Never scared to tinker with its search algorithms, Google will soon implement a change that demotes websites that obstruct content.

The move is specifically aimed at making the search experience better for mobile users, whose touch-screens have less leeway for popups.

Right ideas

Two years ago Google added a mobile-friendly label to its search pages to help millions of smartphone users find websites suitable for phone browsing.

The company says 85% of websites comply with general rules such as text size and tap targets, so the label has been removed to declutter its results.

However, in researching mobile pages Google has found many not delivering for their visitors.

Deserved rewards

Immediate popups, popups that appear as users scroll halfway down the page, or any layout that generally blocks content will draw negative points for Google's new search rankings.

Popups that are smaller or important, such as login forms or for verification, will not affect a website's ranking.

The changes come into effect on January 10, 2017, giving developers plenty of time to correct any issues, and they are explained in depth on Google's Webmaster blog.