What Is AMP and How Can It Help You?
How do you access the internet? It was not too long ago that you would not have had a choice. Without a laptop or desktop, you simply could not access the internet. However, not only have the number of options available to access the ‘net’ increased dramatically, the most common method of browsing the web is now via mobile and tablet devices.
What Does This Mean?
For web developers across the globe, the need to create websites which are optimised for ease of viewing via mobile devices has been important for some time now. However, with Google introducing a new ‘AMP Project’, the question must now be asked, is a simple ‘responsive web design’ enough to ensure your client receives the best possible service.
What is AMP?
Google’s new AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) project has been designed to ensure that websites load via mobile devices as quickly as possible, therefore offering the best possible user experience.
How Does It Work?
AMP works by requiring web developers such as ourselves to use a narrow set of web technologies to create pages. The majority of JavaScript is forbidden and as a result, web pages can now load significantly faster.
To use AMP, we will create an alternate version of your site which conforms to all of the relevant specifications which have been outlined by the AMP project. These standards share a lot of similarities with traditional HTML but are essentially stripped down to what Google considers to be the bare minimum.
For example – You will give your AMP-optimized site a separate address, for example: yoursite.com/yourpage/amp.
Sites that follow these specifications to the letter will are believed to receive special treatment from Google. Starting recently, AMP-optimised news stories now appear at the top of Google’s mobile search results and there are an increasing number of reports stating that AMP optimised sites are receiving preferable search engine rankings when compared to non-AMP optimised sites on mobile search results.
Further Information
Footprint specialise in creating bespoke websites, designed to help take your business to another level. If you’d like to speak to us regarding any of our services, give us a call on 01883 372488 or contact us via Facebook and we’ll be happy to talk you through your options.
Currently Browsing: What Is AMP and How Can It Help You?
How To Create a Google Webmasters Tools Account
Google Webmaster Tools offers you an easy-to-use way of keeping track of how successful your site is.
It offers the capability to do the following plus significantly more: 
- Identify some of the phrases that visitors are using to find your website.
- Identify broken links on your website, which can then be corrected.
- Keep a health check on your website. This will help you to ensure that your website is clean of malware and viruses.
These few simple steps will help you set up your own Google Webmaster Tools account in no time at all:
- Go to www.google.com/webmaster/tools/ and sign up using your google+ login details (set out in a previous blog)
- Add your website URL to get started (e.g www.yourwebsitename.co.uk)
- Verify your site – Google need to make sure that your site belongs to you. You’ll be given a number of options of how to do this, but the easiest is verify via Google Analytics.
- Use the same login details as used for your Google Analytics account
- Ensure that your website contains the relevant Analytics code within its header (we will explain more about this is a future blog)
- Select the ‘Verify using Google Analytics’ option
- Click “Verify” – done!
(N.B. If this method doesn’t work for you, you can also verify your site by inserting a “meta-tag” into the code of your home page. Click that option on the Google Webmaster Tools page – copy the whole piece of code given – login to your site’s admin panel – click to view the code of your home page – paste the code in here, after the first </head> tag and before the first <body> tag – then back to Google Webmaster Tools to verify.)
Please be aware, the code you have uploaded (or copied and pasted in to the home page) must be kept on your site for the duration of the time you require Google Webmaster Tools. If it is removed, Google will be unable to communicate with your website and, therefore, will be unable to run diagnostics or retrieve information.
You are now ready to use Google Webmaster Tools!
Further Information
Footprint Web Design don’t just design bespoke websites. We also provide a number of tailored SEO services for clients looking to either move up Google rankings, or promote their online presence. If you don’t have time for the above, we can do it for you!
Contact us, either by phone on 01883 372488 or by email on info@footprint.co.uk, and see how we can help you take a step in the right direction.
Currently Browsing: How To Create a Google Webmasters Tools Account
3 Steps To Onsite SEO Success
Whilst some SEO agencies choose to dive straight into off site SEO, we are firm believers in the importance of creating a rock solid foundation for your website.
There are many steps which need to be followed to ensure that your website is ‘Google friendly’ but below we have outlined 3 of the most important.
Never Underestimate The Importance of Effective SEO
There can be little doubt that an awful lot of work goes into creating a working website. A fully working website is highly likely to be easy to use, 
functional, offering a clear brand identity and call to action. Typically your website will be an extension of your company of which you can be very proud. However, what is the use of a brilliant website if no-one can find it???
Follow our 3 steps below to help ensure that your website gets noticed by the search engines.
Step No. 1 – Optimise All META Tags
The addition and optimisation of all META tags to your pages (including both titles and descriptions) is absolutely essential if you would like to inform Google precisely what each page of your website is about.
Typically, you would include the target keyword within the page title and description whilst trying to ensure that the description reads well and makes sense.
Top Tip – Ever wondered where Google takes the information from that it displays in its search results? There is a very good chance that it will be taken from your specified META title and descriptions.
Step No. 2 – Make Sure Your Pages Contain Enough Content
Writing engaging and informative content isn’t always everyone’s cup of tea but there can be no escaping the importance of quality content.
By including text on your website (generally aiming for a minimum of 400 words) will take significant steps towards helping Google to understand about the products or services that you offer.
Top Tip – Do not include too much text within any images added to your website as Google will not be able to read this.
Step No. 3 – Help Google Find Your Images
Images are very important when looking to optimise both the performance of your website and also the look of your page.
However, did you know that images can also be used to create another avenue to your website?
Google is excellent at picking up images and particularly if you are an online shop, you may find that if you properly tag your images (alt tags and META keywords), you receive a significant amount of traffic coming to you through Google images.
Further Information
Footprint specialise in creating bespoke websites, designed to help take your business to another level. If you’d like to speak to us regarding any of our services, give us a call on 01883 372488 or contact us via Facebook and we’ll be happy to talk you through your options.
