Annoyed users: will pop-up ads soon be a thing of the past?

Since the beginning of the year, Google has been penalizing websites with intrusive interstitials, better known as pop-ups, by downranking them. The advertising format is not particularly popular with internet users either, as it often restricts a seamless user experience due to its intrusiveness. However, Google has not banned interstitials, but distinguishes between useful or necessary pop-ups and purely bold advertising without added value.The programmatic media buying platform Tradelab and the advertising platform provider Smart AdServer have jointly produced an informative graphic on this topic. It shows the currently available interstitial advertising formats, the behavior of users and provides ideas for possible alternatives at comparable prices, but it is clear that the future belongs to advertising formats that successfully captivate their users and combine effectiveness, respect and innovation. Interstitials can play a role in this if they offer an enriching internet experience and draw inspiration from existing rich media formats.