Google AMP

Hi,

I know that you were waiting the moment that Google officially support and improve this function, but in my country all the major sites already uses it and are always in first places on the search engine.
As you can see from this screenshot, seems that Google likes and gives advantage to these sites:
When are you going to implement it?

Thanks in advance.

Ah, i didn’t know. Thank you very much.
Just an information, is it compatible with Newspaper Mobile Theme Plugin?

• This reply was modified 9 years by Fenix.

The official AMP plugin offered by WordPress greatly limits the functionality of the Newspaper theme. Multi-page posts appear as one page, Smart Lists do not function properly and many other elements are missing.

I have asked the Newspaper developers to introduce native AMP support in their theme but they do not seem interested.

Again, the official AMP plugin is not a suitable solution for most instances. What is needed is an AMP-compliant version of Newspaper’s mobile theme plugin.

No. The AMP plugin replaces the mobile theme with the AMP version, where portions of the content get cached on Google servers under high demand as a CDN structure.

If you plan on using AMP as your main mobile element, then the theme mobile support is only used for those instances where AMP is not used.

You can modify the AMP templates however you wish.

Desktop => theme template
Mobile => theme template/mobile (optional)
Mobile AMP => AMP template via plugin

AMP has very specific requirements outside the scope of the theme.

For example, WordPress allowed you to use the visual editor to add <p style="center"> which is bad HTML in modern usage. This will cause AMP validation to fail.

Theme authors cannot spend the time to support the ins/outs of AMP which change over time, and for which there would be unreasonable amount of support time provided to those who don’t understand how WP works, how AMP works, and can’t RTFM.

It ONLY makes sense to use an “agnostic” plugin like the one from Automattic (we have been using it since Nov 2015). This puts the brunt of development/compliance on the backs of WordPress devs and not theme devs, since it gets used for all the tier 1 “VIP” WordPress sites like TIME magazine, etc.

Really — anybody who wants to implement AMP should look into using the AMP plugin, then learn to tweak per the requirements as that is “best” way to go to save yourself major headaches, pain, suffering, and torment!

It’s neither economically feasible nor support-smart to build entire AMP support into the theme, which is already provided by the plugin.

(( I don’t work here. ))

Kley/Ben

Using Accelerated Mobile Pages plugin (Khaludi) AND WordPress AMP plugin AND Yoast Glue (if using Yoast WordPress SEO) all work perfectly for me and have done for months – ALL used together never failed – some cutomisation options built in too.

Advanced AMP ads add-on for the first one also runs with them for extra Adsense ads
Pat

I appreciate your thoughtful response. I think it’s misleading to suggest that AMP “replaces” the mobile theme. It’s offered as an alternative to the mobile theme and with proper implementation, Google will find the AMP version, show it in mobile search results and rank it higher than a corresponding non-AMP (but still optimized for mobile) page. On my site, we use AMP for SEO purposes only and as much as we can, we direct visitors to the regular mobile version of our site because this is the experience we prefer and want our visitors to have.

Just like theme authors keep up with the ins and outs of changes to WordPress and how their themes interact with various plugins, I don’t think it’s too much to ask that they keep up with AMP.

There are many plugins like AMP for WP that take what Automattic is doing with their “agnostic” plugin and greatly enhance it. For example, just in the time that I’ve been using AMP for WP, the authors have added optimizations specific to Newspaper as well as support for plugins that do not display properly with Automattic’s plugin like Tobias Bäthge’s awesome TablePress. This is all done, of course, without breaking AMP validation.

I’m not suggesting that the Newspaper developers start from scratch. Plugin authors like those behind AMP for WP have shown that AMP functionality can be extended using Automattic’s plugin as a base.

My idea would be for tagDiv’s mobile theme plugin to work in the same way — essentially allowing Automattic’s plugin to do the heavy lifting and adding Newspaper-specific design and functionality on top of it.

