Stopping Adsense leaving the site

[elaineb]

Hi, is there any way I can implement the 'target = blank'
code with Google's adsense - so that my site doesn't disappear when someone clicks on the ad?
Cheers

[tombola]

Why do you place ads on your site if you don't want that visitors leave your site?

[elaineb]

In reply to the above - I don't mind people clicking on links and leaving - its a directory - but I use the 'target - blank' with all my other links so that my site sits in the background and is easy to return to if the visitor wants more information - with Google adsense it replaces my site totally - this is what I want to avoid.

[Marcia]

You're not supposed to alter the code at all.

[daunk]

Just read the TOS for goodness sake!

[Sense_able]

In order to use the _blank feature you would have to change the Adsense code and this is against the TOS.

I feel that google may never allow this as it is in OUR own interest for a visitor to go away. Thus avoiding over-clicking and red lights flashing at Adsense HQ

I am sorry that you had a frosty welcome to webmaster world. If you hang around you will find SOME people a great help.

[dmorison]

Hi elaineb,

There was a thread not long ago ('fraid I couldn't find it in a quick search) about opening off-site links in new windows; the logic being that you don't want to send traffic away from yoursite...

However someone made the excellent point that this can actually confuse many surfers - windows all over the place; yet the "BACK" button seems to be something so intuitive that even your Granny can handle it.

Whilst it is a condition of AdSense that you cannot modify the code; it is also a condition of AdWords that your page can be BACKed out of, so I wouldn't worry about it.

[Macro]

elaineb, welcome to WW but as daunk says:

Just read the TOS for goodness sake!

The deal is Google pays you for people clicking on the ad AND leaving your site. They pays the good money. They calls the rules.

If you want Adsense you have to accept that. If you don't like it you could leave the program.

The ol' cake principle applies. You can have it.. or you can eat it.

I'm sorry too for the frosty welcome but hopefully you'll stick around to find that this is THE place on the net for webmasters and you have a lot to gain from it.

[daunk]

Apologies for not being nicer, Hi welcome to WW. The trouble is that this is a question which comes up pretty frequently and like most of the questions can be answered if you read their TOS.

[elaineb]

I did read the TOS and understood that I couldn't change the code - just wondered if there was a way of implementing this - OK. Also drilled down a few pages to see if it had been discussed recently. Don't actually see the point in replying to a posting unless it's helpful - which is what I thought the point of forums was - not to shoot down newbies.

[Macro]

Don't actually see the point in replying to a posting unless it's helpful

If everyone followed that this would be a very boring forum :-)

People reply to posts with solutions but also because they want to elucidate on the problem, post a related problem, comment on other replies to the post ... or even make a joke.

They also reply in exasperation sometimes.

But as you've found they didn't "shoot you down" in [webmasterworld.com...] though it appeared that you hadn't read the WW TOS in that posting. So, welcome again. And let's move on :-)

Oh, and I liked your site so much, I bookmarked it (after I had clicked on an Adsense ad and used my back button to return). Well done! Thanks for the link to making paper planes. I'm gonna make one for my son now.

[daunk]

>>(after I had clicked on an Adsense ad and used my back button to return)<<

The fact you mention this and clicked the back button to return implies you weren't interested in the ad being showed after all. Sure your going to disagree with me, but my impression from your post is you merely clicked the ad in order to benefit elaineb, thats hardly responsible... imagine if everyone did that for someone they liked or wished to say thanks to :/

[Macro]

Sure your going to disagree with me

Don't need to. I've written enough posts on WW supporting fair play for Adwords advertisers and have argued strongly time and time again - with a great deal of passion - against clicking on ads for any reason except genuine interest in what the ad offers. My interest in the contents of Elaineb's site made me a natural target for the ads served on her site.

Do lose that judgemental streak. It does you no favours.

[JollyK]

Just thought I'd mention that you can do target="_blank" with your alternate ads. It's not exactly what elaineb asked, but is better than nothing, I guess. :-)

[lgn1]

I remember filling out an adsense survey by Google a while back, and I think one of the options, was would you like adsense to open up in a new window, for clicked ads.

So maybe Google will consider it in the future. I suspect that the ROI would drop for the advertisers, which will ultimately lead to cheaper bidding, and less revenue, not to mention problems with pop up blockers.