Writing Effective Links
LinksA link takes your audience to another page that houses additional information. A link can appear in a navigation bar or within a paragraph. Building effective links is critical to meeting your audience's needs.
Types of Links
- Internal: a link that moves visitors within the site
- Outbound: a link that takes visitors to a different, related site
- Embedded: a link in the text, not a navigation bar
Basic Rules about Links
- Use
Don't overuse links.
If you find you are using more than a few links in a paragraph, consider these three options:- Bullet the list of links
- Place the links in a navigation bar
- Develop a "Related Links" section in a sidebar
For example, in the following paragraph, the links would probably be more effective in a bulleted list or in a navigation bar:-
National University comprises four undergraduate schools, three graduate and professional schools, professional development programs and certificates, medical residencies, and other programs predicated on the liberal arts tradition at the heart of the institution.
- No "click here."
Don't call special attention to your links with the words "click here." Choose one or two important words in your sentence as the link. For example:- The toolkit also offers a list of important contact information and current resources.
- Placement
Don't break up the flow of your sentence. Place your links at the end of the sentence where they create the most emphasis. For example, write:-
Greek life at The University of Texas at Austin includes more than 4,000 students and more than 50 chapters.
Not
Greek life includes more than 50 chapters and 4,000 students at The University of Texas at Austin.
- Titles
Write matching link titles. The wording of a link in a paragraph or navigation bar should match the title of the page or section linked to. For example: "core courses" should link to a page or section titled "Core Courses."
- Length
Write short link titles.
For example, write "Calendar Events" or "January Calendar" instead of "Calendar Events for the Month of January."
- Depth
Don't force a user to follow a link deeper and deeper into the site for more and more information. Try to make shallow links. For example, in the sentence:
-
Greek students who excel in terms of academics, service, and leadership within the Greek community can receive special recognition for their efforts, including being named to the Greek Spotlight.
The link "Greek Spotlight" should take you to all you need to know about the Greek Spotlight. When you get to the page, you shouldn't then encounter more links to even more information on the Greek Spotlight.
Exercise
Writing Effective Links
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