On January 10, 2017, Google rolled out the intrusive interstitial update that aims to detect extraneous content that hinders users’ access to the information they’re looking for. The emphasis on delivering relevant knowledge to searchers became more pervasive when the search engine shifted its focus towards mobile search.
What’s It For
Google initially announced its plans to improve mobile search results in August 2016. First, the team made known that they were removing the mobile-friendly label in the SERPs since most pages and websites had responsive designs that display content beautifully no matter what screen size. However, a site’s mobile-friendliness will still be a ranking signal.
The second improvement in the SERPs that was rolled out in January 2017 was to penalize websites that displayed intrusive interstitials or web pages that are shown before the content. This element is typically known as pop-ups, overlays, and modals. Google believed that it harmed user experience since it visually obscured the information that users want to access, which is why they devalue such sites.
Some tactics that block content and lead to a penalty include:
Displaying a pop-up that totally covers the page’s main content either after a user clicks on the link from the SERPs or while scrolling through the content
Showing a standalone web page that visitors have to close before they can access the information they want
Having a layout where the section that’s “above the fold” looks like an interstitial with the main content being displayed underneath the fold
Meanwhile, there were also other types of interstitials that weren’t affected by the update when used responsibly by webmasters such as:
Informing visitors about cookie usage or age verification, which websites are legally bound to display
Directing to private content like login dialogs for email or content behind a paywall that can’t be indexed
Using banners that readers can easily dismiss like those provided by Google Chrome and Safari
Google also confirmed that they’ve retired the app install interstitial penalty and integrated it instead to this update so that there won’t be duplicates. The first filter which rolled out in November 2015 checked for pop-ups that prompted users to install a mobile app.
There were reports of a shift in the SERPs during the period of January 10 to 11, 2017. However, several SEOs claimed that there was minimal impact on sites that were notorious for using intrusive interstitials. The update did pave the way for today’s on-page advertising practices to improve and put user experience first.
Interstitials are still being used nowadays to display supplemental information that provides additional value to visitors. Today, it’s mainly used for call to actions instead of ads as well as to inform users about cookie usage and age verification.
Here are some ways to maximize your pop-ups without fearing the intrusive interstitial penalty:
It’s recommended that the interstitial should only take up 15 percent or less of screen space. Use top banners and slide-in banners that don’t distract users and keep your content accessible. Steer clear of ad modals, full-screen overlays, and welcome mats.