Image source: Pascale PrivateChickan via Flickr
Marketers will suffer penalties if they run afoul of Google’s new rules on intrusive mobile interstitial advertisements.
On the web, interstitials are pop-up web pages displayed before or after an expected content page, typically ads, marketing calls to action or pages that confirm the user’s age. Google now cuts search rankings of websites if those pages consume more than a “reasonable” amount of space or prevent content from being easily accessible as users transition from the mobile search to the website.
“Removing revenue-generating interstitials might hurt at first, but losing organic search traffic could hurt even more,” says Matt Southern at Search Engine Journal. Website managers might need a period of adjustment, but they’ll eventually win more time on site, more pageviews per visit and lower bounce rates.
Southern, other SEO gurus and marketers offer these tips to avoid mobile interstitial penalties.
Consider their purpose. Consider the interstitial’s purpose and if it is truly needed. To do that, think like Google, advises Ben Silverman at Brafton Marketing. Google wants content that’s accessible, browsable, intuitive and honest. There are some exceptions to Google’s pop-up policy. If your content serves a real, honest purpose, you’ll probably not be penalized. Pop-ups required by law, such as age verification or that don’t detract from the main content, such as a small top banner are acceptable.
Don’t cover content with ads or promotions. That includes ads that appear when visitors land on a page and as they scroll down a page. “For the most part, Google is targeting overlays that gray out the content beneath them to prevent you from reading a website, either for a few seconds or until you find and very carefully tap a little X to dismiss them,” states the Verge.
Revisit your content marketing strategy. Since the goal of Google’s interstitials penalty is to make content more accessible, use that to your advantage. Use content such as blog posts, guides, videos, and infographics to educate audiences and guide them through the buying process.
Check WordPress plug-ins. WordPress users use plugins to display pop up messages, for coupons, membership offers, promotions, or other promotions. Webmasters of websites using WordPress will want to carefully review Google’s size guidelines or consider a different approach for reaching visitors, cautions Sara Gooding of WP Tavern.
Know what’s still safe. Websites can still display interstitials on desktop browsers without incurring any penalties. Interstitials triggered by exit intent, or user actions after landing on the website, are also perfectly fine. Google’s John Mueller elaborated on a Google Webmaster Central: “What we’re looking for is really interstitials that show up on the interaction between the search click and going through the page and seeing the content. So that’s kind of the place we’re looking for those interstitials. What you do afterwards, like if someone clicks on stuff within your website or closes the tab or something like that then that’s kind of between you and the user.”
Bottom Line: Google now penalizes websites with intrusive mobile pages that block main content and interfere with the user experience. The new penalty on intrusive mobile interstitials highlights the importance of producing helpful content that guides visitors through the sales process.
William J. Comcowich founded and served as CEO of CyberAlert LLC, the predecessor of Glean.info. He is currently serving as Interim CEO and member of the Board of Directors. Glean.info provides customized media monitoring, media measurement and analytics solutions across all types of traditional and social media.
