Google recently announced they will be ranking mobile web sites that display annoying pop-up ads and other distractions lower in its search results beginning January 10, 2017.
“Pages that show intrusive interstitials provide a poorer experience to users than other pages where content is immediately accessible,” Google product manager Doantam Phan wrote in a blog.
What does this mean to you: To make it easier for people to read your website on mobile devices, Google will rank your site lower in search results if you are using pop-ups that obstructs your main content from view.
If you do not use pop-ups on your mobile site then you have nothing to worry about as this should not effect your website or your SEO. If you use them and SEO is a big part of organic reach to your website, we recommend removing them from your mobile site and calling us about other ideas to get people to sign up for your newsletter or letting them know about your latest promotion.
Does this mean I can’t use pop-ups at all? As always, there are some exceptions to the rule:
- Interstitials used for legal reasons such as for cookie usage or age verification
- Login screens for password protected pages or private content
- Banners that don’t take a lot of space and can easily be dismissed (opt-in forms that don’t cover the whole screen)
Google’s changes from here on out are to optimize the mobile experience. If your site isn’t mobile friendly, call us so we can provide you with an estimate for a new mobile friendly website so you don’t continue to fall behind.