Google to Crack Down on Deceptive Back Button Tactics

In a move to enhance user experience, Google has announced that it will begin punishing websites that engage in the practice of back button hijacking starting in June. This manipulative tactic, commonly used by sites reliant on search engine traffic, prevents users from easily navigating back to the previous page they were on.

Back button hijacking is a technique employed to wring more pageviews out of visitors. When a user clicks a link expecting to be taken to a specific piece of content, the site may instead insert additional content suggestions or pop-ups, keeping the user on the domain and generating more ad impressions. Some sites, like LinkedIn, have even been known to send users