{"id":985,"date":"2026-03-05T10:45:58","date_gmt":"2026-03-05T10:45:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/webteam\/?p=985"},"modified":"2026-03-24T14:37:36","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T14:37:36","slug":"how-to-write-good-link-text-and-why-its-worth-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.exeter.ac.uk\/webteam\/2026\/03\/05\/how-to-write-good-link-text-and-why-its-worth-it\/","title":{"rendered":"How to\u00a0write good link text\u00a0(and why it\u2019s worth it)\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u2018Link text\u2019 is the clickable text in a hyperlink that connects to another webpage.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It tells users where they are going before they click, helping them decide if the link is relevant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Good link text benefits everyone, and it\u2019s especially important for people with access needs, who use a screen reader or other assistive technology to access the web. It can also improve your page\u2019s search ranking (SEO). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

5 tips for writing good link text <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here are some of our top tips for improving the link text on your webpages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Make sure the link text makes sense on its own.  <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If the sentence surrounding the link was removed, could you still tell where it would take you?  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Example: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\u202faccessibility fundamentals<\/a> page\u202ftells you about best practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not:<\/strong>\u202fClick\u202fhere<\/a>\u202ffor accessibility best practice.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

It can also be more difficult to click on a one-word link like \u201chere\u201d.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Never use a URL as link text.  <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We sometimes do this in emails, but it should never be done on the web.\u00a0It\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0help anyone understand what the link\u00a0is, and\u00a0it can be\u00a0completely\u00a0incomprehensible to\u00a0people using\u00a0screen readers.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Example:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Geography website<\/a>\u202fshowcases our latest research <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not:<\/strong> Information about research can be found at: https:\/\/geography.exeter.ac.uk\/’<\/a> <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

3. Make link text unique on the page.  <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t use the same link text more than once on the same page if you can help it.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Example: If you have a page with three links to campus tours,\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0use \u2018campus tour\u2019 as the link text for all three. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Instead, use descriptive text such as:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n