The AMP Debate: What Publisher Data Tells Us in 2025
A recurring question we encounter at Quintype revolves around the future of Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP). Is it still a worthwhile investment for news publishers in today's rapidly evolving digital landscape?
A few months back, this question became particularly pertinent during a discussion with one of our valued clients. They were keen on redesigning their AMP article pages to enhance user engagement. While we understand the drive to innovate, our insights into Google's shifting priorities around AMP led us to advise caution.
We pointed out that mobile web pages themselves increasingly drive the bulk of traffic, and as long as Core Web Vitals are met, Google doesn't necessarily favour AMP in rankings.
However, the client's perspective was grounded in their own experience: significant traffic still flowed through their AMP pages. This highlighted a common scenario – the persistence of AMP traffic for many, despite broader industry narratives suggesting its decline.
We even shared anonymised data from some of our largest partners, showing minimal AMP traffic for them, yet the client remained convinced of the need for an AMP revamp for their audience.
This divergence prompted us to take a closer look at our diverse clientele. At Quintype, we partner with publishers of all sizes—from those exceeding 100 million monthly pageviews to those in the 1-10 million range. We decided it was time to conduct a deeper, data-driven analysis. Is the buzz correct? Is Google truly deprioritising AMP?
The common understanding, echoed by SEO analysts, is that simply having AMP no longer guarantees a ranking boost.
A fast, mobile-optimised site that passes Core Web Vitals should theoretically compete effectively. Yet, we consistently hear two key reasons why publishers remain committed to AMP:
They continue to see substantial traffic coming through AMP channels.
Anecdotally, the advertisement revenue generated from AMP often appears to be higher than that from standard mobile web pages.
To gain a clearer picture, we segmented some of our publishers into cohorts based on monthly page views (1-10M, 10-50M, 50 M)
What Did the Data Reveal?
The results were revealing, though not entirely uniform:
Varied Trends: While some publishers are indeed witnessing a decline in AMP traffic, others continue to see a significant portion, in some cases, up to 75%, of their mobile traffic arriving via AMP.
No Obvious Correlation
We couldn't identify clear patterns linking AMP traffic dominance to specific site characteristics. Even comparing Core Web Vitals scores (pass vs. fail) didn't reveal a direct correlation with whether a publisher received more traffic on AMP or standard mobile pages.
The Takeaway for Publishers
Our analysis suggests that reports of AMP's demise may be premature, at least for a significant segment of the publishing world.
Despite the shifting search landscape and the importance of Core Web Vitals, AMP clearly still holds relevance for driving traffic and potentially revenue for many news publishers.
Therefore, while the long-term future remains uncertain, the data indicates that publishers, for now, should likely continue to maintain and invest in their AMP presence.
It may lose its edge in the coming years, but today, it remains a vital channel for reaching audiences and sustaining the business. We will certainly keep monitoring the trends and sharing our findings.