Google Search Ends Cache-Served AMP Pages

Google Search has officially ended the practice of serving Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) through its own cache, a change that directs users directly to the publisher's original domain. This shift means that when a user clicks on an AMP link in Google Search results, they will now land on the live page hosted by the website owner, rather than a Google-cached version. The change was reported by Search Engine Journal, with Matt G. Southern detailing the implications for web publishers and user experience.

While the cache-serving mechanism is being retired, AMP pages will continue to be recognized and ranked in Google Search results as they were previously. This indicates that the underlying AMP technology and its benefits for mobile page speed and performance remain a priority for Google. The company has been gradually evolving its approach to AMP, moving towards a more integrated experience that emphasizes direct access to publisher content.

This transition aims to provide a more seamless and transparent user journey, ensuring that users are always viewing the most up-to-date content directly from the source. For publishers, this means that traffic from Google Search to their AMP pages will now be attributed directly to their own domains, potentially offering better analytics and control over their audience. The move also aligns with Google's broader efforts to support the open web and ensure that publishers receive direct traffic and engagement.

The implications of this change are significant for how web pages are delivered and experienced through Google Search. Publishers who have relied on AMP for improved mobile search performance can continue to do so, but they must now ensure their own hosting infrastructure is robust enough to handle direct traffic from Google's search results. The exact date of this transition was not specified in the initial report, but it marks a notable evolution in Google's handling of mobile web content.