What’s this about annoying ads and Google?
This is an extract from TWIS SEO News & Updates 11 August 2015.
Read this briefing into the news that if you are showing annoying ads, Google will be in touch soon, and how to take steps to prevent the dreaded “dear webmaster” email.
Contact me to discuss ways to make sure your ads are compliant with the Coalition for Better Ads standards.
#Google #AdBlocking #GoogleSearchConsole #AdStrategy
Showing annoying ads? Google is about to contact you.
Summary:
- As we revealed in the post Google Chrome To Block Bad Ads, Google is (almost) taking the scourge of annoying ads seriously.
- Google blogged recently that they will soon start to notify webmasters of those sites with annoying ads that their ads are annoying.
- They haven’t released a strict timeline beyond “over the next few weeks”.
- Nor have they announced how they will notify webmasters, but it will likely be through Google Search Console.
- Apparently, Google has discovered that “small” websites rather than “mainstream publishers, like daily newspapers, or business publications” are the biggest causes of issues. Hmm.
Actions to take:
- If you don’t have Google Search Console, then use the Basic Google Search Console guide to help set one up.
- Once done, check your site against the Ad Experience Report to check if any issues exist yet.
- If there are, follow the instructions and guidelines to rectify.
- If there aren’t, you can always check your ads against the Better Ads Standards.
- Or, you can wait to see if Google contacts you – either by message in Google Search Console, or by email to the verified owner’s address.
- Or, finally, you can wait to see if Chrome actually blocks your ads.
- Contact me to discuss ways to make sure your ads are compliant with the Coalition for Better Ads standards.
Discussion:
Google is playing an interesting game here. I think most of the web would be pleased that obnoxious ads are called out and removed. It will be good when Chrome blocks bad ads, and even better when Google actually stops ranking these sites in SERPs**.
I am a little surprised by Google’s claim that most issues stem from smaller websites rather than the larger publishers. I think this must be by domain count rather than by complaint count. Certainly some of the biggest publishers are also some of the most aggressive servers of annoying ads, and when web discussions erupt about these, they tend to mentioned veryu frequently.
Of course, the cynic in me wonders if that statement hasn’t been put out by Google as a means of reassuring those brands and sources, as there is a touch of a symbiotic relationship between them. I would hope Google is already giving them the nudge, but we will see if they don’t drop these ads, and they continue to evade Chrome’s blockers, and rank well.
**Google’s various algorithmic ranking penalties don’t yet apply to “annoying” ads, but do to being top-heavy, dominant / content obscuring and mobile interstitial amongst others. Time will tell if these criteria also get included in Google’s ranking algorithms.
More info:
Mobile First is NOT Mobile Friendly
TL;DR
- If you’re showing annoying ads, then expect to be blocked by Google Chrome and an email (or other contact) from Google.
- Check GSC for your Ad Experience Report.
- Make your ads in line with the Better Ads Standard
- Read The State of SEO in mid-2017.
- Read about how Google’s Mobile First Index is not Mobile Friendly.
- Read how to make sure Google can Find Crawl Index your site.
Thanks for reading. If you would like to discuss what these changes mean for your web property, or would like to know how to implement them, please feel free to contact me.
