Google Algorithm Change Requires User-friendly Web Page Layout
Web publishers and bloggers beware: If you’re displaying many ads “above the fold,” Google’s latest algorithm change may swoop down like a Navy SEAL team on your website. You might suddenly find your Web pages buried, six-feet under on the search results pages.
It’s happening to many site publishers around the Web, on sites the search engine bot now deems too ad-heavy up top. When the bot spots sites like this, the offending site takes a hit in page rank. For the site owner, this means fewer people will see your Web pages during searches.
SEO Headline News: New Page Layout Mandate
Announced on January 19th, Google calls it a “page layout algorithm improvement.” Specifically, Web sites will be penalized when the content takes a glaring backseat to the advertisements. If you have too many ads in and around your header, you’ll be sorry. Even if their Google ads.
The search giant says it’s making the new page layout “suggestion” as a result of user complaints. When people click-through and can’t quickly find the content they’ve searched for, they feel frustrated . . . by a barrage of advertisements. As a result, they don’t have a great experience on that website.
Never mind that Google had a hand in creating this ads-first culture, of heavy selling above the fold.
What Does “Above the Fold” Mean?
“Above the Fold” is actually a newspaper industry term, but it’s been adapted as a Web design principle, too. It originally referred to the front page of a newspaper, specifically the top half – the part most visible to customers at a newsstand.
The theory is, when you want to induce sales, place your hottest headlines and news content above the paper’s “fold.” That best practice translated to the Web means to place your best content before any scrolling down is necessary. Information placed in this prime location immediately catches the eye and entices engagement.
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