Starting in January, Google will begin “dinging” websites that display full-screen ads when it comes to smartphone search, according to Internet Retailer.
Google is aiming to target the full-screen ads, known as “interstitial banners,” and will roll out the changes on Jan. 10. These types of ads cover the search page results and require a user to dismiss them before they can access the content they searched for.
Google says the change in its algorithm is designed to improve a smartphone user’s experience transitioning from Google’s own search engine to a webpage. The tech giant believes that those type of pop-up ads contribute to a poor web experience for users.
Still, the change could be significant for retailers because Google is, by far, the leader in mobile search results, with 89 percent of all mobile searches coming via Google in the first quarter of 2016. Retailers in the top 1,000 receive 10.44 percent of their traffic from these type of search results, according to Top500Guide.com.
But Google says it will not ding all pop-up ads for this type of behavior. Ads that need to cover a site because of a legal requirement, such as an age verification on an age-restricted site, will not be classified as obtrusive ads, according to Google. Also, blockers, such as paywalls that display a login request to gate the content off from the general public, will also not be penalized for these types of pop-ups.
Still, brands and retailers might want to keep this upcoming change in mind when they begin planning their mobile strategies for 2017.
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