It seems like an excellent business strategy. When people enter your site, take the one thing you want them to see, and present it front and center. As soon as they scroll or try to leave, a window within your site pops up and says “wait, this is what you’re missing!” Pop-ups are a common feature on websites large and small, and it makes perfect sense why so many sites have them. Unfortunately, pop-ups hurt overall ranking opportunity.
In 2017, Google started to deal out lower rankings for sites with pop-up ads. When Google thinks a website has made it more difficult for users to view core content, it places that site below competitors in search results. As the world’s leading search engine, Google aims to optimize the user experience, and users generally despise pop-up ads.
A 2017 study from the Nielsen Norman group confirmed user annoyance with the pop-up ad. A survey of 452 people rated their experience with certain web features, and 92% of them expressed frustration with pop-ups. “Some things don’t change — users’ expectations, in particular. The popups of the early 2000s have reincarnated as modal windows, and are hated just as viscerally today as they were over a decade ago,” the study concluded.
So, even if it feels like pop-ups might drive sales, in the end we feel they will hinder more than help. If you want more advice about website functionality and SEO for your law firm site, get in touch with the experienced team at FirmFinder.
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