The latest Google
Algorithm update goes after the use of pop-ups.
It’s pretty evident that most users find
these interstitials and pop-ups annoying. So, Google is focusing on helping
users to access content easily by punishing sites that use pop-ups that
visually obscure the content.
Google has said that these interstitials
offer “poorer experience to users than other pages where content is immediately
accessible”.
In a certain way, that is reasonable.
Usually, users who face these pop-ups on
smaller devices, have to very carefully press the tiny close button to access
the content. Though, marketers are
likely to be upset with this update as it may harm their chances of lead
generation.
Starting from January 10th next
year, this new update will be included in its Search Results Algorithm. So
websites with pop-ups and interstitials, especially the full-screen ads, will be
pushed down to lower rankings
.
Pop-ups
to Avoid
Google has given three examples of pop-up
practices that can now harm your website ranking:
·
Pop-ups that appear immediately
after the user navigates to a page from the search results or while browsing through
the page.
·
Full-screen interstitials that
needs to be dismissed to view the content.
·
Pop-up ads that fill the entire
screen in the above-the-fold portion and the user can access the content only
when they scroll down.
Relevant
Ads are allowed
Google has also specified some pop-ups that
would not get affected by the new update.
·
Pop-ups required for legal
purposes - like cookie usage and age verification.
·
Small banners appearing on the
top of the screen and which uses only a reasonable amount of space.
·
Pop-ups that ask for log-in
details to access certain restricted content.
Implementation
of the New Update
Most of the pages choose to comply with the
Google updates published over the years, whether it is mobile-friendly websites
or sites with encryption.
Making these changes will be crucial for
the long-run as the sites with these pop-ups are likely to be ranked lower than
others. However, if a site with a pop-up has relevant and best information,
it’s still a possibility that it may be ranked first.
Initially, Google implemented a signal to
check for pop-ups that ask for mobile app installation. This was included in
the mobile-friendly test. Following the focus on pop-ups generally, the
previous update has been removed from the mobile-friendly test and included in
the new signal for Search.
Remember, there are many other signals that
determine the site ranking in search results, but this comes as a reasonable
change to improve user experience on mobile searches.
What
do you reckon about this new Google Algorithm Update? Share your thoughts in
the comments below.
