You may have heard about AMP – but be wondering, what is it, and how can it help grow your search engine visibility? With the advance of mobile search usage and the confirmation that a new Google index will be mobile by default, there is a new urgency surrounding the use of AMP. This is particularly true for travel brands, who can use the consumer shift to mobile to be present in the exact moment a traveller is looking to book a room.

Read on to find out exactly what AMP is, why it matters for hotels and why you should be incorporating it into your hotel responsive web design. 



What is AMP?

AMP stands for accelerated mobile pages, and is designed with one thing in mind = speed. In essence, it’s a form of shortened or simplified HTML designed to be very fast-loading for mobile devices. Everything is streamlined, including both HTML itself and CSS so pages load up quicker, critical for those users who are searching for content or browsing on their smartphone or tablet device. Conventional JavaScript (notoriously slow to load) is out, replaced with an alternative, asynchronous form of Java. AMP is designed to give high performance, beautiful websites which give a greater flexibility across different devices and increase engagement.

Why does it matter for your hotel brand?

Imagine you are trying to make a hotel booking. You’re using a mobile device to browse different options, and you are left with two hotels you like the look of. One page loads fast, with a mobile responsive design which shows everything you need clearly. The other page is sluggish to load, with a design which is clearly not optimised for mobile. Which hotel do you book with?

When looked at in this way, the reasons why AMP is so vital for your hotel brand become clear. Customers are increasingly browsing on the go, meaning quick, responsive design and content is of the utmost importance.

How do I implement it?
Luckily, AMP is open-source, meaning it’s available to everyone. The script to incorporate to webpages can be found at www.ampproject.com and the website also includes comprehensive instructions and tutorials on building your first AMP webpage.

Key Stages Of Development Include:
•  Embedding the AMP HTML into your webpage. This creates the basic ‘framework’ of all subsequent AMP content.
•  Include images – straightforward <img> tags are banned, replaced with an optimised <amp-img> tag.
•  The layout of an AMP page must follow strict guidelines. This is done using a set of common CSS principles, ensuring the CSS remains inline – resulting in much smoother execution and rendering of content.
•  JavaScript is restricted to sandboxed iFrames, preventing them from interrupting the flow of main pages.

By creating an AMP webpage, you’ll be well on your way to giving customers a smooth, streamlined experience – resulting in longer page visits and increased revenue.

Digital Hotelier is your go-to team of experts for digital marketing for your hotel. Get in touch with us today to find out how we can help your hotel business grow its RevPar and increase conversions from digital marketing activity.