While the web world is still recovering from the Mobile Friendly update, Google has made a new change in its mobile search results. Since the time Google made ‘content’ as the highest ranking factor in search every other update we saw in hindsight was formulated to get the most relevant and value content to the users. The latest Google Mobile Interstitial Penalty is a step forward in ensuring that users are able to find content easily and without any barriers.

What has changed in the mobile-friendly update?

Mobile-friendly label is made redundant
Remember the mobile-friendly label in search results which was a badge of honor to show your website’s mobile friendliness?

Well, that has been removed. As per Google’s claim 85% of the pages in mobile search are now responsive and hence the mobile-friendly label is no longer required, however the mobile-friendly criteria will be very much a ranking factor.

What are Intrusive Interstitials?
Intrusive Interstitials is basically anything that blocks the user from reading the content for which they clicked on your link. There you go – The Big, Flashy POP Ups.

Once considered to be an innovative and effective approach to capture visitor attention by marketers, however, considered equally annoying by users will now be seen as a barrier which serves a poor browsing experience on mobile due to screen size limitation.
January 10, 2017, such barriers would affect your mobile search rankings. Let’s have look at what is considered as interstitials by Google.

1. A Pop-Up that conceals the main content from the user immediately after the user lands on your webpage or a few seconds later.

2. A stand-alone which mandates the user to click on the ‘close’ button to access the content.

3. A page lay-out which appears to be a stand-alone above-the-fold and the main content is kept below the first fold which makes the user scroll down in order to reach to the original content.

(Image source: Google Webmaster Blog)

However, Google has also given a leeway for website’s who if used these techniques responsibly, would not affect their page ranking.

Interstitials that will not affect page ranking
1. Interstitials that fall under legal obligations such as a pop up for allowing cookies or verification of age.

2. Login Pop Ups used for authentication in order to access the private content such as email or content that is un-indexable behind a paywall.

3. Banners which occupies reasonable space and is easy to dismiss. For eg: App Install banner provided by Safari and Chrome.

(Image source: Google Webmaster Blog)

Above all this valuable and high-quality content still remains the major ranking factor; this update seems to make that content easily available for the users without exasperating them with overpowering web engagement methods.

This update is as of now applicable only to mobile traffic and this may let you brush if off if the majority of your visitors are desktop users. However, a poor experience on mobile even if it is not your main source of traffic shows neglect towards your mobile audience which eventually will benefit your competitors who serve better on mobile.
Google’s ad revenue is an important segment of its business. The rising competition from Facebook becoming a search engine for news and Amazon turning into a search engine for products means Google will pull up its socks to remain ahead in the game and remain the favorite source of information for its users by providing a rich experience.

To get know more in detail about how your website will be affected or to remove such interstitials from your website and replace it with a banner as per the guidelines please send us a message right now!