Hijacking Your Visitor's Back Button?...Be Warned

Google hates it when you trick site visitors or engage in deceptive practices. And you know that, right? Regardless, due to ongoing complaints, Google released an official warning to site owners notifying them against using a specific "deceptive" practice that affects what happens when visitors hit their browser's back button. It seems that the offending sites have been inserting a page within the visitor's browser history so that, instead of going back to the search results, they're taken to a page that is a close copy of the search results page they previously viewed but contains new ads.

The bottom line is, any site that offends Google's guidelines in this manner should be prepared for swift repercussions. Experience tells us that first Google warns, then they quickly make a public example of sites that do not heed the warning. Then they follow up with a algorithm change that permanently removes sites that haven't yet been assessed manual penalties.

If you haven't already, be sure to read our feature article on Google Penalties – Understanding & Unraveling Google's 11 Most Commonly Played Penalties. And, if you're looking for more hands on support by our SEO experts then we suggest learning more about our Web Site Penalty Audit.