Writing Descriptive Link Text That Helps People Find Their Way Online
Most websites are built on the back of hyperlinks, yet the words used to create those connections are often an afterthought. A generic phrase such as "click here" or "read more" forces readers to backtrack, re-read surrounding sentences, and figure out where each link will lead. For Australians who scan articles on a phone while waiting for a train through the city loop or flicking through content during a smoko, that extra mental work quickly adds up.
Strong link text acts as a signpost, giving visitors enough context to predict what sits on the other side of the click. When a phrase describes its target clearly, navigation feels effortless, screen readers can announce meaningful destinations to people who are blind or have low vision, and search engines can map the relationships between pages with greater confidence.
Why Generic Link Phrases Let Readers Down
Phrases like "click here", "tap this", and "learn more" were once common on the web, but research into reading behaviour has long shown they slow people down. The word "here" carries no information on its own, so users must pause, glance backwards at the previous sentence, and only then decide whether to follow the link. On a busy platform like the ABC News homepage or a local council site, that extra step costs readers several seconds per link.
Australian style guides now echo this view. The Government Digital Service Playbook advises public-sector teams to write link text that stands alone and describes the destination, partly because the country's Disability Discrimination Act expects digital content to be usable by people relying on assistive technology. When a screen reader announces a string of "read more" links, it does so with no context, leaving the listener with little idea of what each one offers.
There is also a structural cost. Search crawlers weigh the words inside an anchor more heavily than surrounding copy, so vague labels dilute the signal a page sends about what it actually covers. A label that simply says "this article" passes almost nothing useful back to the engine.
Building Descriptive Link Text That Guides Readers
Helpful link text usually grows out of the sentence it sits in. Rather than tacking a phrase onto the end, writers can rewrite the sentence so the destination is named in plain English. A line such as "Read our guide to two-factor authentication" works because it tells the reader what to expect, even before the link is followed.
Four habits tend to produce reliable anchor phrases. First, describe the destination in two or three words rather than one. Second, place the most important noun at the start so it survives truncation in search results. Third, avoid repeating the same label across a page, since identical anchors pointing to different targets confuse both audiences and crawlers. Fourth, keep the phrase readable aloud, because screen readers will speak exactly what is written between the brackets.
Pairing descriptive anchors with the surrounding typography also matters. Choosing the right how-to-choose-the-right-font-size-for-better-readability of any linked text affects whether people actually notice it, and a label that disappears into a wall of grey does nobody any favours.
Reading Habits and Mobile Browsing in Australia
Australia is one of the most mobile-heavy markets in the world, with smartphones accounting for the majority of web sessions in cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth. Readers on a tram down George Street or a bus through Carlton are often skimming with one thumb, scrolling quickly, and tapping whatever stands out first. A vague link buried mid-paragraph is easily missed, while a descriptive label often earns the tap.
Australians also tend to read Australian English, so phrasing that matches local spelling and idioms tends to land more naturally. Saying "colour and contrast settings" rather than "color and contrast settings" suits a local audience, as does referring to a "service station" instead of a "gas station". Anchor text can borrow from the same vocabulary to feel familiar.
Patterns worth keeping in mind when writing for a local readership:
- Keep labels under about six words so they do not wrap awkwardly on a narrow phone screen.
- Front-load the destination's main noun, since truncated links in chat apps and search results usually cut from the end.
- Use Australian spelling where it matches the surrounding editorial voice.
- Prefer sentence case over ALL CAPS, which is harder to scan quickly on a small display.
Comparing Weak and Strong Link Phrases
Looking at weak and strong labels side by side makes the differences easier to apply in everyday editing. The table below pairs a common generic pattern with a more descriptive rewrite, drawn from typical news and service pages.
| Weak anchor | Strong anchor | Why it works better |
|---|---|---|
| Click here | View the 2024 NBN outage map | Names the exact resource and timeframe |
| Read more | Read our guide to public-transport concessions | Describes topic and audience benefit |
| Tap this | Tap to compare home-loan rates | States the action and the content type |
| Learn more | Learn how the NDIS calculates plan budgets | Specifies the policy area and outcome |
| This article | Our explainer on Melbourne's new bike lanes | Identifies the city, topic, and format |
Each strong version can stand alone if pulled into a list of links, a search snippet, or a screen-reader announcement, while the weak versions cannot.
Quick Fixes for Common Link-Text Mistakes
Even experienced editors slip into vague habits, especially when working quickly against a deadline. A short checklist helps catch the worst patterns before a page goes live.
- Replace every "click here", "tap here", and "read more" with a phrase that names the destination.
- Scan each link on its own; if the anchor still makes sense out of context, it is usually safe to publish.
- Avoid linking single words such as "report" or "guide" when a short phrase adds useful detail.
- Check that no two links on the same page share an identical anchor while pointing to different URLs.
- Read the page aloud through a screen reader to confirm each link is announced clearly and uniquely.
For sensitive destinations such as account settings or two-factor authentication overview pages, descriptive labels also reduce hesitation, because users know exactly what they are about to open before tapping. Combined with clear typography and a tidy layout, well-chosen link text turns a page from a maze into a guide, helping Australian readers move through content with confidence.