Does using the TARGET="_blank" coding dissuade search engines' crawling that link?

[Richmex]

Does using the:

TARGET="_blank"

coding, which makes a link (when clicked on) open an entirely new browser window separately from the browser window that one's using, dissuade search engines from crawling to that external link and / or crediting one's site for having such a link to it when compiling its relevance rankings?

On a similar note, is it true that when an external link to one's own site is a

TARGET="_blank"

kind, one typically can't even measure how many clickthroughs happen to one's site from that link UNLESS the link is to a special destination u.r.l. that nobody can otherwise visit?

Any thoughts please? I'd be happy to explain why I care about these issues if anyone needs for me to. Meanwhile, I wish a refreshing & relaxing weekend to all...

[NogDog]

It should not stop search engines, as they don't open the pages in a browser, anyway. They just scan the current document for links, then generate HTTP requests using the discovered links to access the output of those links.

[Richmex]

Thanks for that feedback & insight. On a very similar note, is it true that when an external link to one's own site is a

TARGET="_blank"

kind, one typically can't even measure the quantity of clickthroughs to one's site from that link UNLESS the link is to a special destination u.r.l. that nobody could otherwise visit?

[Robert Wellock]

The Raw Logs usally log the referrer.

[Richmex]

That's interesting. Perhaps Urchin (a traffic metering data analysis software) doesn't take into account such raw log data pertaining to referrals generated through a >separate< browser window then. Anyhow, thanks for the feedback.