Links guide users, improve SEO, and ensure accessibility. Links are a key component to any website. This checklist covers best practices for creating links that are clear, usable, and effective for everyone.
-
Descriptive Link Text (Anchor Text)
✅ Make link text meaningful and self-explanatory.
❌ Avoid generic text like “Click here” or “Read more.”
Example: If you need more information about keyword research, read our detailed guide on this topic.
Instead of: Click here if you need more information about keyword research.
-
Avoid Duplicate Links in the Same Context.
❌ Don’t link to the same URL multiple times in one paragraph unless necessary.
-
Proper HTML Anchor Tags.
✅ Use <a href="URL"> for links.
❌ Avoid JavaScript-only links or other non-standard methods that search engines can’t crawl.
-
Links Must Be Crawlable
✅ Ensure internal links are not blocked by robots.txt or nofollow unless intentional.
❌ Avoid hidden links that Google can’t reach.
-
External Links Best Practices
✅ Open external links in a new tab (target="_blank") to keep users on your site.
✅ Add rel="noopener noreferrer" for security and performance.
-
Avoid Broken Links
✅ Check for 404s and redirect or fix them.
❌ Broken links reduce user trust and hurt SEO.
-
Logical Placement
✅ Place important links where users can easily see them.
❌ Don’t bury links in footers or hidden menus.
-
Mobile-Friendly Tap Targets
✅ On mobile, links and buttons must be large enough and spaced properly (minimum 48×48 px, at least 8px apart).
-
Avoid Excessive Linking
❌ Don’t overload a page with too many links, which can confuse users and dilute SEO value.
-
Accessibility: Focus Indicators
✅ When a link is focused (via keyboard), there should be a visible outline or highlight so users know which link is active.
-
Avoid Long URLs as Link Text
❌ Don’t use full URLs (e.g.,www.slicedbread.agency/blogs/search-engine-optimization/guide-to-keyword-research) as link text.
✅ Use descriptive text instead (e.g.,If you need more information about keyword research, read our detailed guide on this topic.)
-
Anchor Text Variation for SEO
✅ For multiple links pointing to the same page across your site, use slightly different descriptive anchor text to avoid over-optimization.
-
Accessibility: Visual Distinction of Links
✅ Make links visually different from regular text so users can easily see what is clickable.
-
Use a different color, underline, or style change on hover/focus.
-
This helps all users, especially those with low vision or cognitive difficulties, know which text is a link.
Think of links like little signposts on your site. If links are clear and make sense, visitors don’t get lost, and your site works better for everyone.
