Should I Use Pop-Ups on My Website?

A Guide for Dental Practices Focused on SEO**

Pop-ups can be useful in the right situations. They help highlight offers, collect emails, or encourage online booking. However, if your practice is in a high-competition market or you're actively working to improve SEO, long-term use of pop-ups can work against you.

This short guide explains why—and what to do instead.


Why Pop-Ups Can Hurt Your SEO Performance


Google’s crawlers read your website from top to bottom, and they prioritize whatever code appears first.
Pop-ups often load before your core content. When this happens:


  • Search engines may focus on the pop-up code instead of your SEO-optimized content.

  • Important keywords, headings, and structured information may be pushed lower in priority.

  • Over time, this can make it harder for your website to build strong rankings—especially if you’re already competing with many practices nearby.

This doesn’t mean pop-ups are “bad.” They’re simply not ideal as a long-term strategy when SEO is a priority.


When Pop-Ups Are Okay

Pop-ups can still make sense when:

  • You’re running a short-term promotion

  • You want to highlight a temporary offer

  • You’re not focusing on SEO at the moment

  • You’re in a low-competition area where rankings are easier to maintain

For most practices, the issue isn’t the pop-up itself—it’s leaving it on permanently.


A Better Long-Term Alternative: A Seasonal Specials Page

If you’d like to showcase promotions or new-patient offers without risking your SEO, consider adding a Specials Page to your website.

Many of our clients choose this option because:

  • It keeps the site clean and easy for search engines to read

  • It still allows you to highlight offers

  • You can update it seasonally without interfering with rankings

  • It provides a clear link you can share in emails, social posts, or ads

This gives you the best of both worlds: a user-friendly website that still performs well in search.


Our Recommendation

If you are:

  • Competing in a densely populated market,

  • Looking to improve or maintain strong SEO rankings, or

  • Struggling to rank despite ongoing SEO efforts,

…it’s best to avoid long-term pop-ups and switch to a Specials Page instead.