A guide to Google's mobile SEO policy and optimizing mobile promotions for search index.
Since 2016, Google has implemented mobile-specific changes affecting how mobile content is indexed in its search algorithm. These updates primarily target promotional and advertising content. For more details, refer to Google's original announcement on their webmaster blog.
Key Policy Points
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User-triggered popups are permissible (e.g. via Justuno tab buttons).
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Banners occupying reasonable screen space without being intrusive are acceptable.
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Banners should not push essential content below the fold.
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All banners must prominently feature an opt-out button.
Based on available information, we've developed a prototypical mobile pop-up that aligns with these policies:
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Display promotions only when users scroll a significant percentage of the page (20% or more is recommended).
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Introduce promotions after a specified time delay from the user's initial site visit (30 seconds).
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These targeting conditions ensure that initial page content remains accessible to search crawlers before promotional content is displayed.
Additional Best Practices
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Use pop-ups responsibly to enhance user experience on mobile devices, reflecting the unique browsing habits of mobile visitors.
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Consider utilizing an onsite messaging bar or banner to deliver marketing messages in a less intrusive manner while maintaining page content accessibility, in accordance with Google's updated policies.
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Delay showing pop-ups to visitors arriving from mobile search results until their second page visit or after a specific user action (refer to the next bullet point).
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Trigger mobile pop-ups based on specific visitor actions, such as scroll-based pop-ups or hyperlink-triggered pop-ups.
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Adhere to Google's guidelines for responsible pop-up usage, which include sign-up bars, messaging bars, user action-triggered pop-ups, age verification prompts, sign-in prompts, and cookie usage notifications.
![mobile pop up cheat sheet](https://hub.justuno.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Knowledge%20Base%20Import/support_justuno_comhcarticle_attachments360009386414Mobile_popups_seo-1.webp?width=500&height=647&name=support_justuno_comhcarticle_attachments360009386414Mobile_popups_seo-1.webp)
Additional Resources
- Mobile UX Checklist: Pop-Ups, Email & SMS Edition
- Pop-Ups & SEO: Balancing Cumulative Layout Shift & CRO
By following these practices, you can optimize mobile promotions effectively while ensuring compliance with Google's mobile SEO policies.