We previously wrote about how search engine powerhouse Google has been cracking down on websites that aren’t mobile compatible (and punishing them with poor search rankings).
Well, there’s another development which online businesses should be aware of that could potentially impact their mobile search rankings. This time it’s regarding pop-up windows on websites.
We’ve all been there – you’re scrolling through your smartphone when all of a sudden you come across an interesting article link. Intrigued, you click on the link but before you even have a chance to glance at the article in question, you are interrupted by a pesky pop-up ad or window which engulfs the majority of the screen.
We don’t know about you, but that’s usually enough of a burden to make us want to click out of the article and put our phones down for a mandatory time out. Let’s face it – while advertising is a necessary part of online content, users do not want it to burden to their overall online experience and an obtrusive pop up ad or request for the user to ‘SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER!’ is hardly a subtle encounter.
Recognising this, Google has announced that it will be cracking down on “intrusive interstitials” on mobile websites as of January 10 2017.
What does this mean?
An interstitial is simply an advertisement that appears while a chosen website or page is downloading.
According to Google, “Pages that show intrusive interstitials provide a poorer experience to users than other pages where content is immediately accessible.” As a result, web pages where content is not easily accessible to a user from the transition from mobile search results will rank lower in the Google search rankings.
Google has even released an example of the types of interstitials it will be cracking down on. These will include:
- Showing a popup that covers the main content, either immediately after the user navigates to a page from the search results, or while they are looking through the page.
- Displaying a standalone interstitial that the user has to dismiss before accessing the main content.
- Using a layout where the above-the-fold portion of the page appears similar to a standalone interstitial, but the original content has been inlined underneath the fold.
Of course, there will be some exceptions to the rule, particularly for websites which require pop-up dialogue boxes for legal purposes or user login processes. Web pages which won’t be bearing the grunt of Google’s crackdown include:
- Interstitials that appear to be in response to a legal obligation, such as for cookie usage or for age verification.
- Login dialogs on sites where content is not publicly indexable. For example, this would include private content such as email or unindexable content that is behind a paywall.
- Banners that use a reasonable amount of screen space and are easily dismissible. For example, the app install banners provided by Safari and Chrome are examples of banners that use a reasonable amount of screen space.
So, what’s the lesson for online businesses? Be wary of the ways in which pop-up ads or dialogue boxes could be negatively impacting user’s experiences on your website, particularly when viewing the website from a mobile device.
In the end, it could mean the difference between good search engine visibility for your business and relocation to the dreaded second, third or even fourth pages of Google’s search results (AKA no man’s land).
With an in-house web design and development department, Brilliant Logic can work with you to design and build a website which is not only visually appealing and user-friendly, but also passes the all-important SEO ranking test. Contact us today to find out more about our web development expertise.
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