Lounge Lizard, Top NYC Web Design Firm, shares Tips for Improving Internal Links for Better UX and SEO
Internal links are important for both SEO and the user experience of a website, however, internal links are not always optimized to maximize their use due to a lack of understanding about the value behind effective links within a website.
NEW YORK, April 17, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Lounge Lizard is globally recognized as a Top NYC Web Design Firm within the web design and development industry. Lounge Lizard's brandtenders are creative, tech-savvy, and passionate in developing innovative strategies that drive conversion for both startups and established clients of all industries, making them the "best of breed since 1998."
Internal links are important for both SEO and the user experience of a website. However, even with their dual importance, internal links are not always optimized to maximize their use. This oversight is often due to a lack of understanding about the value behind effective links within a website. Today NYC based web design firm, Lounge Lizard, shares Tips for Improving Internal Links for Better UX and SEO.
User engagement isn't always based on good content or interesting product pictures. Customers also need to be able to easily find additional reasons to stay on a business's website. Links provide the pathway for a user and the design, along with usability, directly affecters user experience (UX). SEO is also an important consideration as a site's structure is the roadmap for search engines.
Tips for Improving Internal Links:
- The 3 clicks rule – A standard web development rule is that no page on a site should be more than three clicks away. Think of it as the six degrees of separation concept but on a digital map. However, unlike the six degrees principle, sites should ensure people can find anything they need within three clicks because people are impatient. Proper site architecture combined with various navigation options such as drop-down bars can ensure that users can find what they want quickly after they land on a page.
- Use only relevant links – Every link within a website should be for a logical and relevant reason. Links should encourage and allow exploration of a site therefor relevancy is important to increase the chance of engagement rather than confusion. If a user is reading articles about piano repair, having a link to learning how to play the trombone would be mildly useful at best to a small percentage of visitors. The goal should be to keep a user hooked.
- Highly clickable – Links should be worded in a way to increase clicks. Surprising to many is that phrases such as 'click here', 'more info', or 'press here' are significantly less likely to be clicked on compared to a descriptive phrase. The proper title not only is helpful for users, but it also adds clarity for search engines in understanding the context of the page being linked to. That helps with SEO. For example – Learn more about adaptive web design by checking out our post on Understanding the Difference Between Responsive and Adaptive Web Design. That is much better than – Learn more about adaptive web design by clicking here.
- Extremely visible – People can't click on what they don't see. Links should be highly visible not only with prominent placement, but also regarding size, shape, and coloring. It should be obvious that something is a link and users should not have to scan an entire page to find them. Placement should be in and around the standard "F-pattern" on a page. As users' eyes naturally scan a page, they will more easily identify links. That is one reason why the top of a page is commonly used as a link location and why the footer or bottom of the page links are hardly clicked on. Links should not be minimized or replaced with buttons. That doesn't mean every link should be bright yellow and cartoonish in size, but they should be easily distinguished at a glance.
- Use links in content – Links within content are not only very useful for users, but also can greatly increase time-on-site. In theory, a visitor is reading content on a page to learn something or solve a problem. Any hyperlinks embedded within that content provide the opportunity for further engagement. Links to similar topics or reference articles that support the topic are a common tactic. Many sites include lists of content other users also searched for or found interesting. This is similar to using recommended product links on an e-commerce site.
Lounge Lizard is an award-winning, high-end design boutique specializing in website and mobile app development, UX/UI, branding, and marketing. Lounge Lizard excels in creating the ultimate brand strategy, fully loaded with expertly crafted visuals that work together to increase sales and effectively communicate a client's unique personality.
Media Contact: Ken Braun, Lounge Lizard, 631-581-1000, ken.braun(at)loungelizard.com
SOURCE Lounge Lizard Inc.
Share this article