My website, The Apex, chose Newspaper and continues to use it because of the awesome experience afforded by the mobile theme plugin. However, that experience becomes diluted when the best experience can’t get the best search ranking due to Google’s insistence on AMP compliance.

I have seen very good AMP implementations on other sites that aren’t based on WordPress — so good, in fact, that it was nearly impossible to tell the difference between AMP and non-AMP. This demonstrates to me that it is indeed possible to offer a fully functional and well-designed experience while keeping in compliance with the evolving AMP standard.

Seeing these sites should make it abundantly clear that what is offered by Automattic’s plugin isn’t sufficient. Yes, it creates pages that validate against the AMP standard. But it doesn’t make the THEME compliant with AMP, only the site’s content. I’m doing a disservice to my site’s visitors by giving them a less-than-optimal experience. I want them to use Newspaper’s mobile theme and tagDiv should want them to use it too — but that’s not going to happen as long as AMP pages rank higher than others and tadDiv continues to see AMP as a distraction.

The best news theme for WordPress, which Newspaper undoubtedly is, will not remain the best for long if it cannot deliver a best-in-class AMP experience for its paying customers like me. SEO is critically important for sites that use themes like Newspaper and denying the importance of AMP as well as the experience when viewing an AMP-compliant page is a big mistake. tagDiv should not be content allowing the AMP experience for sites using Newspaper to be dictated by a third party.

The first major news-style theme for WordPress that offers built-in support for AMP with no difference in the experience over non-AMP mobile pages will be a winner in this space. I can’t help but think that tagDiv is missing a huge opportunity here.

Using Accelerated Mobile Pages plugin (Khaludi) AND WordPress AMP plugin AND Yoast Glue (if using Yoast WordPress SEO) all work perfectly for me and have done for months – ALL used together never failed – some cutomisation options built in too.

Thanks for your note. This is the solution I’m using.

But as I tried to state in my reply above, until the experience using an AMP-compliant page is indistinguishable from a non-AMP page, the solution remains incomplete as far as I’m concerned.

I quote everything you said.

Google rank has a tiny impact for AMP

We rank very highly and hit News carousels against national titles (we are small independent) with this setup

White hat SEO and Yoast – that ranks

Missed your earlier reply – the templates can be edited as Chris S said…

I’m not disputing the fact that the AMP templates can be edited. I make many customizations to mine and have to make them each time the plugin is updated.

What I would PREFER is the following:

— Someone searches Google for content and sees my site in the search results.
— Because they’re on a mobile device, they’re presented with a link to an AMP-compliant version.
— When they click the link, they are taken to a page that looks identical to any other page on my site when viewed on a mobile device.

I firmly believe that the first WordPress news-focused theme that can offer this experience will win big. I simply don’t understand why anyone here is defending a less-than-optimal experience for website visitors who come in by clicking on an AMP link in mobile search results.

To be validated as AMP content, it must pass Google’s AMP validation, and then added to separate “map” for mobile users in SERPS, and then they are presented *only* the AMP formatted version and NO other version. Also they get a lightning bolt element in SERPS to identify it’s AMP formatted and hence “speedy.”

The only reason we’re trying to explain to you how it actually works as some of us have actually been doing it for a year and a half.

You can’t make a page identical to your desktop version for AMP as that defeats the purpose of the mobile friendly AMP framework. It’s supposed to be “lean and mean.”

If you want a desktop experience on mobile, it can’t be an AMP version.

But you likely need to experiment with this yourself to see “what actually happens” vs the theoretical idea you have in your head.

Spend some time on the Google AMP docs for more information.

Anyway — just food for thought.

Theme devs not going to add built-in support, likely, for many of the reasons already covered here by everybody who has already been down this road and are “doing it right now.”

AMP needs custom classes, compliant post meta code, special ad unit setup, custom hooks for plugins, no use of javascript stuff, https-only elements, etc., etc.

I’m out !

You can’t make a page identical to your desktop version for AMP as that defeats the purpose of the mobile friendly AMP framework. It’s supposed to be “lean and mean.”

