How Do the Better Ads Standards Affect Websites and SEO?

 Posted on October 31,2022 in Search Engine Optimization

Online advertising is a fact of life in our always-connected digital world. Most people use computers, smartphones, and other devices to browse the internet during their daily lives, and they have come to expect that ads will be a part of this experience. However, many online ads are intrusive, limiting people's ability to use websites properly, access the information they are looking for, and complete tasks. To address this issue, standards have been put in place detailing the practices that websites should follow, and these standards are taken into account by search engines such as Google. To avoid potential search engine optimization (SEO) penalties, website owners will need to make sure they are complying with these standards.

What Are the Better Ads Standards?

The Coalition for Better Ads has identified certain types of online ads that website users dislike. These ads can affect a website's user experience, making people more likely to navigate away from a site and look elsewhere for information, products, or services. Websites that use intrusive or distracting ads may be penalized by Google or other search engines, making them less likely to be listed in search results.

The coalition has detailed standards that should be followed when using certain types of ads, including:

• Pop-up ads - These ads may appear suddenly and block the content on a page, requiring users to either click on them or close them before they can proceed. Ads may cover part of a person's screen or the entire screen, and they may include a countdown of several seconds before they can be closed. These types of ads are generally not preferred.

• Prestitial ads - Some websites display ads before a page loads, and they may include a countdown before the ad can be closed. If these types of ads are used, users should be able to dismiss them or scroll past them immediately.

• Auto-playing video ads with sound - Some ads automatically play videos while a user is viewing a website page, and when they include sound, they can be distracting and disruptive, forcing users to close a page or click on a video to stop the sound from playing. If video ads are used, they should provide users with the option to activate sound.

• Large sticky ads - Banner ads may cover up part of a page, and they may "stick" to a user's screen, remaining in place as a person scrolls through a site's content. These ads should take up no more than 30 percent of the space on a person's screen.

• Large mobile ads - When using mobile devices, ads may take up a large portion of the screen, limiting a user's ability to view a site's content. Mobile ads should not take up more than 30 percent of screen space.

• Flashing ads - Some animated ads may rapidly change the colors of backgrounds, text, or other elements. These ads can be very distracting and limit a person's ability to read a site's content. Because of this, they are generally not preferred.

Contact Our SEO and Web Design Experts

The standards for ads may affect SEO for websites that use advertising, but it is also a good idea to keep these standards in mind when addressing other elements of a website. The use of features on a site that may be distracting or that may affect users' ability to view the site's content, such as pop-up messages or auto-playing videos, could have an impact on how a site ranks in search results. At OVC Lawyer Marketing, we make sure the websites we develop follow the proper standards for usability, and we also ensure that they are optimized to show up in search results for the targeted audiences. To learn more about how our website development professionals can help create a site that will meet your needs, contact us at 630-635-8000.

Sources:

https://www.betterads.org/standards/

https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/marketing-strategies/monetization-strategies/better-ad-standards/