Don't click here

Way back in 1996, probably just before the latest generation of content writers was born, the usability expert Jakob Neilsen told us that we shouldn’t use ‘Click here’ links, or variations such as ‘is available here’. And yet every day, writers continue to trot these out, and web managers continue to publish them:

• To view the update on our noticeboard, click here.
• The courses are for small groups and include practical exercises. Further information can be found here.
• If you want to join the online forum, information is available here. But first, why not take a tour of the site to learn how it works. Click here.
• For more information, click here to be taken to the conference website.

What’s wrong with ‘Click here’?

• Contains no information.
• Hard to find when buried in sentences.
• Users don’t know where they will go next.
• Not accessible – ineffective for screen readers.
• No good for search engines.

So why does Nielsen’s simple message not get through? Maybe because a lot of content writers have had no training, don’t know about accessibility, or their experience is in print rather than online. Or because, faced with a deadline, it’s easier to just use the default wording.

Unfortunately, it’s just one of many ‘old usability guidelines’, as Nielsen puts it, that still apply today and are still being ignored.

Here are three ways to create helpful links:

Use keywords

We often don’t read full sentences online – we scan and scroll, looking for the next link. To aid the user, scrap the wordy explanations and just put the keywords into the link itself:

✖  To find out more about potential sponsors and other support, click here.
✔ Sponsors and support

Add space

Don’t embed links within a sentence, and avoid putting them at the end of a sentence. Place them on a new line, with white space around, so they’re easy to see as you scan down the left-hand side of the page.

✖ The island has many options for travellers on a budget. You can read reviews of popular hostels here or click here for a map of accommodation in the town centre.

✔ Affordable accommodation
    The island has many options for travellers on a budget.
    Read hostel reviews >
    Map of town centre >

Make each link unique

‘Hmmm … All I can see is ‘Click here’. So which is the link I need?’

If you have more than one link, customise the wording with specific keywords. This makes the links easy to distinguish quickly – for example:

Read the full review
Movie session times
Get directions to cinema

Putting thought into replacing generic links with specific wording has a huge payoff, saving time and effort for your users.