We are all familiar with the advantages and benefits of various pop-ups and their success in improving conversion rates of websites. In parallel, we are also aware of the fact that when it comes to this wonderful tool, the difference between great success and a nuisance is very narrow.
Well, it turns out that Google has also acknowledged this fact, and as a result Google has announced that as of 10th January 2017, the rankings of the websites which display pop-ups on mobile phones, which take up the whole screen or a considerable part of it, and harm the user’s experience, will be negatively affected.
According to Google, this measure is an additional step which is aimed at improving the user’s experience and the quality of the search on mobile devices. When Google refers to invasive means of advertising, it refers to websites in which the screen cannot be seen or the content which is supposed to be presented to the visitor cannot be read, due to an advert which covers the whole screen or a substantial part of it. Hence, reaching such a page ends up in a frustrating experience for the visitor (are you familiar with a situation whereby you try to click on a small and hidden x, and instead you click on the advert by mistake and then get sent to another page? That is one example).
Google also consider giant pop-ups which appear while scrolling the page a nuisance, as they prevent the visitor from seeing the presented content.
Who will not be harmed by the update?
It is important to note that websites that are committed by law to use such banners or pop-ups (for example age limiting, verification of certain information, etc), will not be affected by the new rule.
Google has emphasised that websites which bounce adverts of a reasonable size in relation to the rest of the screen, should not worry (for example – websites which offer you to switch to their application on a small banner at the top of the screen).
Likewise, websites which present pop-ups in a non-indexed page, for example, a form with payment details, will not be affected by the update.
So is there a reason to be stressed?
Not really. Unless you own a website which is particularly annoying and full of spam. When the websites are of high quality and have the “hallmark” of Google, i.e., websites which present relevant content and afford a particularly high-quality experience for the user, will not be negatively affected by the update, due to the fact that, as always, it is one parameter out of the hundreds which are known (and also unknown) to us which affect the rating of the website.
And still …, there are a few questions which are worth asking yourselves:
- Can the advert that I bounce help the visitor?
- Is my advert relevant to the reason for which the visitor reached my website in the first
place?
- Do I harm the visitor's user experience?
- Do I deliberately make it difficult for the visitor to close the pop-up?
- Is the size of the pop-up reasonable in relation to the size of the screen?
- Would I get annoyed if I had seen this pop-up?
Do you need help to improve the conversion rates of your website? Unsure what does not work on your website and why clients do not reach you? Contact us today, and we will be happy to assist you!
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