Writing a useful hyperlink benefits all users. It is like an informative signpost rather than a “Surprise!”
A useful hyperlink also helps the user make a quick decision about whether to stay on your page or leave and investigate new content.
Avoid “click here”. For screen reader users, who often navigate from link to link on a website, “click here” is meaningless when read out of context.
Write a useful hyperlink.
Imagine you are going to the Ulearn14 conference and you want to find out about accommodation options. Which link would you click on?
- For more information on accommodation, check out the links on our website.
- You can find more information on accommodation on Ulearn14.
- Accommodation Ulearn14.
I would click on the 3rd option. Accommodation is the first word that catches my attention, and for a screen reader user it would be 1st the word they hear. But having Ulearn14 in the hyperlink confirms that the accommodation is related to the conference.
Make links open in same window.
When you click the hyperlink icon to add a link, you will see an “Insert/Edit link” window.
Select the “Open in This Window/Frame” option.
This action really helps users return to your page if they follow a link in your blog post. They just need to press the “back” arrow, rather than navigate between multiple tabs and windows to get back to your blog post.
Good places for hyperlinks.
One or two pertinent hyperlinks scattered across a blog post can support a user. But blog posts scattered with hyperlinks can draw attention away from the content.
Take a look at some of the posts in the BLENNZ Learning library. We have been placing the links at the bottom of each post. This provides some consistency for the user. The placement of useful links has become predictable.
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