Pop-Under to Promote a Site - Allowed or Not?

[jbayabas]

I have a site that does NOT run Adsense "Site A". I also have a site that HAS Adsense "Site B".

I want that when people click on anything on Site A, an unobtrusive pop under will load behind their browser (once a day per user) to promote Site B.

Is this against Adsense TOS?

[RedBar]

So every time I come to your site without cookies enables you're going to serve an infuriating pop-under?

But to answer your question, why would it be against the TOS, it's your site and has nothing to do with AdSense?

Unless G has a unwritten diktat to what any of us can do now with our sites now?

[netmeg]

I don't know that it's against TOS. But yea, it will probably tick off your users.

[jbayabas]

Adsense has a policy on popunders with ad placement but I'm not sure if it pertains to my question above. My English is not good so could you guys explain to me if this policy is related to what I'm trying to do?

"Publishers are encouraged to experiment with a variety of placements and ad formats. However, AdSense code may not be placed in inappropriate places such as pop-ups, emails or software. Publishers must also adhere to the policies for each product used."

[frankleeceo]

no tos saying that you couldn't. but having a popunder to promote your b site can potentially hurt metrics and targeting.

the CTR rate from the funneled users will be low. the website loaded can have very low dwelling time / interaction time.

it is a risky endeavor signal wise. i wouldn't use it on an established site.

Or it could work against you if you set it in a way where users are likely to click on the ads after downstream from the pop under from A site.

It is more of a gray area setup. I personally would only test the setup if site B can be thrown away or if it's not long term.

When I do something like this, I also check to see the chances of visitors actually browsing the B site after funneling and clicking. I think you may find the actually CTR from funneled visitors to be quite low to make it nonworthwhile (unless you have millions of visitors, then it's still a good chunk change from CPM ads, but then adsense itself isn't the best CPM network for that), assuming you do not do creative adsense baiting.

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"Publishers are encouraged to experiment with a variety of placements and ad formats. However, AdSense code may not be placed in inappropriate places such as pop-ups, emails or software. Publishers must also adhere to the policies for each product used."

Based on this, strictly speaking your site A can get in trouble for serving popunder page that contains adsense code for it, given that you control both of the sites. (even more true if you "popunder" the new window centered wrapped around adsense, which can give unnecessary attention to the ads in the new window that pops).

And since you site A isn't serving ads, so nothing happens to it. But if you do make questionable amount of money on site B, expect to be dinged for site B if you do ever get manually reviewed.

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PS. my adsense site has popunder enabled from another network. It appears to be fine with adsense. So the other way around is for sure fine.

[edited by: frankleeceo at 2:50 pm (utc) on Nov 6, 2014]

[not2easy]

That statement quoted is only about where you place the actual AdSense code and ads, not about methods of driving traffic.

I would look for AdSense restrictions on traffic sources instead of placement to find any restrictions they might have. I'm not aware of any such restriction, but that does not mean they do allow the pop-up/pop-under practice. Under the general webmaster guidelines it is discouraged because it is a user experience that people don't like in general.

[ember]

an unobtrusive pop under

No such thing.

[IanCP]

I'm with others, forget the AdSense implications.

Never annoy your precious visitors, a sure fire short circuit to your demise.

[jbayabas]

Thanks for all your advice. I've decided not to annoy my visitors. I just opted to put a link on the site for people to click instead of popunder.