Are Pop-Ups Ruining your SEO Ranking?

SEO is a tricky game.

Even when you think you’ve got your website in a sweet spot, there’s still more to consider: turning those Google visitors into loyal customers.

That’s where pop-ups come into play. With an average conversion rate of 3.8%, they’re pretty good at effortlessly turning organic traffic into valuable sales or leads.

But wait, there’s a twist: Google’s Search Quality Raters’ Guidelines and articles written by SEO experts have raised concerns.

Could pop-ups be secretly sabotaging your SEO mojo? Let’s get into it!

What are pop-ups?

Pop-ups are interactive elements on websites that typically overlay the content to grab the visitor’s attention for various purposes such as newsletter signups or special offers.

They often interrupt the reading experience on websites, especially blogs, where readers encounter them a few seconds into an article. These pop-ups prompt users to either sign up for a newsletter or dismiss the form before continuing to read.

So if you’re like us, you’ll find pop-ups quite annoying!

Are pop-ups worth the risk?

With these numbers in mind, it’s no surprise that marketers are drawn to using pop-ups occasionally, given their conversion rates that are up to three times higher than traditional calls-to-action.

Pop-ups offer unique advantages that explain their association with higher conversion rates:

They’re highly visible.
They can be segmented easily based on visitor profiles.
Their timing can be customised to match visitor behaviour.
Their eye-catching design captures visitor attention, prolonging their time on your site and boosting conversion likelihood.

While website pop-ups may enhance conversion optimisation, the big question remains: Do pop-ups impact SEO, potentially risking organic search traffic.

So what is Google's problem?

What are some 'bad' examples of pop-ups?

In January 2016, Google implemented changes to its search engine algorithms that could potentially impact your website’s SEO, particularly if you utilise newsletter pop-ups.

At the moment, the change only applies to mobile search results. This means that if your responsive website has an email subscription popup, your SEO will only be affected for mobile users.

“Pages that show intrusive interstitials [pop-ups] provide a poorer experience to users than other pages where content is immediately accessible. This can be problematic on mobile devices where screens are often smaller.” – Google

This is yet another example of how Google is encouraging website owners to prioritise user-experience over search engine optimisation tactics. As a result of putting the user’s experience first, you will organically rank higher!

Google conveniently provided some examples of what not to do when making pop-ups on your website, as shown above.

Alongside this, Google has provided are some examples of techniques that, used responsibly, would not be affected by the new signal:

Pop-ups that appear to be in response to a legal obligation, such as for cookie usage or for age verification.
Login dialogs on sites where content is not publicly indexable. For example, this would include private content such as email or unindexable content that is behind a paywall.
Banners that use a reasonable amount of screen space and are easily dismissible. For example, the app install banners provided by Safari and Chrome are examples of banners that use a reasonable amount of screen space.

Is there a way to still utilise pop-ups and not get penalised?

This penalty isn’t just for pop-ups that activate straight away.

Google has confirmed that the SEO penalty also extends to pop-ups that interrupt the user’s browsing experience while they are engaged with the page.

This is a common occurrence with newsletter pop-ups, which often appear after a certain period of time or when attempting to close the tab. However, the penalty does not apply to subsequent pages visited. Therefore, if you navigate from the mobile search results to a specific webpage, any intrusive pop-ups on that page will be factored into SEO considerations.

Yet, pop-ups on subsequent pages will not count towards the penalty. If pop-ups are essential for your website, consider removing them from main landing pages and utilising them elsewhere on the site, such as after a “Read More” link, which users may access less frequently.

Can I still have a newsletter pop-up form?

If you’re determined to include a popup newsletter signup form on your website, it’s crucial to proceed with caution and prioritize both SEO and user experience.

Here are some suggestions:

Keep the popup as compact as possible, ensuring it doesn’t overwhelm the screen, especially on mobile devices.
Test the cancel button or close icon, particularly on smartphones, to ensure it’s easily accessible for users with larger fingers.
Consider on-page newsletter signup forms as an alternative. These can be placed in the sidebar or integrated into the content, accompanied by persuasive text highlighting the benefits of subscribing.
Experiment with adding a notice at the top or bottom of the page instead of a popup. A noticeable banner can capture visitors’ attention without obstructing the content they’re trying to access, offering a less intrusive option.

Summary

While popups can be effective for capturing leads and driving conversions, their implementation requires careful consideration to avoid negative impacts on SEO rankings.

By following best practices, such as keeping popups unobtrusive and testing their usability, website owners can strike a balance between user engagement and SEO optimisation.

Remember, the goal is to enhance the user experience while achieving marketing objectives without sacrificing search engine visibility.

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