If you have ever clicked the back button on your browser only to find yourself stuck on the same page or suddenly bombarded with ads, you have experienced what is called "back button hijacking". Google has now had enough of it. The tech company is expanding its policies to go after websites that use this trick, and starting 15 June, sites caught doing it could be pushed down in search rankings or removed from Google Search results entirely. The change follows what Google described as a "rise of this type of behaviour."
What Is Back Button Hijacking & Why Is Google Acting On It?
Back button hijacking happens when a website interferes with your browser so that pressing the back button does not take you to the previous page. Instead, it keeps you trapped on the site or shows you unwanted ads. Google has now officially classified this as a "malicious practice."
In a blog post, Google explained its reasoning: "Back button hijacking interferes with the browser's functionality, breaks the expected user journey, and results in user frustration." The company also noted that "people report feeling manipulated and eventually less willing to visit unfamiliar sites."
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Specific behaviours Google will target include any technique that inserts "manipulative" pages into a user's browser history, preventing them from navigating back normally.
Adam Thompson, director of digital at BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, told the BBC: "Practices like back button hijacking undermine the basic user experience and break the expectations people have of how the web should work, so it's understandable that Google views this as a harmful behaviour and [is] taking action."
What Should Website Owners Do Before June Deadline?
Google has advised site owners to ensure they do not do "anything to interfere with a user's ability to navigate their browser history" and to "thoroughly review their technical implementation."
Sites that are penalised but later fix the issue can submit a request to Google to have the demotion reconsidered.