New Google Update Set to Penalize Sites Using Pop-Ups

 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.