components will be official, and have launched with a set of components for proprietary services. Having a gatekeeper for the web in front of any new commercial service is worrying, there is great scope for abuse and conflict of interest. For example Google may decide they have too many commercial service components, and start picking what winners should be official. 3) Heavy caching means this is tuned for static pages, rather than social features. Social features (e.g. ratings, comments) would get done via new components, which would take time to make. 4) We would need to switch to specifying width&height of things like carousel contents, rather than letting content auto-size. That's a big shift in approach that impinges on the content management process (e.g. making sure content summaries are a certain length and having people make explicit templating changes to alter that). 5) We would have to put heavy restrictions on Comcode, making sure anything dynamic comes out through an AMP component. 6) We would likely need some kind of inbuilt validation into the CMS to stop users making content that doesn't follow the rules (e.g. trying to embed third-party JavaScript directly into pages). 7) We would need to serve from separate AMP-optimised stylesheets that meet strict rules. This couldn't be more at-odds with the responsive design approach. One advantage is the AMP approach aligns nicely with CSP by prohibiting inline JavaScript and focusing on a centrally-managed component-based approach. |
| Steps to reproduce | |
| Related to | |
| Funded? | No |
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Comments
"We are interested in this project/framework, but I do have some concerns regarding openness. It looks like a very good approach, but having initiated so much of a new standard in secret amongst pre-determined partners, and gatekeeping future official social integrations via an industry player with its own motivations (Google), both concern me. I'd like to see an open group such as W3C or the Apache Foundation involved."
We knew it was coming this week, but Google seems to be rolling it out a day earlier than expected.
We've known since early December that Google would start sending search traffic to Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) beginning sometime in February. Ad Age recently reported the launch would be on February 24, but people are already starting to see AMP results.
Is Google showing you AMP pages on your mobile device? Tell us what you think about the experience.
http://www.webpronews.com/google-adds-amp-to-search-results-2016-02/
Also
Google says you should use a separate Google Analytics property to measure your AMP pages, which could be a bit of an inconvenience (....), but as they note, AMP is still a new technology, so give it time.
You can read more about AMP and analytics in a recent post on the AMP blog.
The company said its goals for AMP, as the project pertains to advertising, are to ensure that it works well with the business models of today and that it leaves plenty of space for innovation in the future.
"In the near term, our top priority is making sure that ad formats, features and measurement that publishers rely on work within the AMP environment," said another post on the AMP blog. "When AMP launches on Google Search in February, it will include important, basic functionalities. These include the ability to traffic ads with ad servers of your choice, support for multiple demand sources and formats (including native ads), full control over ads placements, and viewability measurement. It also includes integration with 20+ ad tech vendors, all of whom are excited to participate in the AMP initiative."
Google has been hosting a series of Hangouts around different aspects of AMP to help you get prepared the launch (and you can always implement after the launch). I'd also recommend perusing the AMP blog for more details on everything from how it handles ads and analytics to paywalls.
Google also has a new section in its Webmaster Help forums (via Search Engine Roundtable) where webmasters can ask questions about and discuss AMP. As Google's John Mueller notes, they're looking for feedback as well.
AMP is of course about letting websites build light-weight pages for their content, and is similar to Facebook's Instant Articles that way. Facebook also announced a date last week for when it will let all publishers to take advantage of that.
https://www.socpub.com/articles/chris-graham-why-google-amp-threat-open-web-15847
https://www.socpub.com/articles/rehabilitating-google-amp-my-failed-attempt-16258