Google AMP – a framework that optimizes an existing page for mobile use and serves it from the Google AMP cache – promises to make it easier for users to access and interact with your content when they are on mobile devices. This framework achieves major Search Engine Optimization (SEO) goals by speeding up page load times, thereby increasing user satisfaction, especially for students who are mobile-dependent. But is Google AMP a good fit for higher ed content? In this presentation, a developer and a content strategist will present iFactory's current Google AMP projects and suggest approaches tailored to institutions of higher education.

1. GOOGLE AMP
High-Speed Pages in Higher Ed
1

2. Caroline
Roberts
Content Strategist
Ian Mullinder
Head of Development

3. method+imagination
● Boston-based digital agency with a passion for UX
● Serving higher ed since 1992
● Acquired by RDW Group in 2004
● Broad, national higher ed client base
○ Community colleges. State. Ivies. Grad. Undergrad.
○ ... and healthcare, not-for-profit, publishing, K-12
iFactory

4. Agenda
1. What is Google AMP?
2. Benefits of AMP
3. Benefits of AMP for Higher Ed
4. Pros and Cons
5. Case Study
6. Learnings & Recommendations
7. Q+A

5. WHAT IS GOOGLE
AMP?

6. Research
In General
Short for Accelerated Mobile Pages
A framework that allows you to code web pages to be
twice as fast on mobile devices
Takes your already existing page, optimizes it for mobile
use, and serves it from the Google AMP cache.
What is Google
AMP?

7. ResearchWhat is Google
AMP?
From the User Perspective
AMP may best be explained by how news
outlets use it.
Search for a phrase, like “football,” and Google
draws attention to AMP pages with a lightning
bolt.
When you click, AMP serves a faster mobile
version of a “regular” web page, even if it is
heavy on visuals

8. ResearchWhat is Google
AMP?
From the Technical Perspective
A slimmer version of your website pages built with three
core components:
AMP HTML
Mostly made up of regular HTML tags with the
introduction of AMP-specific HTML tag replacements
AMP JS
Must make use of contributed and centrally managed
custom elements to build out your page
AMP Cache
Fetches AMP pages to serve them from a proxy-based
CDN. Also provides validation to ensure pages are
guaranteed to work and don’t reference external resources
AMP URL:: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.mcphs.edu/academics%3famp=1
Canonical: https://www.mcphs.edu/academics

9. BENEFITS OF AMP

10. ResearchBenefits of AMP
● Faster page load times
● Improved search engine optimization,
potentially higher ranking
● Increased traffic and engagement on site

11. SolutionsBenefits of AMP
FASTER PAGE LOAD TIMES
● The average mobile web page takes 15.3
seconds to load.
● A one-second delay in load times can
reduce mobile conversions by up to 20%.
● Faster pages = happier users
Source: thinkwithgoogle.com (February 2018)

12. SolutionsBenefits of AMP
IMPROVED SEARCH ENGINE
OPTIMIZATION
● A boost in Google search results
(because of faster page load time)
● Increased potential of showing up in
Google’s Top Stories carousel (news
content)
Source: CMSWire, The Verge
Your Website

13. SolutionsBenefits of AMP
INCREASED TRAFFIC AND
ENGAGEMENT
● The faster your site, the stickier it is
● Users stay on AMP pages 35% longer
than standard mobile websites
● Reduced bounce rate
Source: ampproject.com

14. BENEFITS OF AMP
FOR HIGHER ED

15. SolutionsBenefits of AMP
for Higher Ed
STUDENTS WANT MORE MOBILE
CONTENT
● 28% of 18- to 29-year-olds use
smartphones exclusively for online
access.
● Improves economic accessibility for
students who can’t afford the largest
data plans
● Websites are “the top focal point of
student search”
Sources: Pew research (February 2018),
Ruffalo Noel Levitz 2018 E-Expectations
Report

16. SolutionsBenefits of AMP
for Higher Ed
SPEEDIER SEARCH
61% of website traffic to higher education
sites comes from organic search
If that’s the case for you, consider creating
AMP versions of pages that get high
organic traffic.

17. SolutionsBenefits of AMP
for Higher Ed
SPEEDIER SEARCH
While the jury is still out on AMP stats for
higher ed, AMP pages result in 20%
higher sales conversions than non-AMP
pages. (October 2017)

18. PROS AND CONS

19. RAMIFICATIONS OF
AMP & HOW WE
ADDRESS THEM
The AMP framework is limited to Google
Solution: AMP is controversial for this very reason. Google has
a large market share, but increases in traffic in general, plus
brand awareness, could impact your ranking on other
engines.
Google also claims that it is working to turn AMP into a
universal standard accessible via any search engine … but
Google is still flying the plane.

20. RAMIFICATIONS OF
AMP & HOW WE
ADDRESS THEM
Possible duplicate content penalties because AMP
generates a second URL of the same content in mobile
Solution: Add “canonical” tags to the AMP page to tell
Google that it should add the AMP visit to the analytics for
the main page.

