Google will begin penalizing websites that engage in back-button hijacking starting June 15, classifying the deceptive navigational practice as a violation of its official search spam policies.
Key Points
- Back-button hijacking occurs when websites prevent users from navigating backward by locking pages, redirecting users, or displaying unsolicited advertisements.
- Google now categorizes this behavior alongside malware and unwanted software as a deceptive practice that compromises user security and privacy.
- Website owners have until June 15 to remove scripts or third-party software that interfere with browser history navigation.
- Non-compliant sites face manual spam actions or automatic demotions in Google search rankings.
- Sites penalized with manual actions must resolve the issue and submit a formal request for review to restore their search standing.