5 Ways to Change Mobile Intrusive Interstitials
Top brands like Amazon, Adidas and Pinterest use intrusive interstitials or “pop-up” ads to increase their conversions. They’ve surely seen success using this marketing technique along with every other marketer with a website. Per Dan Zarrella, award-winning Social Media Scientist, you can nearly double your subscriptions by using pop-ups.
So, a question is prompted – why would you change the way you use mobile intrusive interstitials, especially when it’s proven to work for bigger brands?
The message here isn’t that you should stop using intrusive interstitials entirely. Instead, we’re simply suggesting you change the way you use these ads on your mobile site. Google signals may have a negative impact on your mobile SEO if you resist.
Here are five ways to change how you’re using intrusive interstitials.
1. Use Google-approved intrusive interstitials.
If you’re using any of the approved intrusive interstitials, you’re in the clear. Google will allow these pop-ups without negative consequences.
Interstitials that appear in response to a legal obligation e.g. age verification
Login dialogs on sites with content is not publicly indexable e.g. paid subscription content like the New York Times
Banner ads that use a reasonable amount of space, are easily dismissible and still allow immediate access to the main content e.g. app install banners provided by Safari or Chrome
2. Keep intrusive interstitials to desktop.
The key to the new Google penalty is that it only impacts mobile intrusive interstitials. If the data proves your intrusive interstitials are successful, keep them. However, you’ll want to remove them from your mobile sites, or modify them.
3. Reformat your pop-up ads on mobile.
If you want to keep your pop-up ads on your mobile site, simply adjust them. Reduce the size of it or switch it to a banner-style ad so that it does not compete with focus on the main content.
4. Strategize when these ads engage consumers.
Change the trigger of the intrusive interstitial. Alter the settings so that the ads pop up based on a user’s engagement with the site e.g. exiting the site, click paths within the site.
5. Enhance your mobile strategy.
Intrusive interstitials are crucial to your mobile strategy and growing conversions. But it should not be your only means to generate revenue online. Use other aspects of marketing to your advantage – valuable and relevant content. A content marketing strategy can help sell your products or services in addition to pop-up ads.