Floating Banners: Ones that even Google will Approve Of

You’ve probably crossed paths with a floating banner if you’ve used the internet for any amount of time. These are a type of rich media ad that appears over a webpage, usually the bottom or top bar, and usually has a close or exit button in the corner to enable the user to opt out and return to their content. Floating banners are often served on mobile devices or devices other than desktop due to their more portable nature, though they can also be seen there as well.

The thing is, floating banners are very much part of the advertising world, especially the mobile one. They’re usually done (or should be done) well, rife with animation, creative, attention-grabbing, and appropriately placed both in location and in timing. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case and because of their unique format, floating banners can walk a finer line between ‘helpful ad’  and ‘annoying/rage-inducing ad’ than almost any other online advertisement. This makes it imperative that your floating banners always hit the mark you’re aiming for. This is something that Google feels strongly about too and as the state of the online world is now: if Google cares, everyone cares.

Google Approved vs. Pop-ups

Before we get into this, let’s set one thing straight. We don’t do pop-ups. We advocate for each and every client that we work with to partner with a reliable media agency that will manage their bids, think of the user experience first and foremost, and create creatives that are just that, creative! Making ads that are not only pleasant to look at but helpful to the user is where we live—and that can sometimes include floating banners. But as these units linger closer to the ‘pop-up’ line, it’s best to know just what Google categorizes as a pop-up.

As you probably already know, Google ranks websites on a lot of different factors. One factor is the inclusion of “intrusive interstitials” that makes the webpage content less accessible or extremely difficult to get to. Narrowing it down a bit, Google has given some further direction on these guidelines:

– a standalone unit that requires the user to take action to dismiss it before the main content can be seen
– a layout that makes the page above the scroll look like one big interstitial, pushing the content down below the scroll

Google does, however, recognize that floating banners do have a place in the digital universe and won’t penalize those who use them appropriately. But what is an appropriate time and use for a floating banner?

According to the all-knowing Google, floating banners can safely be used:

– where needed to fulfill a legal obligation, such as to flag cookie usage, verifying age or any other notice that each user coming to the site must see and acknowledge

– login credentials when needed to access a secure site or part of a site

– when they use a reasonable amount of screen space and are clearly, and easily dismissable

This is a general overview of approved circumstances, rather than an exhaustive list.

Floating Banner Guidelines

If you’re still wondering about your specific floating banners and where they fit on the scale of Google’s acceptance, the folks/wizards behind Google have created this handy list of specifications for floating banners that are presented vertically or horizontally. We’ve summed up the major points for you here!

Vertical

– your page cannot be overloaded with ads. They must take up less than the amount of content on whichever screen the user is viewing with

– these formats of ads cannot over or underlap any other page content. They should also not infringe on navigational, other site functions, or other advertisements even on a responsive screen

– all of the ad’s content must be displayed at all times and must scroll into and out of the screen in view. Ads are not allowed to disappear and re-appear. They must also only function on the vertical axis, not float freely, or follow a cursor.

– only one vertical floating ad is allowed on screen at one time and must stay in its fixed position

Horizontal

– your page cannot be overloaded with ads. They must take up less than the amount of content on whichever screen the user is viewing with

– Any advertisement must clearly differentiate itself from page content

– these formats of ads cannot over or underlap any other page content. They should also not infringe on navigational, other site functions, or other advertisements even on a responsive screen

– horizontal floating ads are not allowed to float away from the window edges or follow the cursor

– only one horizontal ad is allowed on screen at one time

Benefits of Floating Banners

The benefits of floating banners are mainly due to the fact that they capture the viewer’s attention as they are presented in a hard-to-ignore manner. Interactive, concept-driven, and exceptionally unique floating banners leave a much deeper impression, result in a more successful branding effect, not to mention they leave the viewer feeling not nearly as interrupted as they would with an intrusive floating banner layout.

As with any advertising, allowing the user to close it, see around it, and chose whether or not to interact with it is the best way to maintain a positive customer-brand relationship. That positive relationship increases exponentially when the creative is engaging and useful to the user.

Floating banners may not be ideal for all websites or audiences, however creative and amazing they may be. Before implementing any new ad format, it’s important to consider content, load time, and unused space where this ad may be served. By seeking to maintain a high-quality user experience (isn’t that what we’re always after?!) and thoroughly testing new ad formats, advertisers can be sure every ad and ad format will hit the mark with their intended audience.