Agencies
Services
Author Guide – Friday, August 25, 2023
I Will Not Click Here, I Will Not Click There, I Will Not Click Anywhere, Sam I Am
"Here" links and "Naked" links are terrible, not just for accessibility but also for user experience and Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Just because someone else is doing it, it doesn't mean it's right.
What Are "Here" Links?
What Are "Naked" Links?
Naked links are links that consist of a stand-alone URL, like https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4651448/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_2_wr.
Try This Exercise
- Open your webpage
- Turn off your computer monitor
- Imagine you are using a screen reader
- The screen reader says "Here, click here, here, click here for details, read more, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4651448/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_2_wr, here, more, click here.”
Do you know what you are clicking on?
What's wrong with "Here" and "Naked" Links?
They are not accessible, user-friendly, or SEO-friendly. What does that mean?
They create barriers for people trying to use your website. Especially those using a screen reader. How does the listener know which “here” goes where? A screen reader user can hear a complete list of links by using just one command, how do they know which "here" to click on? Even sighted users get tired of reading “here”; plus the user doesn’t want to read the whole page again to find the exact hyperlink they need.
Naked links are not descriptive of the destination page creating ambiguity which can lead to loss of trust or hesitation. The user may find the link suspicious.
Pay Attention
Having meaningful links is a Web Content Accessibility Guidelines requirement (WCAG 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context) - Level A), so, if you want your websites accessible, you'll need to PAY ATTENTION. Always use descriptive phrases and it must be unique to any other link text on the page. It is a violation to have the same link text on the same page that goes to different locations. Never use the direct URL address as the text link either, like "https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4651448/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_2_wr". Make it easy for the user to know where the link is taking them, like "visit Green Eggs and Ham".