Google AMP Sucks for WordPress

Google AMP sucks. Creates more problems and doesn’t always solve the one it’s supposed to. My biggest issues with it are breaking your site design/functionality, still not making your site all that fast, and worst of all…it ruins your user experience. Just go install a generic theme if you love AMP so much.

I don’t care about obscure users with slow connections as they probably aren’t my target demographics either.

Here are the AMP promises:

  • faster site – AMP streamlines the design, stripping out unnecessary elements so your site loads faster.
  • better seo – faster load, faster content digestion…all equals better rankings
  • more traffic –  better rankings equals better traffic
  • better user experience – I’m not sure how this works, unless your site is so terribly designed and coded that using AMP is somehow considered an upgrade?!

REALITY?

  • easily broken site – one little weird design or coding mistake and your site falls apart
  • limited compatibility – only works on mostly static blog sites. All other sites aren’t compatible because their fancy effects or features stop working on AMP.
  • limited SEO/traffic benefit IMO – here’s the funny thing, blog sites typically do well in search engines already. So I’m not sure how putting AMP on your blog helps you beat other blogs. It ultimately comes down to content.
  • limited speed improvement – yes, it speeds up your site if your site was really bloated in the first place. And if it was that bloated, then you need to speed up the site first so it’s fast for all visitors…not just AMP visitors!

Here’s the thing. AMP was supposedly invented to help websites show content faster and in a more streamlined way…thereby improving rankings, on-site performance, and overall user experience.

But IMO, I think it’s just another way for them to own and parse your content, and enhance the GOOGLE experience. They don’t care about you and the benefit isn’t much. AMP cannot save a crappily coded/designed site. And for sites that already designed and coded well, not only do you not need AMP but you’ll feel like it’s detracting from your overall branding and user experience.

DEC 18, 2020 UPDATE: