Why be careful of pop ups?
Pop Ups can be Marked as Primary Content by Google.
As a business owner, you may think pop ups on your website can be a great way to implement a call-to-action for your brand. As it stands, pop ups do indeed help to build email subscriber lists and other data that help with growth and analytics. But Google does not particularly care for them.
Google warns websites to be careful with the use of their pop ups as they could inadvertently be marked as primary content. What does this mean in layman’s terms? Your pop up is marked as your brand. Which is more important when it comes to conveying your brand’s message… your home page or your pop up? No, this isn’t a trick question. It really is as obvious as knowing it is your home page that is the most important.
For these reasons, it is important that if you decide to use pop ups on your website, that you do so with care. Choosing the appropriate location, message and call-to-action (CTA) are all factors that are important to carefully go over before deciding the if, when and where to place your pop up.
To validate this information is the below transcript between Google’s John Mueller and Vertify’s Mihai Aperghis that transpired in the Google Hangout on Google+ July 1st, 2016:
MUELLER – “I think, just from a usability point of view, if you put this in front of a user before they’re even able to see what you offer, it’s probably counterproductive, in that you’re not really getting the most value out of that. On the other hand, if you can tell that someone is already browsing your website, and they’re looking at stuff, or maybe they’re reading through a longer page, then maybe it makes sense to let them know, hey, if you really like this, is a great way to kind of keep in touch, stay up to date with the new changes. And maybe that makes sense to kind of, like you said, delay it into the session.”
APERGHIS: “OK, but let’s say that doesn’t happen. Is there a risk that Googlebot might give higher priority to the content on the pop-up instead of the content behind it?”
MUELLER: “That can happen, yeah. That can definitely happen.”
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FAQs
Why should I be careful when using pop-ups on my website?
Using pop-ups without caution can negatively affect your website’s ranking because Google may mistakenly identify the pop-up as your primary content. This can result in reduced visibility of your main website content, leading to a poor user experience and potentially hurting your SEO performance.
Can Google mark pop-ups as primary content?
Yes, Google can sometimes prioritize pop-up content over the main content of your website. This happens when pop-ups are intrusive or appear too early, which could lead to the pop-up being considered more important than your main page, affecting how Google ranks your site.
How can I use pop-ups without affecting my SEO?
To prevent pop-ups from interfering with your SEO, use them sparingly and place them strategically. Delay the pop-up until users have engaged with your site, and avoid displaying it immediately when someone visits your homepage. This ensures that your main content is prioritized by both users and search engines.
What does Google recommend for using pop-ups effectively?
Google suggests that pop-ups should be delayed and displayed only after users have had a chance to engage with your site. This approach is less intrusive and more effective for user experience, helping you build your email list without disrupting your SEO or frustrating visitors.