Why should you stop using “click here” and” here” as links?
- These words provide no context to the reader without supporting text
- You forego any possible SEO-benefit from the link
- You’re losing website accessibility as screen readers can’t discern the context of the link
- If your hyperlinks don’t have proper color or style contrast with the rest of the text, the link may not get noticed because it’s so small
- It feels totally outdated and old-school
Using “click here” links served a purpose in the past. But it’s time to move on.
“Click here” is a call-to-action—so it’s understandable. I get why this all happened. When the internet started, and links started being a thing, people didn’t know where to click. So we said “click here.” Now, people know what a hyperlink looks like. They know where to click.
What should you link instead?
Link the term you are actually talking about (the title of your blog post, the topic at hand, relevant words, etc.), so that your link has context.
This doesn’t just help inform people—it also helps inform Google and screen readers (for SEO and accessibility). Yale has a great article about usability and web accessibility with link text. Whether it’s an internal or external link, context-first linking is better in every possible way. It can only help you create clear content with your readers.
Ready? It’s time for a quiz.
Which sentence follows linking best practices?
1.
To learn about my client onboarding toolkit, click here.
2.
Learn about my client onboarding toolkit.
It’s #2 for the win! So please, don’t link the words “here” or “click here.” Even if you see other people doing it.
And if you’ve linked poorly in the past, I forgive you. It’s okay. Now, don’t do it again. 🙂
