Comments on: Using “Click Here” Is Probably Hurting Your Site

By: Paul

Paul — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 03:04:05 +0000

Very true, I always say To read more about href blah, click here, and add another href on ‘here’

By: Mari

Mari — Thu, 08 May 2008 21:54:29 +0000

Oh man. I’d never considered this before. :makes a note to stop using “click here”: I’m the “click here queen”. ugh!! I don’t think I’ve put any “click heres” on the last handful of posts, but I think I’ll find the time to go back and make sure…Very, very good point!

By: Click Here -- It's Not About SEO! :: Unintentionally Blank

Click Here -- It's Not About SEO! :: Unintentionally Blank — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 21:43:16 +0000

[...] Miracle highlighted exactly the reason why “Click Here” should not be used as anchor text. Put plainly, you cannot tell what a link with the anchor text “Click Here” leads [...]

By: The Lonely Marketer - a discussion for the small business marketing manager » Sunday Afternoon Notable Blog Posts

Sun, 22 Apr 2007 20:24:30 +0000

[...] Using Click Here on Website: Awesome article by Dawud. When I went back and looked I couldn’t believe how many times I use the words, “click here”. Why would I so that? [...]

By: Dawud Miracle

Dawud Miracle — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 17:14:41 +0000

Patrick,

I know. I still have some editing to do as well. Glad I could bring it up for you.

By: Patrick Schaber

Patrick Schaber — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 17:09:59 +0000

Dawud,
Excellent point – this is one of those things you don’t think about until someone brings it up. You’ve inspired me to go back and do some editing!

Thanks,
Pat

By: Dawud Miracle

Dawud Miracle — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 01:40:28 +0000

Molly,

Thanks. I thought the various click here’s would drive the point home a bit more too. Anything I can do to make blogger’s, business owner’s and site visitor’s lives better, I’m for it.

By: Quicklinks: Sitemaps, Gack Ink and Click Here :: Unintentionally Blank

Quicklinks: Sitemaps, Gack Ink and Click Here :: Unintentionally Blank — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 00:33:15 +0000

[...] Dawud Miracle demonstrates exactly why you should never use “click here” as your link text. [...]

By: Molly Gordon

Molly Gordon — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 00:14:41 +0000

Terrific post, Dawud. I especially enjoyed the various outgoing links associated with Click Here – vividly demonstrated your point. I enjoy how you think.

By: Dawud Miracle

Dawud Miracle — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 14:22:20 +0000

Phil,

Thanks. I had fun creating this post. And I think it makes great conversation. We’ve probably all used click here. I know I have.

What funny is that the top four companies on Google’s search are for downloads of Acrobat, QuickTime, RealPlayer and Media Player – all downloads that you would say, “to download the player, click here.”

And I’m sure they got that position out of shear volume of visits.

By: Phil

Phil — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 11:35:28 +0000

Great post and a great demonstration of how using “click here” link text really affects accessibility. Not only is a link that says “click here” impossible to understand when it’s out of context, but using the same link text for different links also causes confusion.

The SEO benefits of linking properly are pretty obvious too, I wonder how those 4 top companies took the top spots for the search on “click here”!

By: Dawud Miracle

Dawud Miracle — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 00:50:05 +0000

Ted,

I know what you mean. I think there is a better way. Yet this may just be one of the internet where we still need some development.

Heidi,

Yes. I agree. I feel that text links should be contextual – for you, the site owner, for Google, and certainly for your site visitors.

Adam,

Great start, if you ask me. Anything we can do to make our links more appealing to our site visitors is better. And it doesn’t hurt that some of the links are keywords too.

By: Adam Kayce : Monk At Work

Adam Kayce : Monk At Work — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 22:15:10 +0000

Much like Heidi said, what if [quote comment="3387"]"More info on Nubian Goats as well as here, here, and here."[/quote] were to become: "Learn more about Nubian Goat hair, shampoo, mating rituals, and migratory patterns. It's a start, at least...

By: Heidi Cool

Heidi Cool — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 20:47:24 +0000

Great illustration of the point! And thank you for including my post as one of the "click here's". David Airey and Karen H. make a valid point about including a "call to action" in our links, but I think we can get creative with that. Rather than "Click here to learn about my web development services", why not "Learn how can help you grow your business." Or as another example instead of something like "Click here to register online" use "Register online today—limited seating is available." I think we'll always encounter link situations that are difficult to word, but as long as we all make an effort to reduce the "click here's" we'll be on the right track.

By: Ted Demopoulos

Ted Demopoulos — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 20:00:35 +0000

I clicked here but ended up there
Great post — I don’t do the click here thing, but sometimes write something like:
“More info on Nubian Goats as well as here, here, and here.”

That would be four links, one for Nubian Goats and three for “here” “here” and “here.

I’m sure there is a better way!

By: Dawud Miracle

Dawud Miracle — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 11:00:35 +0000

Karin H.,

Oh absolutely you have to guide visitors. I tell my clients that not only do you need to lead them to water, you also need to tip their head into the river, open their mouths and a begin feeding them the water until they realize they’re thirsty and drink for themselves.

And oh, don’t worry, you’ll find click here on my site too.

By: Karin Karin H.

Karin Karin H. — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 10:54:02 +0000

I’m with David Airey on this one: included the ‘call for action’ in the link. I’ve learned that you have to ‘guide’ visitors into doing the next step you want them to take.
Click here is indeed not enough (not detailed enough), just ‘anchor’ text isn’t really that call for action.

Hmm, like Adam Kayce I’m now thinking better check my sites again on this

By: Dawud Miracle

Dawud Miracle — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 21:53:35 +0000

Adam,

Just the SEO advantage alone should be motivation to going through this pain.

By: Adam Kayce : Monk At Work

Adam Kayce : Monk At Work — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 21:43:43 +0000

What do I think?

I think, “uh oh…” (editing work is never done…)

By: Dawud Miracle

Dawud Miracle — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 20:23:44 +0000

Armen,

Thanks.

Respiro,

I know this is true. Yet I see so many people who still use it.