Intrusive interstitials are page elements that obstruct the view of the content, usually for promotional purposes, according to Google. Examples are a newsletter overlay or a full-screen app install prompt shown on arrival.
What does Google say?
Google writes that intrusive dialogs can make it hard for search engines to understand your content and may lead to poor search performance. Users frustrated by them are unlikely to come back. The topic also appears in the page experience documentation as the self-assessment question “Do your pages avoid using intrusive interstitials?” Google states there is no single page experience signal, since its core ranking systems look at a variety of signals.
Exceptions and alternatives
Interstitials required by law, such as age verification, are exempt. As an alternative, Google recommends banners that take up only a small part of the screen. Browser-supported options such as the Smart App Banner in Safari are also possible.
Example
A shop shows a full-screen overlay with a 10 percent newsletter discount right after a visitor arrives from search, and the product text is covered. A slim banner at the edge of the page leaves the content readable.
FAQ
What does a pop-up mean for SEO? It is an element on top of the page content. What counts for Google is whether it blocks access to the content.
Sources
- Avoid intrusive interstitials and dialogs – Google Search Centraldevelopers.google.com
- Understanding page experience in Google Search results – Google Search Centraldevelopers.google.com
- What counts as an intrusive interstitial – Search Engine Journal (secondary)searchenginejournal.com
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