Google looking to turn aspects of AMP caching technology into wider Web standard

Google is hoping to have technology from its Accelerated Mobile Pages — currently used as a more open, though Google-preferred alternative to Apple News or Facebook Instant Pages — adopted as a broader Web standard.

"Based on what we learned from AMP, we now feel ready to take the next step and work to support more instant-loading content not based on AMP technology in areas of Google Search designed for this, like the Top Stories carousel," the company said in a blog post. "This content will need to follow a set of future Web standards and meet a set of objective performance and user experience criteria to be eligible."

AMP pages are streamlined and pre-cached, designed to load as quickly as possible on mobile devices. For both Google and publishers, this may increase the likelihood that someone will tap and generate ad revenue. Google prefers AMP pages in search results, though content doesn't have to pass through the company's servers or include its ads.

Google's aims for the broader Web are still nebulous, without a name, timeline, or exact set of features, beyond some concepts such as "Web Packaging" and "Paint Timing."

"While we fully intend to make these changes in Google Search, as with any Google Search feature they will undergo experimentation and user testing and only launch if results are positive for users," the company added.

Though perhaps not a failure, Apple News has also proven less attractive to publishers than Apple may have hoped. The format must be specifically supported, yet doesn't offer paywalls or much control over which ads are served. The most popular items are those Apple picks for its "Spotlight" and "Top Stories" categories, and publishers are finding themselves having to pitch to Apple to get featured.