Can't Get Google AdSense to Open in a New Window - Possible?

[Ron Jackson]

I just installed Google Adsense ads on some of my sites. It is working fine except when someone clicks on an ad it opens the advertisers site in the same window and they are gone from my site.

Normally I can just put a target=new command in html, so when they click an ad a new window would open leaving my site visible underneath the new window. The target=new command is not working though. Do all of you who run AdSense have the same problem, or is there a way around it?

 

[RJ]

Nope, not possible the way they have it. It loads a javascript from their server that contains the actual link code.

Adsense pays very handsomely so not likely they would allow opening in a new window anyway.

 

[SlashRoot.Com]

Duke

I don't think they allow you to open up a new window by modifying the script to include Target=New.

As a matter of fact, I don't think they let you modify the script in any way.

I would highly recommend it that you read Adsense TOS before you try to do that. Might lead to getting dropped from the program.

HTH,

SlashRoot

 

[Ron Jackson]

Thanks RJ & Slashroot. I hate having people taken off the site so now I'll just have to wait and see how well it pays so I will know if it is worth it or not. I guess that is a nice way of saying I can be bought if the price is right! :blink:

 

[SlashRoot.Com]

Duke,
I fully understand what you are saying here.

I have some content-centric sites where people spend quite a bit of time. It would have been real nice if the ads opened in a new window. It would have also increased the CTR, I think. However, the best way to get a feel for this is to give it a shot -at least for a stastically significant amount of impressions/page-views.

good luck!

SlashRoot

 

[fonzerelli_79]

i have to disagree with this

i dont think that opening ads in a new window loses you visitors. If anything, its just an annoyance to your visitors.

I do my best to ensure that all ads are opened in the same window. If the visitor views the new ads they will probably end up closing the window with your site anyways.

If the visitor likes your site theyll come back anyways either by bookmarking, remembering the url or by going back on their browser to your site.

The bigger sites on the web dont open ads on a new window so why should we

 

[SlashRoot.Com]

Originally posted by fonzerelli_79
i have to disagree with this

Hello Fonz,

i dont think that opening ads in a new window loses you visitors. If anything, its just an annoyance to your visitors.

Well, that is the way I have thought too for a long time. However, I have found some pretty interesting patterns in our logs, and have recenty received some very interesting feedback from a few of the folks that regularly visit some of our sites. We also got some emails asking us if we could open those Ads in a seperate window.

These sites are highly focused sites on very specific subjects. People spend a lot of time drillinging-down through the content pages and often would want to stay where they are. I find these Ads to be (thankfully) well targetted, and very much on topic. So looks like the folks that have contacted us to explore the possibilities of opening up these ads in new window are just feeling enough temptation to go check out those Ads, but wish to be back right where they were on our site. We tell them to use the "back button," but keep our eyes open for these intersting patterns in ever-changing user behaviors. I am still trying to analyse browsing habits of these visitors, so its too early to tell.

I do my best to ensure that all ads are opened in the same window. If the visitor views the new ads they will probably end up closing the window with your site anyways.

I agree, that is exactly the way I have always done. However, I like to keep an eye on browsing habits of visitors to our sites and their feed back, and adapt if warranted.

If the visitor likes your site theyll come back anyways either by bookmarking, remembering the url or by going back on their browser to your site.

True. Most of our visitors spend fairly good amount of time and revisit the site on a regular basis. So I am not worrying about losing them due to these Ads. What I was referring to was the time they are spending on our sites during each of those visits.

We spend a lot of time analysing browsing patterns of our visitors. Keeping an eye on exit points is very important to identifying areas that could use some improvements.

Considering that Adsense is still relatively new, we do not have enough data that would suffice as a stastically valid sample, but a quick read of our logs clearly shows a small but interesting shift in browsing behavior of our visitors. We see the average time spent on the sites is a bit shortened, almost always associated with an outbund click off one of those ads. At the same time, we have also seen an increase in frequence of their visits. So looks like people are making a quick run off to those advertisors, but are coming back nonetheless. Very interesting stuff to keep an eye on.

The bigger sites on the web dont open ads on a new window so why should we

Bigger sites usually have a different business model, visitor volume, and CPC costs than the smaller sites. The economics that applies to authority sites does not apply that well to nodal sites. These sites usually have different profit centers and different cost structures.

Its good to keep an eye on how the big boys are doing it. However, there is a risk in following them verbatim. A boeing 777 is a wonderful airship. However, what works for that would never work for an F17. Things do not always scale over a linear path.

I do not think we woud be anywhere near where we are today had we followed the receipes of bigger sites. They do not seem to be tailor-made to our own little unique environment. More importantly, I have always liked to think outside the box, study the user behavior, keep an eye on user-feedback and adapt, adapt, and adapt as warranted by the changing business environment.

I did not mean to imply that opening ads in new window is the best thing since sliced bread. Far from it. I was only reflecting on some of the feedback we have gotten recently from our visitors, and a quick read on modified user behaviour -especially a small shift involving shortening of session times and the effects of these new off-ramp exits introduced by Adsense.

Just trying to share some observations, thats all.