I feel like none of you are actually listening to what I’m saying.

I’m NOT advocating that the AMP version be identical to the DESKTOP version.

I’m advocating it be identical to the mobile plugin version provided by tagDiv which, as I understand it, was developed to be “lean and mean.”

I don’t want a responsive version of my site to be the AMP version. I don’t want responsiveness at all.

I want tagDiv’s mobile plugin with AMP compliance. That is it. Until this happens, I will continue to advocate for it. And, for the third time, the first news theme for WordPress that can offer a mobile experience (NOT a desktop experience) that is also AMP compliant will win my business.

AMP needs custom classes, compliant post meta code, special ad unit setup, custom hooks for plugins, no use of javascript stuff, https-only elements, etc., etc.

Most of these issues have been solved by the AMP for WP plugin I linked to in an earlier reply (when used in conjunction with Automattic’s plugin). Therefore, they CAN be solved.

There’s no reason why tagDiv’s mobile plugin can’t solve all the same issues in the exact same way this plugin has and deliver a full Newspaper-like mobile experience while maintaining AMP compliance.

And trust me — I’m aware of the HTTPS requirement. We’ve moved our site as well as our podcast to HTTPS in order to comply with it.

Some misinformation in this thread about Google ranking because of AMP.

AMP is not a ranking signal yet. If your competitor is outranking you it’s for other reasons.

AMP is not a ranking signal yet.

The key word here is “yet.” Isn’t it better to be proactive rather than reactive?

Forget about today’s ranking — it’s tomorrow’s ranking that AMP support will impact.

Google will give you plenty of warning about when it will become a signal, just like with mobile friendly.

Yes, you should be planning ahead. But keep in mind you will be planning for an event that could be still 6 months away.

Judging by the number of brick walls I’m hitting with this topic, including in this thread, six months may not be enough time to prepare for AMP’s inclusion as a ranking signal.

Now is the time to work out these challenges. A forward-thinking theme and plugin developer would have had this figured out yesterday so that six months from now, money could be made.

I’m dismayed by the snail-like pace I’m encountering and the overall lack of concern. I can’t believe I don’t have a legion of people clamoring for the same thing I’m asking for. How is this not a worry of every single website that uses this theme for a serious business purpose and is actually planning not just six months into the future but for the next several years?

I would understand if a tagDiv representative came into this thread and argued with me. But to suggest that six months is too far in the future to plan for is disconcerting.

You didn’t hit a brick wall, you just chose not to accept Chris’ advice. It was all you needed to know to move forward.

I’m sorry, I must have missed where Chris offered advice on how to achieve what I’m looking to accomplish.

I’m asking for the mobile theme that is put in place when the tagDiv mobile theme plugin is activated be AMP compliant so that when someone searches on mobile and clicks an AMP link, that is what they see.

Anything less than that is unsatisfactory and very much a brick wall.

I’m not looking for alternatives. I’m not looking to modify some existing AMP template to be close to the real thing. These are all workarounds that offer a less-than-optimal experience. Am I the only one that sees this?

What I don’t understand is why everyone seems to be so accepting of compromises and workarounds.

Just a quick note: I already have a heavily customized AMP implementation that is just as functional as the tagDiv mobile theme (maybe more so). The problem is that it ISN’T the tagDiv mobile theme. It’s not like I’m not familiar with how this works and I’m coming at this with zero knowledge which seems to have been implied in this thread.

• This reply was modified 9 years by ben.hinc.

I guess my point was, theme devs not going to make the theme mobile plugin setup for AMP, as this would introduce giant amount of support for people who don’t understand AMP or how it works.

For example the mobile plugin could support non https, and support javascript, and various things which AMP does not support, ad units, TagDiv API, speed booster hooks, etc.

It would be NICE if they had an AMP plugin that works like the mobile plugin, as separate paid product, perhaps, which could replace the one included with theme with specific guidelines on what it does and can never do. Two totally different things.

