Open Adsense in a new Blank window

quick way to do it and, will I be violating the agreement

[TomJones]

I'm VERY new to Adsense (just put code on a few dozen pages). Needless to say, I have lots of learning to do. One very quick question/concern that arises is that when an Ad is clicked, the visitor leaves my site. Can I alter the Javascript code to open the Adsense Page in a new blank window? Will this get me in trouble with Google?

[HughMungus]

So far, the popup blockers I've used (the Google Toolbar and Mozilla's built-in) do not block popup windows that the user requests. For instance, if clicking on a link initiates a new window because it was the code of the link to do so (i.e. instead of an onLoad event in the target page), then it will not be blocked.

Update: Alexa blocks sites that open in a new window, even if you manually click (unless you specify that for that domain you want it to).

Word to the wise.

[bcc1234]

Granted, AdWords folks may (wrongly, IMHO) PERCEIVE a lower value from having their pages brought up in new windows, but I think that's folly.

Tell me about it when you start buying advertising exposure AND measure micro-actions on a/b split tests.

Customers expect this, and in fact, may even become confused when it doesn't happen.

No they don't. There are two types of customers, the newbies and the seasoned internet users. The newbies get confused by the popping new windows, seasned users get pissed as it brings the negative effect of a popup (even if only subconsciously).

The truth is, you don't LOSE a visitor, you SELL a visitor.
So in all fairness, you, as a publisher, should not have a say in this.
I would understand if there was an option provided for both parties to control, but not just for publishers.

[linear]

The truth is, you don't LOSE a visitor, you SELL a visitor.

Very well said.

As a publisher who isn't also an advertiser, I think the way its currently done is fine. It preserves the back button function, so there's an easy way back if the visitor is that hungry for more delicious content.

[Fiver]

Wouldn't there be an issue from the users point of view? Lets say as a novice user I come along, find a great info site about what I'm looking for, see an on-topic ad that google put there and think, hmm ya let me check that out, even though I'm not done looking at the great info site. Impulse click.

I click it, I get taken away from the great info site that I wasn't done reading, I have to hit back and click the ad again later when I'm done, if I remember to, and can find it.

Now maybe with google's system the publisher wont be charged for both clicks, but there is potential that the customer will be lost because they lost the impulse feeling, and now can't even find the ad again.

[jomaxx]

Sure you can construct hypothetical scenarios like that, but the reality is that most advertisers want and expect the whole browser, not just a new window. They're the ones paying for the whole program, they're the ones bidding up single clicks into the $ range, and Google has to keep them as happy as possible or we all lose.

Not only that, but greedy jerks might start using Javascript to keep their own sites on top, relegating advertisers to a kind of pop-under status. Something like onBlur="self.focus();" would probably be all they would need.