21. RAMIFICATIONS OF
AMP & HOW WE
ADDRESS THEM
The caching system means that content might not be
refreshed -- this could be a big problem for pages that
include deadlines and other admissions info
Solution: There are methods to flush the AMP Cache in order
to update your pages. While you can script this process, it
should be done on an as-needed basis.
It is also recommended to AMPlify static content rather than
content that is often updated or modified to ensure your
visitors are seeing the important information.

22. RAMIFICATIONS OF
AMP & HOW WE
ADDRESS THEM
Your team may need to update two different versions of
content, leading to extra work for team members
Solution: When properly implemented, your content
creators shouldn’t have a problem, but AMP is not a plug-in,
and it may mean more work for your team..
But you need to make sure that the AMP version of the page
isn’t so different from the usual that users feel they are
missing out. Also, Google may ding you if you have an AMP
page that is significantly different from the original.

23. CASE STUDY:
MCPHS

24. ● The Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health
Sciences (MCPHS) wanted to optimize landing pages for
their major paid search initiatives.
● We met with them to start with four pages, two of which
became templates.
● Field page (Pharmacy) (template for all field pages)
● Program page (Doctor of Pharmacy) (template for all
program pages)
● Academics page
● Request for Information form
CASE STUDY

25. CASE STUDY
● Justine, our producer, worked with the client to create
sketches to show what would and would not be
included on the AMP version of each page.
● They sent us a desktop version first, and we converted
them to a mobile format so they had the full story.
● These sketches helped us prioritize what should be on
the page for business purposes and what could be
removed to ensure a faster load time.
● The process also helped unearth design questions so
the AMP page looked similar to the main page (like
CTAs)

26. PAGE SKETCHES FOR AMP, ROUND 1

27. PAGE SKETCHES FOR AMP, ROUND 2

28. CASE STUDY
● The client asked us to create a proof of concept page to
ensure that UTM parameters could be passed from an
AMP page to a form and stored successfully in Salesforce.
● The proof of concept page was based on the home
page, which Google had AMP’d before the client worked
with iFactory.
● Then iFactory’s developer worked with Google and the
client to implement the analytics code to make sure
that Salesforce could capture the parameters.

29. CASE STUDY
Even after we figured out how to pass data to Salesforce, we
still learned a few things regarding the front-end code:
● iFactory had a tough time coding the accordions on the
chosen pages to keep the content sync’d between the
AMP and non-AMP pages
● We had to make sure the front-end code was light
enough to meet AMP standards
● Finally, the RFI form required more complex AMP
coding because of fields and dropdowns
And we did it!

30. CASE STUDY
● iFactory QA’d the final product, going with mobile
browsers only since AMP pages are designed for mobile
users.
● The site just launched, but we will check in with the
client to find out how well the new AMP pages
performed and how the new pages affected their paid
search campaign.

31. Case StudyMCPHS
The Final Result
Now that MCPHS has implemented AMP on the chosen
pages, the AMP doodad shows up if you search for
MCPHS-related terms, like “mcphs academics” using
Google on mobile.

32. LEARNINGS &
RECOMMENDATIONS

33. OUR
RECOMMENDATIONS:
SITE SPEED FIRST,
AMP SECOND
● A discussion about Google AMP is a discussion about site
speed and getting your content to end users as
efficiently as possible.
● Consult with your team regarding other page-load
improvements, such as image and file optimization and
code re-evaluation.

34. OUR
RECOMMENDATIONS:
PREPARING TO AMP
● Inform the client of the pros and cons so they aren’t
swayed by trends reported by Google (Google came to
MCPHS first!)
● Confirm that your client’s CMS is suitable for the
project
● Create a proof of concept, especially if the client has
already set up their campaigns
● If that works, launch a pilot AMP project targeting a
single template or 5 to 10 static pages
● Also choose uncomplicated pages in the first place --
only specific AMP elements are allowed in the first place

35. OUR
RECOMMENDATIONS:
AMP AFTERMATH
● Implement and track changes over a certain time
period
● If the changes meet your standards, implement AMP for
more pages
● Make sure you have the staffing so your team can follow
up, A/B test, and/or improve content or development
after launch
● Speaking after launch, keep checking your Search
Console and your site to make sure that site editors
aren’t doing anything that would interfere with AMP

36. OUR
RECOMMENDATIONS
What AMP is good for
● Clients whose site traffic comes mostly from Google or
mobile
● News pages or static pages
● Pages with minimal forms (no dynamic dropdowns)
What AMP is NOT good for
● Pages that are often updated
● Pages with complex forms
● Pages where complex design is required
Get Ready
AMP for Gmail is in Preview mode, and the content
marketers in your world may get excited about it

37. Q+A

38. READING LIST

39. READING LIST
● iFactory report on What Google AMP Means for Higher
Ed, 2018
● AMP Project, Google
● What You Need to Know About Accelerated Mobile
Pages, Moz.com, 12/18/2015
● The Difference Between Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP)
and Mobile-Friendly Pages, Search Engine Journal,
9/22/2016
● Inside Google’s Plan to Make the Whole Web As Fast As
AMP, The Verge, 3/8/18

40. THANK YOU
www.ifactory.com
caroline@ifactory.com
ian@ifactory.com