For many years, I have set the target for external links from my sites to _blank. The thought was that if you send visitors away, open a new window and your site will still be in a window below it. I see just about every major site not doing this. They just link to external site and assume that you will find your way back. Should I directly link to my external links or still use _blank?
I'm pondering over the same notion, I've just recently removed _blank from most of my links to see if it makes any difference. When I browse websites I tend to click back on my browser or mouse, so I'm thinking, maybe a few other million people will be doing the same thing.
Don't know the answer there. I like you usually use the target="_blank". Within the last year linked to a site and forgot to set target="_blank" and they contacted me requesting I do so. Shannon
I don't use target"=_blank" because I hate it when a site opens new windows or tabs. It's a mess. It should be my decision whether the page should be in its own window, not webmaster's. If I want a page in its own window I can always use middle click, link's context menu, or a mouse gesture.
I believe target=blank can cause some pup-op blocking mechanisms to block the link. This is always experienced as rather annoying to the user. Point should be to use target=blank only when needed (like in forum posts).
It depends. I use target = _blank but to be honest I use it because I just feel it's right. As a user, I'm almost always clicking the scroll wheel to open pages in a new tab. I don't know how many users know that this is possible though. I doesn't work on Javascript links
I thought about what you said, and can't figure out why they would care either way. Was it because they knew you usually included target="_blank" or just because that's how they want all incoming links? If the latter, seems awfully brash contacting you out of the blue and telling you how to format your link.
Always have used the target="_blank" for links on my sites. See no difference to the user. Gee, if someone contacted me and told me how to code their link on my site, I would either ignore the request, or ask them why? Prior to removing the link of course....lol
That has got to be the most rude, arrogant behavior... Only major corporations like Gates' or the like could be that self absorbed in their own might and glory.
There may have been a reason. I should have asked at the time. The site to which we linked was handling ticker sales for us. It could have been an issue of entering a secure site from one that did not share same security certificate.
Ahh... making much more sense now Thax for adding. PS: How is Texas these days anyway? (never been to the US)
Big state, nice to visit... But take it from this Texan.... Iowa is so much prettier and better to live in than Texas.... Of course, it helps here that we actually have 4 seasons, unlike Texas with two seasons....hot and hotter.
We are getting a little respite from hot and hotter but have already set records in the 90's this month. I really dread the summer. I truly enjoy visiting all points in the states. The diversity is fantastic. Would love visiting other countries beside our contiguous neighbors.
Trees are in bloom...cherry, apple, etc. Shortly will go mushroom hunting (nothing like fresh picked mushrooms!). Got the tomato plants, just have to plug in the ground (these are Iowa tomatoes, plants are big and staked in the pots, with lots of blooms already). Will have to go check the rhubarb patch. Wild turkeys are all over the place, pheasants also. Just beautiful here.... Don't miss South Texas at all!!!! Oh, plus we are close to a real football team, KCY Chiefs!
That is an interesting question... I would like to know the effect of this from an SEO perspective. I don't beleive that you are penalized in any way for doing this... That is my opinion based on my own logic. Does anyone know if opening a relevant outbound link to a new window somehow devalues your outbound link strategy for SEO?
Based on advise received relating to Google Adwords and the comments in this thread regarding a users percspective, I would expect _blank is neutral or negative. Google likes you to view your Google ads (this SEM but SEO is closely related) from a users perspective. Do I want windows popping open on my screen every time I click a link? Does Google, Yahoo, etc open new links in most cases? Do I tend to prefer closing a window over using a back button? I'd answer no to all of those. I also have had issues with ads not being approved in Adwords because I had a pop up form load when the page loaded. The ad was disapproved due to "Back Button Disabled" meaning a user could not get back to Google search results by hitting the back button. I think I will be un-_blank-ng my links.
Thanks Guys, Some interesting opinions, think I will leave out _blank from now on. I know there are no SEO advantages or disadvantages, just wanted to get some user comments really.
I am concluding the practice dates back to before pop-ups became hated and people were desparately trying to hang onto eyeballs. Pop-ups became hated and people learned to use there back button so it seems that all the big sites have abandoned _blank for the most part and so will I.