How Does Google Handle Interstitials (pop-ups) on Mobile Devices

When browsing the web on mobile devices, you’ve likely encountered interstitials—those pop-up ads or banners that appear before or after a webpage loads. While interstitials can be useful for promoting products, collecting email addresses, or displaying important information, they can also disrupt the user experience. Due to their potential to negatively affect mobile browsing, Google has set guidelines on how websites should use interstitials, especially when it comes to SEO.

In this article, we’ll explore what interstitials are, how Google handles them on mobile devices, and what you can do to ensure your interstitials don’t hurt your SEO rankings.

What Are Interstitials?

An interstitial is a type of pop-up ad or overlay that appears before the actual content of a webpage. They often cover the entire screen or a significant portion of it, requiring the user to interact (typically by clicking a close button) before they can access the main content.

Common examples of interstitials include:

• Pop-up ads
• Newsletter sign-up forms
• Cookie consent forms
• App install prompts

While interstitials can serve useful purposes, they can also frustrate users by delaying access to the content they’re trying to view. On mobile devices, where screen space is limited, poorly implemented interstitials can severely affect the user experience.

Google’s View on Interstitials for Mobile SEO

Google places a high emphasis on user experience, especially for mobile users. In August 2016, Google announced that starting from January 10, 2017, websites that show intrusive interstitials on mobile pages may not rank as highly in search results. This announcement came as part of Google’s focus on mobile-first indexing, where the mobile version of a site is prioritized for ranking purposes.

The core concern is that interstitials on mobile devices can create a poor user experience by delaying or obstructing access to content. Since page experience is now a ranking factor in SEO, intrusive interstitials can harm a website’s ranking on Google.

How Does Google Define Intrusive Interstitials?

Not all interstitials are considered intrusive by Google. The key lies in how and when they are displayed.

Examples of Intrusive Interstitials

The following types of interstitials may lead to penalties or lower rankings on Google’s mobile search results:

1. Pop-ups that cover the main content: If the interstitial appears immediately after the user navigates to a page and covers the content, it is considered intrusive.
2. Standalone interstitials: These are pop-ups that require a user action (like closing the ad) before accessing the content. They often frustrate users, especially on mobile devices.
3. Interstitials that push content below the fold: When the interstitial forces the main content of the page below the visible area (fold), users are required to scroll to find the content, which affects the overall experience.

Examples of Acceptable Interstitials

Google understands that some interstitials are necessary for legal or usability reasons. The following are types of interstitials that won’t negatively impact your SEO:

1. Legal requirements: Interstitials that are required for legal purposes, such as cookie consent or age verification, are acceptable.
2. Login dialogs: If you run a site with private content that requires users to log in, such as a paywall, Google will not penalize you for displaying login dialogs.
3. Small banners: Banners that use a reasonable amount of screen space and are easily dismissible, such as those promoting app installations, are generally acceptable.

How to Ensure Your Interstitials Don’t Hurt SEO

Now that you know which types of interstitials can harm your SEO, here are some best practices to ensure that your website remains compliant with Google’s guidelines:

1. Use Smaller, Non-Intrusive Banners

Instead of a full-page interstitial, opt for smaller, less intrusive banners that only take up a small portion of the screen. For example, using a banner that appears at the top or bottom of the screen and can easily be dismissed will not negatively affect your SEO.

2. Ensure Interstitials Are Easily Dismissible

If you must use an interstitial, make sure users can easily dismiss it. The close button should be clearly visible, and the pop-up should not cover the main content for an extended period.

3. Implement Timed Interstitials

Consider delaying the interstitial so that it doesn’t appear as soon as a user navigates to your page. A delayed pop-up gives users a chance to access some of the content before they encounter the interstitial. This reduces the likelihood of a negative user experience.

4. Prioritize Page Speed

Since page speed is an important SEO ranking factor, avoid interstitials that significantly slow down your site. Heavy, poorly optimized pop-ups that delay page loading can not only hurt the user experience but also reduce your Core Web Vitals scores, which impacts your SEO.

5. Test on Mobile Devices

Since Google’s penalties are focused on mobile interstitials, regularly test your site on a variety of mobile devices to ensure that your interstitials aren’t creating a frustrating experience. Tools like Google Search Console and Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test can help you identify issues with mobile usability.

How to Measure the Impact of Interstitials on SEO

To ensure that your interstitials are not harming your SEO, you should:

1. Monitor Search Rankings: After removing or adjusting interstitials, track your mobile search rankings to see if there’s an improvement.
2. Check Google Search Console: Google often provides alerts if your site violates their guidelines. If interstitials are causing issues, you may find a warning in Search Console.
3. Use Google PageSpeed Insights: Check the performance of your pages with and without interstitials using PageSpeed Insights. Poor performance due to heavy interstitials can affect your overall rankings.

Conclusion

Interstitials can be a useful tool for engaging users or promoting products, but they can also negatively affect SEO, especially on mobile devices. By understanding Google’s guidelines and ensuring that your interstitials are non-intrusive and user-friendly, you can maintain a strong user experience while preserving or even improving your site’s ranking on search results.