Last week we talked about readability score and how tracking it helps ensure that your content is clear, accessible and easy to understand for all users. I'd like to stick to content this week and tell you about something that seems so damn simple, and yet can trip a lot of people up.
Click here to read more!
Yup, that was on purpose. It's this kind of generic link text that won't tell you where the link leads and what you should expect to read when you click it.
Link text quality
Link text quality measures how descriptive and meaningful the text of your hyperlinks is. Good link text helps users, especially those using screen readers, understand where a link will take them without needing extra context. Vague or generic links like “click here” or “read more” create confusion.
When you create a link, think about the text and how it should clearly describe the destination or purpose of the link. For example, instead of using "click here," say "view accessibility guidelines." Each link should be unique to avoid confusion, especially when multiple links appear on the same page.
An easy way to think about it is to ask yourself:
If this link was the only thing on the page, would I know what would happen if I clicked it?
Links should make sense out of context. If screen reader users navigate by jumping between links, meaning they may hear only the link text, they need to immediate understand what each link is. "Learn more" is meaningless in isolation, while "Learn more about our pricing" is much clearer.
In short, links should make sense both in the surrounding content and when read on their own.
Three pitfalls to avoid that I've personally seen:
- Generic link text like "click here," "read more" or "see this."
- Overloading links with details. A link like "click here to read more about our company history and mission statement" can be trimmed down to "read about our company history."
- Poor contrast or relying on colour alone. Make sure links are easy to distinguish visually, with sufficient color contrast and underlining for people with visual impairments.
Testing for these pitfalls is easy.
Periodically review your website’s links by skimming through content and reading only the links. If a link doesn’t make sense on its own, change it. And you can also use automated tools like axe or WAVE to scan for generic or duplicate link text.
I haven't found a way to automate this yet. At least not in a way that doesn't give you false negatives.
Tracking this KPI and making sure your links are descriptive, unique and clear will make your site more accessible and improve the overall user experience.