Break Out of Frame Script & Adsense TOS

[AndrewT]

Hi All,

I've just spent an hour reading various posts concerning whether implementing a break out of frame javascript code is either ok or against Adsense TOS (I would like to use it in particular for Google image results).

Opinion seems to be divided - some saying they've used it for years and its ok and other saying its against TOS.

I was just wondering does anyone here use this or know whether it is/isn't ok and I'm sure, apart from emailing Google (which I accept I may have to do), this is the best place to get the 'definitive' answer.

Many thanks,

Andrew

[tim222]

It depends on how you want to use it. I assume you're thinking of displaying AdSense ad targets in a fframe so that you retain your visitor after they click on the ad. That would be against the TOS. See Section 5, "Prohibited Uses":

"You shall not, and shall not authorize or encourage any third party to: ... (iii) frame, minimize, remove or otherwise inhibit the full and complete display of any Web page accessed by an end user after clicking on any part of an Ad ("Advertiser Page"), any Search Results Page, or any Referral Page;"

[google.com...]

[AndrewT]

Hi Tim,

Thanks for your reply. No nothing like that. All I want to do is break out of the Google images frame when someone comes to my site from there, that's all.

[koan]

I use it too, AndrewT, (since way before I had adsense) so I'm rather curious what Google will tell you, keep us posted.

[Genuine1]

Its okay provided you can still click back.

I use this script because then you wont be banned for "disabling the back button"...

<script language="JavaScript1.1" type="text/JavaScript"><!-- Hide from old browsers.
if(parent.frames.length > 0) top.location.replace(document.location); // Escape from any referring site's frame, but preserve one-click "Back". --></script>
</script>

[AndrewT]

That's fantastic news - thank you very much for the clarification.

Now all I need to do is work out how to serve different ads to visitors from Google Images (ie, bigger ones and more in your face) and leave the smaller ones for readers as opposed to people just visiting to grab my images. :-)

[Genuine1]

I wouldnt do that.

Advertisers will see your site in their referals reports and add you to the list of non converting referers. And in any case you will get smart priced...

For 4 months I had one page with a bunch of boring family pics on it. My GF is foreign from eastern europe so I posted a picture of her in an ebay dress for her sis to see. The logs went mad, 2k+ uniques daily from google image search! I added an adsense block... Average 70 dollars a day for 4 months from that one page alone! It was number one for a popular porn(ish) search word! Thing is the photo was a bit "suggestive" but not pornographic at all.

But the thing is all of my other sites took a hit and epc halved. And they were not related or linked. My whole "account" was smartpriced.

Then it (image search listing) dissapeared as did the freebie income! Now it earns nothing.

My other sites jumped straight back up to the same epc as before and earning returned to normal.

[edited by: Genuine1 at 8:02 pm (utc) on Aug. 14, 2007]

[tim222]

...as opposed to people just visiting to grab my images

If they find your site through an image search, then they're probably not interested in reading at the moment.

If you want to prevent Google Images from indexing your site, see:
[google.com...]

If you're concerned about people serving your images on their website, do a Google search for: prevent image hot linking

[koan]

That's an interesting story, Genuine1, I didn't know Google still smart priced whole accounts instead of just sites. When did that happen? I do have a popular images section in one of my site (although they do not appear in google image searches, I block that in my robots.txt) and I have a links ad unit on those pages. I've wondering for a good month if that section is lowering earnings for my whole site. Maybe it's just summer.

[tim222]

I had an idea that's probably not against any TOS but it's probably unethical and would invite scrutiny.

First, using the advice from Google's Help Center, remove all website images from Google Image Search:
[google.com...]

For example, put all the images in a folder called SiteImages, and then in robots.txt, use a line like this:
User-agent: Googlebot-Image
Disallow: /SiteImages/

Next, using PhotoShop, add text to same images that says something like: "If you want to see this image, visit my website." Upload all those images into a different folder which is not excluded from Google Image search.

Finally, using a scripting language like PHP, set up the photo display so images will only be displayed to an IP address that has at least 3 page views during the past hour. If the IP has not visited three pages, Using the same script, add text where the image should be. Something like "if you want to see images you need to read at least three articles."

That being said, I would never do this. People have been stealing and hot linking my images for years and I just let 'em. I figure that goes with the territory. If they take my images, maybe they'll come back when they feel like reading.

[LifeinAsia]

People have been stealing and hot linking my images for years and I just let 'em. I figure that goes with the territory. If they take my images, maybe they'll come back when they feel like reading.

That's like the store owner saying that the neighborhood kids have been shoplifting from his store for years. He also figures that it just "goes with the territory" and hopes that when they grow up they'll come back and actually buy something. Yeah, right!

[AndrewT]

Genuine1 - thanks for the tip, I'll put the idea of serving two differing sets out of my mind based on your advice.

As for hotlinking - sounds odd but most the time I don't especially mind it as I have 1.5 TB of transfer a month and I am nowhere near using that and I figure that the images do get me a few link backs that I otherwise would not have got.

Sometimes, though, when I see sites copying my posts word for word and hotlinking my images without a correct link I see red and will slap in hotlink protection targeted against that site (which, I think, is fair enough being that I custom edit 99% of my images adding reflections and so on).

In truth - and to get back on topic - over the last few days I have been battling with CTR plummeting as my traffic escalates and my reaction has been to look at ways of trying to combat this (hence thinking about differing ads and so on). However, I have now just opted to completely remove my sidebar add unit and live with whatever will come as a result.

Incidentally, I think I have Adsense induced Psychosis as someone knocked on our front door earlier today and I charged them $0.30 :-). What then made matters worse is that they handed over only $0.09, smiled wryly and told me that's all I'd be getting on account of me being smart priced.

[tim222]

That's like the store owner saying...

Not really. The bandwidth doesn't cost me any extra. There's no loss.

BTW, I optimize all images and never post anything larger than 640x480. Most are 320x240. I don't see any need to post large images.