Why you should never write "Click here"
Posted on 12 July, 2023 by Kiran Verma
Certain practices in the worlds of website design, app design and user experience are so entrenched that it's hard to see how they don't fit with user experience design principles. The "click here" practice is one of the most common.
This might be the easiest way for users to find additional information but it doesn't necessarily mean that's the best way!
Users want to be able to quickly navigate websites to find the information they need. Effective hyperlinks are just as important to the user experience as a website's color scheme or layout.
This aspect of user experience, the language used for hyperlinks, is often overlooked. Even though they are not optimal, phrases such as "click here" and "read more" are common.
Why should you not write "click here?"?
This article will explain why hyperlinks are bad and what you can do to improve user experience.
We'll cover:
Why "click here' hyperlinks are bad ideas
What to write in place of "click here".
Takeaways
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1. Why "click here' hyperlinks are bad ideas
Long before the advent of SEO and backlinking, it was normal to click on a link.
It is now widely accepted that clicking "here" is not only unnecessary, but detrimental to the user's experience.
Why is it a bad idea to click here?
It is best to avoid "click here" links for several reasons. Here are some things to remember.
Click here does not provide any context about where the link will lead a user
Users scan a page for links relevant to their journey. This can be done consciously or subconsciously. The eye-tracking technology has provided us with unrivalled insight into the way users navigate online.
If all links simply say "click here", users will lack context. They have to spend time determining which link will take them to the information that they are looking for.
If you list links to research sources with the same anchor text, it will not be helpful for users.
Use hyperlinks that summarize the title of the research or its key messages.
Click here links are not SEO friendly
If you are a UX designer, or a digital marketer, there is another reason why "click here" hyperlinks should be avoided. They're not optimized for search engine optimization.
SEO was created in the early days on the internet to improve the ranking of websites on search engines such as Google.
There are many elements to SEO. One of them is the anchor text for hyperlinks. This is used by search engine algorithms to determine relevance of the webpage that a website links to.
Search engines will not properly index your website if all of your links say "click here". This will affect your SEO ranking. Diversifying anchor text can help you avoid SEO penalties.
Click here links exclude users of assistive technology
Everyone can use the internet. For those with vision impairments, online browsing may require assistive technologies such as screen readers that read out the text of a web page.
If a link says "click here", we are back to the same problem. The user has no idea where they will be taken.
You should also be aware that certain screen readers will collect all the links from the page in one shot. These links will make even less sense without context. This is frustrating to visually impaired users.
Clicking here is not device-agnostic
Last but not least, "click here" assumes that users are using a computer equipped with a trackpad or mouse. It is not always the case.
In the past, it made sense to encourage people to "click" since they could only do this by using a mouse.
People today access information through a variety of devices including smart watches, smartphones, tablets and TVs. You'll be familiar with the feeling if you've ever encountered it: clicking on a phrase like "click here" when using a remote or touchscreen can be jarring.
The text of the hyperlink should be device-agnostic to not only describe what will happen when the link is clicked, but also to show how the action will take place.
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2. What to write in place of "click here".
What's the best alternative to "click here" links? Use descriptive anchor texts to tell users what the link is about.
Instead of saying "Click Here to Read Our Blog", try a sentence ending with a hyperlink, such as: "...our Latest Blog Post about Website Design." This will give the reader more context and also place the link more naturally in the body copy.
This allows users to decide if the content of the link is something they're interested in without having to first visit the page, thus improving their browsing experience.
Use action-oriented language. While judgement is required (it depends on context) and may not always be appropriate for informational links, it is another option. Instead of saying "Click here for sign-up," you could say: "Sign up now for our newsletter."
In marketing, direct language is crucial to encourage users to act. This is not appropriate for every context. When providing links to references, for example, descriptive text would be more appropriate.
Avoid these other phrases
This blog post is not kind to "click here". We'd say this is justified but we'd also like to emphasize that "clicking here" isn’t the only thing responsible for a bad user experience. It's generally best to avoid vague or imprecise language in your links.
Avoid the following phrases:
"Read more"
"Learn more"
Check this out
Find out more about this here
It is better to use descriptive nouns instead of verbs, unless the link encourages a specific action (like signing up for an email newsletter).
It's not necessary to avoid verb phrases when using hyperlinks, but you may want to do so in some cases.
Alternatives to clicking "here"
Here are some tips for improving user experience.
Keywords: Including relevant keywords in your anchor text will help both humans and search engine better understand your content.
Keep your anchor text short, precise and to the point. Long phrases can confuse readers.
Don't be afraid of experimenting. You won't get it right the first try. Test different anchor text to see which works best for you and your audience. Monitor click-through rate and adjust as necessary.
It's important to use effective anchor text. It's important to not overdo things. If you stuff your copy with lots of links and complex descriptions, it will be no less confusing.
Test your links. Before publishing any new content, make sure your links are working properly. Plan a review every six months to make sure the links are still active and have not been removed or changed.
Use action-oriented language when appropriate: As we have already mentioned, language that encourages actions can be highly effective. You should use this only in appropriate contexts. W3C, the World Wide Web Consortium suggests that verb phrases be avoided. We'd consider it acceptable in some situations. As an example, anchor text such as "Download our guide for free on X" and "Register today for our UX webinar" is acceptable if it links directly to a form of download or event registration.
Effective hyperlink text examples
Let's conclude with some examples of hyperlink text that works:
Try "View our pricing today" instead of "Click here to view our pricing."
Try "Review your shopping cart" instead of "Click here to purchase now".
Avoid verb phrases such as "click here to find out more" when creating links to informational content. Instead, try using something more specific like "A complete guide on UX".
These simple examples should give you an idea of what kind of anchor text users find useful without being too wordy or confusing.
3. Takeaways
This post explains why "click here" links are best avoided. They don't provide context for the user. These can negatively affect your SEO, and exclude those who rely on assistive technology such as screenreaders.
Plus, they tend to focus on the mechanics for using a computer mouse. Let's be honest, this isn't always the case, especially as touchscreen devices begin to dominate the market.
Why not use anchor text that describes the destination of the link instead of "click here?" This can improve the user experience, help your SEO efforts, and--most importantly--heighten the user experience.
Even the best UX designers and writers can make mistakes and sometimes use "click here" hyperlinks. This practice may be outdated, but it is also deeply ingrained into our collective consciousness.
By being mindful of your language, you can enhance the experience for your users on your app or website. It will improve the effectiveness of your material and may even help your business. Think about how your language impacts the content you create.