Making ONE mobile plugin for theme that worked for both mobile/noAMP and mobile/AMP would add huge amount of code bloat, also possible issues with adding the AMP end-points and hooks and all sorts of bizarro potential issues with folks who can’t even clear their caching when updating.

“In a perfect world…” sure, would be nice. But unlikely to happen anytime soon.

Frankly, I believe the “back end” skunkworks plan is more focused on developing a replacement for Visual Composer for their “ION” version and doing sideways dev on that which can be sold outside of ThemeForest as traditional foundry method (“direct sale”).

I got what you were saying about “wouldn’t it be nice if …” — I was just pointing out wasn’t going to happen based on working with them for 3+ years here.

The support overhead for that would be insurmountable from a business case standpoint. Look at all the issues with Facebook (“why doesn’t my photo show up…” or “why isn’t my views incrementing…” “why do I need a Facebook account to use the FB widget …” etc.). So, experienced devs already moving on making their own solution based on the available tools; newbies already confused by what AMP is, and unlikely to get the issues with search/replace of inline styles, ad unit custom inserts, etc.

It’s awesome we have so many active folk here actually “into” this stuff.

My opinions are only my own, so take all with grain of salt — sure you were doing that anyway 😉

But again, to get on with your life you really should consider this the way forward:

a) desktop > theme CSS (main URL)
b-1) mobile > theme CSS responsive (main URL)
b-2) mobile > theme plugin/CSS mobile (optional) with custom settings (main URL)
c) mobile > AMP compatible > AMP plugin + custom template (AMP endpoint)

You can only have 3 of the 4 options as it stands.
In our case we do a, b-1, c.

What you were wanting was a, b-2 – where b-2 has multi-thread option based on visitor including redirect to AMP endpoint vs normal URL.

Betcha box of gingerbread cookies you will have an eternal wait on that!

I get what you’re saying. I would think that the developers would be MORE interested than I am that websites using their theme have the best AMP experience available.

Let’s say — for the sake of argument — that Newspaper is the best desktop theme available anywhere. And, continuing this hypothetical, let’s also say that on mobile, when using the mobile plugin, it’s also the best theme money can buy. The absolute, hands-down best.

If this were true, why would the developers be okay with whatever AMP implementation a site owner wants to use?

To protect the integrity of the theme and keep it at the forefront, I’d certainly want to offer my own solution if I had my name on this theme.

But to have every experience be the best available EXCEPT when someone clicks into a site from a mobile search result? That reflects poorly on everyone involved.

For example the mobile plugin could support non https, and support javascript, and various things which AMP does not support, ad units, TagDiv API, speed booster hooks, etc.

The only reason I’m suggesting a single plugin as a solution is because AMP for WP, when used with Automattic’s AMP plugin, can function as both an AMP plugin and the site’s mobile theme.

I can toggle a setting in AMP for WP and it will replace Newspaper with its theme (which is AMP compliant) for any mobile visitor.

That’s what I would envision Newspaper’s implementation to be like: completely transparent to the end user. For normal people who don’t know what AMP is, it would serve as a mobile theme as it does now. For those who want AMP functionality and are willing to live with the limitations it brings, they can flip a switch and everything is instantly AMP’d.

It’s not like the work hasn’t been and isn’t being done by the AMP for WP guys — everything is open source and freely available. It could literally be taken, sprinkled with a little Newspaper magic and be ready to go.

Generally, the AMP version has no relation to the main theme as the AMP endpoint is highly mobile optimized and doesn’t support any of the theme features, so kind of pointless to have as “part of the theme.”

But we all have our own thoughts on this.

What if TagDiv abandons the theme on your 100,000 page site, and no longer works with PHP 7.5? You’d need to suddenly change to an agnostic plugin. if you had been using agnostic plugin originally, it would work regardless of “theme.” I prefer that “separate” function, personally, especially if it gets added into something like http/2 as a feature.

I’d like a flying car, too, but not going to hold my breath 🙂

I’m out!

• This reply was modified 9 years by simchris.