Official statement
Other statements from this video 16 ▾
- □ Is crawl budget really insignificant for your site?
- □ Should you publish more frequently to be crawled more regularly by Google?
- □ Should you really worry about internal content duplication?
- □ Does new content really get an automatic ranking boost?
- □ Does hreflang really function on a page-by-page basis and not for the entire site?
- □ How does Google truly measure Page Experience in its algorithm?
- □ Does Google really not use Chrome and Analytics data for rankings?
- □ Does hreflang really change the ranking or just swap the URLs?
- □ Do you really need to choose between a 301 redirect and a canonical link for a migration?
- □ Does Google Search Console really account for all your SEO impressions?
- □ Does JavaScript-generated URLs really waste your crawl budget?
- □ Does nofollow really prevent a page from being indexed?
- □ Why does Google choose not to index certain pages on your site?
- □ Should you really delete low-traffic pages to boost your SEO?
- □ Does improperly formatted breadcrumb markup lead to a Google penalty?
- □ Does unique content really enhance a site's overall ranking?
Google no longer requires AMP pages to appear in Top Stories. However, speed remains a ranking factor through Core Web Vitals and other Page Experience metrics. In practical terms: AMP is no longer mandatory, but having a fast page still is.
What you need to understand
What prompted Google to drop the AMP requirement for Top Stories?
AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) was previously a technical prerequisite for appearing in the mobile Top Stories carousel. This restriction hindered publishers who refused to maintain a parallel version of their content. By removing this barrier, Google expands access to Top Stories. But beware — this is not a green light to slow down your pages. Core Web Vitals and overall speed remain active ranking factors. Websites that have never adopted AMP can now compete for Top Stories. However, they need to compensate with an exceptional user experience: loading times, visual stability (CLS), interactivity (INP or FID). Sites that used AMP due to necessity — not conviction — can abandon this technology, provided their non-AMP version is as fast or faster. Otherwise, visibility gain will be non-existent or even negative.What does this really mean for publishers?
What are the remaining criteria to appear in Top Stories?
SEO Expert opinion
Does this statement put an end to the AMP vs non-AMP debate?
Not really. AMP remains a technical solution to ensure minimal loading speed, especially for sites with heavy or poorly optimized tech stacks. Some publishers continue to use it out of practicality. However, the trend is clear: Google now favors results over method. If your page loads in 1.5 seconds without AMP, you're eligible. If it loads in 4 seconds with AMP, you remain in the race but with a handicap. Let's be honest: Google remains vague about the exact weight of each metric. We know Core Web Vitals matter, but to what extent compared to freshness, relevance, or domain authority? [To be verified] Real-world observations show that pages with poor CWV can still appear in Top Stories if the content is highly fresh and the domain has strong editorial authority. Speed is a filter, but not the only criterion. No. If your AMP version is performing well and you don't have the resources to optimize your standard version to the same level, keep AMP. It's a safety net. However, if your non-AMP version is already performing well, maintaining two parallel versions becomes an unnecessary cost. Test, compare metrics, and then decide. There's no rush — Google has never said AMP would become penalizing.Are Core Web Vitals really crucial for Top Stories?
Should you disable AMP immediately if you're already using it?
Practical impact and recommendations
What should you do if you aim for Top Stories?
The first step: audit your Core Web Vitals using PageSpeed Insights, Search Console, or a tool like Lighthouse. Identify the pages that have issues, especially those generating traffic from Google News. Next, fix technical irritants: unoptimized images, blocking scripts, layout shifting during loading. Prioritize the most strategic pages — there's no need to optimize 10,000 pages if only 200 are generating impressions in Top Stories. Don't disable AMP without confirming that your standard version is stable. Compare real loading times (not just in lab), monitor real-world metrics in Search Console for at least 28 days. Avoid also falling into the opposite trap: believing that an ultra-fast page devoid of original content will succeed. Google favors pages that combine speed and editorial substance. One without the other isn't enough.What mistakes should you avoid during this transition?
How can you check that your site remains competitive for Top Stories?
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Est-ce que les pages AMP sont encore indexées et classées par Google ?
Les Core Web Vitals sont-ils aussi importants pour Top Stories que pour le SEO classique ?
Faut-il désactiver AMP si je l'utilise déjà ?
Un site sans AMP peut-il vraiment concurrencer les gros médias dans Top Stories ?
Quels outils utiliser pour vérifier si mes pages sont éligibles à Top Stories ?
🎥 From the same video 16
Other SEO insights extracted from this same Google Search Central video · published on 09/01/2022
🎥 Watch the full video on YouTube →
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